Employment Training Panel approves 27 contracts — roughly $9.5 million in training funds; Butte College amendment approved

The Employment Training Panel on May 30 approved a package of training contracts and one amendment tied to wildfire response and clean‑energy workforce needs.

Panel members voted to fund a mix of single‑employer and multiple‑employer proposals — covering manufacturing, health care, agriculture and specialty manufacturing — representing roughly $9.5 million in awards for projects scheduled to train several hundred workers across California.

Why it matters: ETP contracts fund employer‑delivered training that the state ties to wage progression and job retention. The May approvals include both new contractor awards and a policy amendment for Butte‑Glenn Community College District to support rapid workforce response for arborist/utility crews after recent wildfires. The panel also approved several projects with higher‑priority policy conditions (for example a staff‑negotiated reduction to a requested award in one instance).

Votes at a glance (approved items) - Collins Electrical Company Inc. — Contract ET25‑0281 — $590,632 to train 398 workers at locations including Stockton, Modesto, Fresno, Livermore, Marina and West Sacramento — approved by roll call. - ESL Power Systems Inc. — Contract ET25‑0291 — $103,040 to train 92 workers in Corona — approved by roll call. - La Tapatia Tortilleria Inc. — Contract ET25‑0279 — $171,808 to train 118 workers at Fresno and McClellan Park — approved by roll call (correction to post‑retention wage noted in packet). - San Marino Gardens Wellness Center LP (DBA Pasadena Park Healthcare) — $604,800 to train 270 workers at Pasadena and identified affiliates — approved by roll call. Panel members asked staff to confirm affiliate headcount reporting. - Senior Operations LLC (DBA Senior Aerospace SSP) — Contract ET25‑0267 — $479,668 to train 463 workers in Burbank — approved by roll call. - The Brownie Baker Inc. — $87,696 to train 108 workers in Fresno — approved by roll call (applicant explained prior performance and steps to improve reporting). - Wings Inflatables Inc. — Contract ET25‑0284 — $313,600 to train 140 workers in Arcata (critical proposal tied to DOD contract growth) — approved by roll call. - Brewer Crane LLC (DBA Brewer Crane & Rigging) — $98,000 to train 70 workers in San Diego — approved by roll call. - CP Manufacturing Inc. — $248,976 to train ~171 workers in San Diego — approved by roll call. - IBASET (I Base T Inc.) — approved for $89,040 (questioning during review addressed employer‑paid health and 401(k) match; approved by roll call). Note: packet and presentation contained a higher initial request; final motion recorded $89,040. - LifeGenerations Healthcare LLC (DBA Generations Healthcare) — $439,040 to train ~490 workers — approved by roll call; applicant described wage progression and employer fringe contributions. - Precision Fluid Controls Inc. — $218,400 to train 130 workers in Placer and Sacramento counties — approved by roll call. - Styr Foods LLC — Rightsized and approved up to $460,000 (staff calculated a revised figure of $459,200) to train ~400 workers in Orange County after panel discussion about prior performance and program capacity — approved by roll call. - San Diego Union‑Tribune LLC — $110,400 to train 115 workers in San Diego (training includes hybrid/hybrid‑work productivity modules) — approved by roll call after questions about benefit costs and reporters' pay ranges. - True Organic Products Inc. — $570,024 to train ~261 workers across multiple locations (panel required clearer tiered curriculum descriptions to show training progression) — approved by roll call. - BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc. — $599,760 to train ~357 workers in Marin County; panel approved with an instruction that "productive lab" hours be reduced to a 30‑hour average and that the productive‑lab curriculum be clarified — approved by roll call. - Crisp Company — $452,200 to train ~190 workers across multiple counties (supporting field operations and back‑office functions linked to road‑striping/construction services) — approved by roll call. - Clark/Western‑Dietrich Building Systems LLC — $431,200 to train ~280 workers (Woodland, Carlsbad, Riverside) — approved by roll call. - L & S Framing Inc. — $206,640 to train 180 workers (training focused on management/operations roles; panel noted rightsizing) — approved by roll call. - Motivo Engineering LLC — $151,200 to train 90 workers (advanced engineering/prototype work) — approved by roll call. - PTI Technologies Inc. — $228,340 to train ~233 workers in Oxnard — approved by roll call. - Synergy Enterprises Inc. (DBA Synergy Companies) — $289,800 to train ~207 workers at several central‑Valley locations (weatherization/utility decarbonization work) — approved by roll call. - Vision Care Center (a medical group) — $95,844 to train ~163 workers in Fresno/Clovis/Selma — approved by roll call. - Fourth Watch Educational Services (DBA Machinist Career College) — $848,750 to train approximately 350 incumbent workers across many employer partners; panel discussion included MEC oversight and employer commitments — approved by roll call. - San Francisco Workforce Development Board (CityBuild Academy) — $482,300 to fund pre‑apprenticeship (construction) training; placement into apprenticeship programs historically exceeds 80% — approved by roll call. - Coast King Packing LLC (DBA Coastview/Queen Victoria) — $589,680 (agricultural contractor) to train ~390 workers in Salinas/Gonzales — approved by roll call (packet correction noted to "Coastview" spelling). - Mann Packing Company Inc. — $193,104 to train 149 workers in Gonzales (productive‑lab hours explained as union‑required on‑machine instruction) — approved by roll call.

Amendment - Butte‑Glenn Community College District — Amendment to ET24‑0136 approved. The amendment redistributes trainees and funds between job lines to support rapid wildfire/utility arborist workforce response, adds a union‑supported occupation to job line 2, and authorizes a retroactive reimbursement date of March 1, 2024 for hours already provided. The panel approved the amendment by roll call after staff and the college explained the wildfire response context and the occupational coding changes.

What the panel asked staff to follow up on - Multiple applicants were asked to clarify curriculum lists and to make wage‑progression or fringe‑benefit figures explicit in proposals (panel members repeatedly asked for specific monetary or percentage figures rather than "N/A" or general statements). - Staff was asked to check affiliate headcounts when company networks report different employee totals across proposals. - For some larger contracts (for example Styr Foods and BioMarin), staff and applicants must refine productive‑lab vs classroom lab lists so the panel can clearly see how on‑the‑job training hours are allocated.

Panel voting and attendance The roll‑call votes on each motion were recorded on the transcript. Present and voting panel members included Douglas Tracy, Jennifer Fothergill, Mike Hill, Gretchen Newsom, Rebecca Bettencourt (Chair), Ricky Smiles, Mike Greenlee and Derek Kirk. For each contract noted above the motion carried by affirmative roll‑call vote of the members present.

Next steps - Staff will finalize contract documents with the exact amounts approved (including the rightsized Styr Foods amount and the clarified BioMarin productive‑lab language) and proceed with award and contract execution. Applicants must provide any follow‑up curriculum clarifications and requested wage/fringe data before contracts are finalized.

Ending note The panel completed a full agenda that combined routine contract approvals with an emergency‑response amendment and several policy and program updates earlier in the meeting. The record shows the panel emphasizing clearer wage progression and curriculum detail going forward.