Employment Training Panel approves about 32 projects totaling roughly $9.5 million and updates veteran and justice-involved youth guidelines

The California Employment Training Panel on May 30 voted to approve a packet of training proposals that will distribute about $9.5 million in awards for employer‑led workforce training across the state. The panel also adopted guideline revisions that prioritize projects serving veterans and justice‑involved opportunity youth and approved an amendment for Butte‑Glenn Community College District to reallocate training toward utility arborist/wildfire mitigation occupations with a retroactive effective date of March 1, 2024.

Panel chair and staff framed the packet as the final panel meeting of the fiscal year. Executive Director Jessica Grimes opened the meeting with a snapshot of ETP activity for the year, citing hundreds of approved proposals and multiple targeted initiatives including a Seed 2.5 entrepreneurship grant, paid family‑leave disbursement, and a $2.7 million partnership with the California Energy Commission for electric‑vehicle infrastructure training and certification.

The panel considered and acted on roughly 32 proposals presented in tabs. Several requests highlighted in discussion included: - Collins Electrical Company Inc. — approved for $590,632 to train 398 workers at multiple California locations after panel members asked staff and the applicant to clarify curriculum items (motion carried unanimously). - ESL Power Systems Inc. — approved for $103,040 for 92 trainees; panel requested written fringe‑benefit and wage‑progression documentation for the record. - San Marino Gardens Wellness Center (DBA Pasadena Park Health Care) — approved for $604,800 to train 270 workers in response to recent Southern California wildfire impacts; the applicant described large evacuations and the need to rebuild staffing capacity. - BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc. — approved up to $599,760 to train about 357 workers in Marin County, with a staff‑recommended condition that the average productive‑lab allocation be reduced to no more than 30 hours (instead of a proposed 60) and that BioMarin revise its productive‑lab curriculum to reflect actual on‑floor activities. The motion and caveats passed unanimously. - Styr Foods LLC — panel members discussed prior performance; staff recommended and the panel approved a right‑sized award of up to $460,000 (reduction from $560,000 requested).

Multiple other single‑employer and multiple‑employer contracts were approved after the applicants described wage progression, fringe benefits, and training delivery (classroom, simulated lab, and productive/on‑the‑job training). Panel members frequently asked applicants to specify wage‑progression amounts (percentages or dollar values) and to document fringe contributions so that the record reflects what trainees can expect after completing training.

Votes at a glance (selected approvals recorded by the panel): - Collins Electrical Company Inc. (Contract ET25‑0281): $590,632 — approved - ESL Power Systems Inc. (ET25‑0291): $103,040 — approved - La Tapatia Tortilleria (ET25‑0279): $171,808 — approved - Pasadena Park Health Care / San Marino Gardens Wellness Center: $604,800 — approved - Senior Aerospace (Senior Operations LLC) (ET25‑0267): $479,668 — approved - Brownie Baker Inc.: $87,696 — approved - Wings Inflatables Inc. (ET25‑0284): $313,600 — approved - Brewer Crane LLC: $98,000 — approved - CP Manufacturing Inc.: $248,976 — approved - IBASE T Inc.: $89,040 — approved - LifeGenerations Healthcare LLC (DBA Generations Healthcare): $439,040 — approved - Precision Fluid Controls Inc.: $218,400 — approved - Styr Foods LLC: approved up to $460,000 (right‑sized from $560,000 request) - San Diego Union‑Tribune LLC: $110,400 — approved - True Organic Products Inc.: $570,024 — approved (panel required updated curriculum to show tiered progression) - BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc.: up to $599,760 — approved with reduction of productive‑lab average to ≤30 hours and curriculum update - Crisp Company: $452,200 — approved - Clark Western Dietrich Building Systems LLC: $431,200 — approved - L and S Framing Inc.: $206,640 — approved - Motivo Engineering LLC: $151,200 — approved - PTI Technologies Inc.: $228,340 — approved - Synergy Enterprises Inc. (DBA Synergy Companies): $289,800 — approved - Vision Care Center Medical Group Inc.: $95,844 — approved - Fourth Watch Educational Services (Machinist Career College): $848,750 — approved - San Francisco Workforce Development Board (CityBuild): $482,300 — approved - Coast View Packing LLC (Queen Victoria / Ippolito International): $589,680 — approved - Mann Packing Co., Inc. (Mann Packing) (ET25‑0260): $193,104 — approved - Butte‑Glenn Community College District (amendment to ET24‑0136): approved to reallocate to utility/arborist occupations with retroactive reimbursement effective 2024‑03‑01

(Panel minutes record the roll‑call vote for each motion; recorded votes were unanimous for the motions listed above.)

Guideline and program changes Panel members voted to approve two sets of guideline revisions. The veterans guidelines were cleaned up for clarity, updated to align forms and references, and revised to give funding priority and the highest reimbursement rate to projects including a veteran component. The panel also renamed and revised the ‘‘ex‑offender and at‑risk youth’’ guidelines to ‘‘Justice‑Involved Opportunity Youth’’ guidelines, raised the full‑time threshold for that population to 35 hours per week, aligned wage rules to standard wage classes (but allowed panel discretion to approve a lower wage with justification), and permitted life‑skills and basic literacy training to comprise up to 50% of curriculum when appropriate. Both motions passed unanimously.

Butte‑Glenn amendment (wildfire response) Butte‑Glenn Community College District requested and received approval for an amendment to an existing multi‑employer contract to redistribute funds and trainee slots toward arborist/utility and wildfire mitigation occupations. The applicant asked for reimbursement retroactive to 2024‑03‑01 for training already delivered as part of the region’s earlier rapid response to wildfires; the panel approved that retroactive amendment after staff confirmed union support letters and described local wildfire response needs.

Program performance and presentations Staff provided updates on two alternative funds and pilot programs: the Workforce Literacy Pilot (28 active contracts, ~$8.16M approved; staff reported 1,884 enrolled trainees and 424 placed to date, with average reported performance ~31% but noted reporting lags) and the Health Care Workforce Advancement Fund (HWAF) with ~$19.7M approved across 36 contracts and ~7,683 trainees enrolled (~83% of target) and average performance ~49%. Staff explained extensions and roundtables with contractors to share best practices and improve reporting and performance.

What’s next Panel staff said many contracts were extended into FY2025–26 and that staff will continue to work with lower‑performing contractors to increase completion and placement rates. The panel adjourned at about 1:19 p.m. and will reconvene in July.

Sources: meeting transcript and on‑the‑record roll‑call votes at the May 30, 2025 Employment Training Panel meeting.