[{"_1":2,"_87":-5,"_88":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6483581,"mediaKeyId","5670067-a88a4142fb3f418192f2104d3179e597","parentId",5670067,"title","Panel hears California Jobs First briefing focused on regional, sector‑based economic strategy","audioSeconds",1779,"startMs",3948165,"endMs",5727445,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5670067-a88a4142fb3f418192f2104d3179e597&start=3948&end=5727","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5670067-a88a4142fb3f418192f2104d3179e597/thumbnail_3948165.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6483581/California/Panel-hears-California-Jobs-First-briefing-focused-on-regional-sectorbased-economic-strategy","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6483581-482a9956f19c47d390122cf8c196f08c/orig.mp4?Expires=1770519249&Signature=epmepocVgoHW9kUFrnQeDkEdxkcDxsZm~cV7f-l4VOh5hg4gR7mQjZzGUYLdSiIvP1HJbanSxADkd5Gd-oFpojy~SmYUROzkmb3dJpWhFGTMmGngM2M7qpKrf592yMEz53gttVVUFgVrySG46XhtsrhE0~SE95F97k0UZSAfVnU0860nlS9Q9my7Zy5e8XrhDzXV4xVs2eIrlwZ6bJtxQWoKTmuZdHtWaezV1QWJzQcy6cH~Ibb048Be0Okh9jIDfGMFm5FajlUcdPIE7GI3TnkXcLIxHlkLmJz2a9iIFPpDdgXp1uinvUj~ch2y25K6DpB8Hk0Ee-xwisHUoAC9PQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Employment Training Panel","date","2025-08-25T15:17:50.293Z","article","Panel member Derek Kirk delivered a policy briefing to the Employment Training Panel on Aug. 22 describing the California Jobs First initiative and how the Employment Training Panel (ETP) can better align with regional sector strategies.

\"California Jobs First for us is about building a community‑led and climate‑forward economy,\" Kirk said, summarizing the initiative’s premise and the reason the panel has discussed closer alignment in recent months. He told the panel the program divides the state into 13 economic regions to coordinate investments and noted the effort’s central tentpole: a Regional Investment Initiative that initially invested $5 million per region and totaled $450 million in the program’s design.

Kirk described four core goals of the blueprint: support sustainable and equitable regional growth, invest in workforce for sectors of the future, create an attractive environment for job creators and strengthen California’s innovation and entrepreneurial economy. He explained the initiative’s effort to fold state agencies into a common approach: \"We collaborated with nine agencies through the California Jobs First Council to break silos and braid funding and policy to move projects forward,\" he said.

Kirk highlighted several concrete program elements and milestones: the Regional Investment Initiative (the initial regional planning investments and subsequent competitive and tribal funding rounds), certified regional economic development plans recognized by the U.S. Economic Development Administration, pilot projects such as a planned public market/entrepreneur training center in the Sacramento River District and forthcoming competitive implementation funding rounds. He urged panel staff to consider closer operational alignment with other state tools commonly used by employers — specifically naming CalCompetes, the full sales and use tax exclusion program (California Alternative Energy and Advanced Transportation Financing Authority processes) and ETP itself — and outlined opportunities to reduce duplicative applicant burden by sharing application information between agencies.

Kirk tied the initiative directly to workforce policy: aligning priority sectors and multiple‑employer contracts with the regional sector framework; coordinating ETP grants and MECs to strengthen local ecosystems; and ensuring that investments focus on regional strengths rather than applying a one‑size‑fits‑all approach. He also discussed pilot and implementation funding available now and soon, and asked panel members to consider whether future ETP multiple‑employer contracts could be structured to support regionally identified priority sectors.

Why this matters: Kirk framed Jobs First as a long‑term administrative and funding alignment effort designed to direct limited public resources to regionally defined priorities and to create better pipelines between attraction/retention incentives and workforce investments. Panel members asked questions about sector multipliers, future trends such as AI and automation, and how to design training to enable transitions between related industries.

Kirk concluded by urging continued ETP participation in cross‑agency coordination and by noting that the Jobs First blueprint and regional plans represent a rare, statewide attempt to certify and coordinate economic development planning across all counties. Panel members thanked him and asked staff to explore follow‑up items such as aligning MECs to regional sectors and potential joint application approaches with GoBiz and the treasurer’s office.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","August 2025 Panel Meeting","oneSentenceSummary","Panel member Derek Kirk briefed the Employment Training Panel on California Jobs First — a statewide, regionally organized economic blueprint that aims to align agencies, funding and workforce training to create, attract and preserve good‑paying jobs across 13 economic regions.","taxTitle","Employment Training Panel, Agencies under Office of the Governor, Executive, California","taxId",70074,"location","California","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6483585,"ETP panel approves roughly $6 million in training contracts; South Modesto MEC right‑sized to $300,000",0,137840,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5670067-a88a4142fb3f418192f2104d3179e597&start=137&end=137","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5670067-a88a4142fb3f418192f2104d3179e597/thumbnail_137840.jpg","/articles/6483585/California/ETP-panel-approves-roughly-6-million-in-training-contracts-South-Modesto-MEC-rightsized-to-300000","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6483585-300e3a691b0dcc5ff86bf451b837351f/orig.mp4?Expires=1770519249&Signature=Fm663eAL65HfbfaqwVdzXI48FyZg280Q0W1gmIO9szzP7V1nVEPEvcMFctYSeub-~iLxPc8hDsQ6k3ILu3D5uuVbCnRZO1vZVtk3ZjS7BYOfysq1Zp8di83n6RCne6p3JX3vH5kRX2fPSdZmad7TXkP61lC7ZLPGLHlVTl1yoFzZP18I1q43YXFqx303S7uJBect8GvQ21LcNdvAvqtfxM1H3qZg2stvB9mcjUNfy6e9gf9heRZHUEqFX642MciV~~CqedZ43n0U-BzZEj98Nju9mjaFB0vkaDWrU8TN40d1I0UT3aKwqYcwcHnOazpVw0abOCm15DjTMTJrDOadHQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Employment Training Panel approved about $6,027,357 in proposals and several multi‑employer contracts at its Aug. 22 meeting, funding training for over a thousand workers statewide and approving one contract amendment that adds out‑of‑state vendors.

Panel Chair Rebecca Bettencourt opened the meeting and staff highlighted the broader budget and demand context. “The 2025 budget act chaptered last month included 7 and a half million for the social entrepreneurs for economic development or SEED funding,” Executive Director Jessica Grimes said. Laura Campbell, chief deputy director, summarized proposal totals: “If all proposals scheduled for today's panel meeting are approved, the panel will fund 15 projects for a total of $6,027,357.”

Panel members then heard presentations from single‑employer applicants, multiple‑employer contractors (MECs) and nonprofit applicants and voted on each proposal. Most votes were unanimous; roll‑call voting recorded panel members as voting \"Aye\" on the funded items. The meeting also recorded contractor withdrawals and one amendment seeking authorization for selected out‑of‑state trainers.

The panel approved awards to the following applicants (amounts reflect the motion presented and the roll‑call outcome recorded in the meeting minutes):

- Mechanical Analysis Repair Inc. (dba MarTech): $145,600 to train 52 workers. Motion adopted; roll‑call vote recorded all present as \"Aye.\" (Contract funded.)

- Cisco Los Angeles Inc. (Contract ET26‑0131): $595,056 to train 483 workers at Los Angeles and Ventura sites. Motion adopted; roll‑call vote recorded all present as \"Aye.\"

- Vinotech Wine Cellars (dba WhisperKOOL) (Contract ET26‑0121): $134,400 to train 96 workers in Stockton. Motion adopted; roll‑call vote recorded all present as \"Aye.\"

- John Rennell Collection Inc.: $82,600 to train 59 workers in Carlsbad. Motion adopted; roll‑call vote recorded all present as \"Aye.\"

- MBV California LLC (beverage co‑packer): $269,568 to train 702 workers at Sacramento, Anaheim and Chino locations. Motion adopted; roll‑call vote recorded all present as \"Aye.\"

- California Manufacturers Technology Association (MEC) (Contract ET26‑0128): $849,779 to train 1,009 workers statewide at participating employers' worksites. Motion adopted; roll‑call vote recorded all present as \"Aye.\" Staff noted a correction to a starting wage in the job table.

- South Modesto Business United, Inc. (MEC) (Contract E226‑0117): the panel approved a revised award of up to $300,000 after the applicant removed participating employers outside the region and staff agreed to work with the applicant to reconfigure the training plan to fit the revised funding cap. Motion adopted; roll‑call vote recorded all present as \"Aye.\" Panel members said the smaller organization will receive staff support and the contract will be adjusted to maximize the chance of meeting performance goals.

- Kern County Community College District (Contract ET26‑0129): $839,346 to train approximately 800 workers across participating employer worksites. Motion adopted; roll‑call vote recorded all present as \"Aye.\"

- Santa Clarita Community College District (Contract ET26‑0125): $849,089 to train approximately 850 workers across employer worksites. Motion adopted; roll‑call vote recorded all present as \"Aye.\"

- Amendment: Dumont Printing, Inc. (Contract ET24‑0313), Panel Amendment No. 2: approved expansion to use three out‑of‑state vendors for industry‑specific training where in‑state vendors are not available. Motion adopted; roll‑call vote recorded all present as \"Aye.\"

The panel also recorded withdrawals: Lancaster Hospital Corp. (dba Palmdale Regional Medical Center) and Trojan Battery Company LLC were both withdrawn from this meeting and slated to return at a later date; California Manufacturing Technology Consulting also withdrew. Delegation orders (three approved under director delegated authority) totaled $132,328 and were noted by staff as part of the meeting’s funding summary.

Panel members and applicants discussed curriculum details and employer readiness during presentations. For example, panel members requested South Modesto clarify curriculum items such as food‑safety (SafeServe) training for participating restaurants and staff described plans for weekly check‑ins and a three‑person implementation team to improve employer compliance and recordkeeping. Several applicants described prior ETP performance and internal promotion pipelines; WhisperKOOL and other repeat contractors cited prior contract outcomes and staff advancement examples.

Why this matters: staff reported 338 active applications in the pipeline with an estimated demand value of roughly $138,000,000 across single‑employer, small business, multiple‑employer and apprenticeship requests. The meeting’s approvals move another set of training funds into the field at a time when lawmakers and agencies are focusing on sector alignment and regional workforce needs.

The panel adjourned after a policy presentation (see separate article about the California Jobs First briefing) and public comment. The panel will meet again in September.","The Employment Training Panel on Aug. 22 approved roughly $6.0 million in employer training awards, funded multiple‑employer contracts for manufacturing and workforce providers, and approved an amendment to allow out‑of‑state vendors for a Dumont Printing contract. Panel members also heard updates on SEED funding and demand for ETP services.","actionData","errors"]

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Panel hears California Jobs First briefing focused on regional, sector‑based economic strategy

ETP panel approves roughly $6 million in training contracts; South Modesto MEC right‑sized to $300,000