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Board approves OER/ZTC platform and workforce contracts, funding to scale employer‑led training
Summary
The Board of Governors approved contracts and grants enabling a dynamic open educational resources (OER)/zero‑textbook‑cost platform and supported expansion of employer‑funded workforce training centers, citing prior legislative funding and measurable short‑term training outcomes.
The California Community Colleges Board of Governors voted to approve the contracts and grants package presented on Nov. 18, 2025, authorizing the use of remaining legislative funds to build a statewide OER/zero‑textbook‑cost platform and to continue support for employer‑funded contract education centers.
Executive Vice Chancellor Chris Ferguson and General Counsel Kathy Lynch told the board that legislative language allowed remaining dollars from an earlier $115 million allocation to be put toward a single, dynamic OER repository so colleges can curate, maintain and adapt materials locally. “The idea is to have one platform for the system using the funds that we had remaining,” one staff presenter said, describing a move from a static referatory to a sustainable, collaborative environment for faculty resources.
The board also heard a briefing on contract education and workforce training from Vice Chancellor Tony Cordova, who said 28 contract‑education units across the system have delivered roughly 750,000 training hours and produced an average wage gain of about 20% for trainees. Cordova described employer‑paid training models and steps to connect short‑term, noncredit upskilling to credit pathways such as credit for prior learning and CPL‑based award of units.
Board members asked for details on program continuity and oversight. At least one governor raised conflict‑of‑interest concerns on a single item and recorded an abstention where legal counsel had advised. Staff said the motion covered the full contracts-and-grants packet; a roll‑call recorded the motion as passed.
The action is intended to reduce course material costs, expand ZTC pathways and strengthen employer‑aligned upskilling; staff said colleges using OER have already saved students millions in book costs. The board's approval clears the way for vendor selection, platform procurement and phased technical integration with other statewide systems.
What happens next: staff will manage procurement and onboarding for the new platform and continue work to use CPL and noncredit pathways to connect short‑term training into credit and transfer opportunities. No further public comment was recorded on the motion at the time of vote.
