The Employment Training Panel on Oct. 24 approved one amendment and 29 training proposals that, if fully executed, will distribute roughly $10.35 million to employers and training providers across California.

The panel's executive staff told members that the proposals under review would fund 29 projects totaling $10,351,358 and—if approved as presented—are projected to train more than 42,000 workers statewide. The package includes single-employer contracts for manufacturers, health-care providers, construction and home-services firms, and multiple-employer contractor (MEC) proposals submitted by community colleges.

Panel members heard presentations from company representatives and ETP staff and voted on each contract. Motions to approve were made and seconded on the floor; roll-call votes followed. Most motions were adopted unanimously or with no recorded opposition. One item (Oxman College) drew an individual “no” vote before it was adopted with a wage-related caveat (see below). The panel also approved a staff-noted amendment to an existing contract to add out-of-state vendor training for a Snack King contract.

Votes at a glance (contract, contract number, ETP funding requested, outcome):

- Aerojet Rocketdyne Inc., ET26-0166, $392,000 — approved
- Boehringer Ingelheim Fremont Inc., ET26-0167, $599,424 — approved
- Castle Works Home Services Co., ET26-0149, $115,360 — approved
- Certified Stainless Service Inc (Westmark), ET26-0163, $495,600 — approved
- Chorus Innovations Inc., ET26-0161, $109,200 — approved
- DA McCosker Construction (Independent Construction), ET26-0162, $183,400 — approved
- Angaro & Sons Plumbing, Heating & Air (Ernest Angaro & Sons Inc.), ET26-0159, $302,400 — approved
- General Atomics, ET26-0160, $358,400 — approved
- High Temp Insulation Inc., ET26-0164, $129,360 — approved
- Huft Heating & Air Conditioning Inc., ET26-0166, $270,000 (approved motion capped to $270,000) — approved
- JLS Environmental Services Inc., ET26-0150, $219,240 — approved
- (Joseph Gallo Cheese withdrew) — withdrawn
- Cana Pipeline Inc., ET26-0157, $173,040 — approved
- Keysight Technologies Inc., ET26-0153, $599,200 — approved
- Lancaster Hospital / Palmdale Regional Medical Center, ET26-0120, $560,000 — approved
- O'Neill Vintners & Distillers (O'Neill Beverages Co. LLC), ET26-0142, $296,100 — approved (motion included post-retention wage revision for certain jobs)
- Producers Dairy Foods Inc., ET26-0148, $598,752 — approved (motion included wage adjustment for one job)
- Rockview Dairies Inc. (Rockview Farms), ET26-0152, $171,080 — approved
- Rudolph & Slatton Inc., ET26-0154, $127,512 — approved
- Sturgeon Services International Inc., ET26-0156, $116,928 — approved (panel approved a wage adjustment for one job)
- Velara (Certified Stainless/related business units), ET26-0143, $172,040 (approved amount was reduced from the request) — approved
- Butte-Glenn Community College District (MEC), ET26-0145, $2,601,45x (multiple-employer contract; panel-approved amount listed in staff packet) — approved
- Cerritos Community College District (MEC), ET26-0147, $849,195 — approved
- IPC International Inc. (Global Electronics Association), ET26-0165, $295,372 — approved
- Oxman College (Soma AEC Inc. DBA Oxman College), ET26-0168, $745,176 — approved with wage caveat moving CNA post-retention wages to $22.50 including health benefits for specified job categories (see article on Oxman College)
- Tulare Joint Union High School District / Tulare Adult School, ET26-0159, $119,800 — approved
- Snap King LLC amendment (ET24F0234) — staff amendment to add two out-of-state vendors for training — approved

Why it matters: ETP grants are designed to subsidize employer-provided training that leads to improved worker skills and, where achievable, documented wage progression. This meeting distributed funds across priority industry sectors—manufacturing, health care, construction and home services—and included multiple-employer contractors that expand training capacity across regions.

Notable details and conditions:
- Several manufacturing proposals were highlighted during Manufacturing Month: staff said 45% of proposals support manufacturing, representing roughly $6 million and projects that would train about 6,938 manufacturing workers.
- Panel members pressed several employers on classification of “productive lab” (on-the-job production while training) versus simulated classroom work; staff said they will work with contractors to ensure appropriate documentation and categorization.
- Oxman College’s contract drew extra scrutiny about accreditation, website disclosures and CNA wages. The panel approved the contract but required higher post-retention wages for CNA job categories (see the Oxman College article for details).
- Staff presented one informational item about an assignment of contract (California Manufacturing Technology Consulting contract assigned to the Greater San Fernando Valley Chamber of Commerce) and an update on ETP’s workforce literacy pilot program; those items were informational only.

Next steps: Contracts approved by the panel will be finalized by staff and executed as formal agreements; funded training proceeds after contract execution and required compliance steps. Staff told the panel they will continue monitoring contract performance and will facilitate coordination among contractors for programs that are progressing more slowly than expected.

Ending note: Panel members asked staff to add several policy issues to future agendas, including clarifying productive-lab classifications, affiliate/related-entity policy questions, out-of-state vendor guidance, and—by separate request—a proposed subcommittee on apprenticeship-equity recommendations.