After extended questioning about accreditation disclosures, website performance figures and wage outcomes, the Employment Training Panel approved a $745,176 contract with Soma AEC Inc., doing business as Oxman College, but attached a wage condition for certified nursing assistant (CNA) occupations.

Panel members pressed Oxman representatives on multiple points: a Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education public performance document previously posted showed zeros for graduates and completion in the public fact sheet, while Oxman staff and their representatives said that administrative reporting and a recent website revision had created inconsistent public presentation. Oxman representatives said the school has long-standing contracts—such as with the San Francisco Department of Public Health—and that the programs in question have active enrollments and completions.

Panel discussion focused heavily on wage progression for CNAs. Meeting discussion recorded that Oxman initially listed a lower post-retention wage for CNAs ($17.67 per hour) in some rural/high-unemployment settings; multiple panel members said that level is too low. After debate, the panel adopted the contract with a condition requiring the CNA post-retention wages for the specified job groupings to be $22.50 per hour including health benefits (the motion specified the change for jobs 3 and 4 on the Oxman proposal).

Oxman representatives told the panel they deliver hands-on clinical training, maintain clinical partnerships and provide instructor-led classroom and practical experiences; they said their non‑ETP contracts and employer partners show placement and completion outcomes. Sam Rodriguez, an adviser introduced by Oxman, emphasized the college’s longstanding role in workforce training and defense of the program’s community value.

Why it matters: CNA training is a high-demand pathway in many regions of California. The panel’s wage condition reflects a long-standing ETP emphasis on tracking and encouraging wage progression as a measurable outcome of funded training.

What the panel required: Oxman’s contract was approved with the explicit condition that the post-retention wage for the specified CNA job categories be moved to $22.50 per hour (including health benefits) rather than a lower figure presented earlier in the application. Staff will document this condition in the contract and monitor wage outcomes and completion rates.

Provenance: The Oxman presentation began with remarks by Sonia Pughach and Sam Rodriguez (transcript block s=10339–10371) and the vote, which included a recorded “no” by a panel member before adoption, is on the roll call toward the end of item tab 27.