ETP webinar explains multiple-employer contracts, reimbursement rates and application steps for California partners

Kain Perreira, Executive Director for the California Workforce Development Board, opened a webinar for High Road Training Partnership partners urging attendees to consider pairing ATP training funds with Employment Training Panel (ETP) contracts to expand and sustain successful workforce programs.

Laura Campbell, chief deputy director of the Employment Training Panel, summarized ETP’s mission "to foster economic development by funding employer driven training that creates and retains high wage jobs," saying the agency focuses on incumbent-worker upskilling, support for unemployed jobseekers and priority industries. "We work alongside you throughout the entire process," Campbell said, describing one-on-one support for interested applicants.

ETP staff described two contract types: single-employer contracts and multiple-employer contracts (MECs). Jana Lazarovich, ETP’s chief of program operations, said MECs are designed for intermediary organizations that coordinate training and invoicing for groups of employers. Eligible MEC contractors include public/private training agencies, university foundations, community colleges, chambers of commerce and trade associations, apprenticeship program administrators, WIOA fund recipients and local workforce development boards, Robert Meyer, ETP’s director of economic development, added.

Meyer said participating employers listed in an MEC must demonstrate financial health, low turnover (under 20%) and pay competitive, project-defined wages; employers also generally must be subject to the employment training tax. "The goal will be permanent full time employment for these trainees once training is completed in the contract," Meyer said.

Staff explained how priority-industry designations are determined by each employer’s NAICS classification and verified with the Employment Development Department as part of ETP’s certification process; priority status affects reimbursement rates and caps. Lazarovich said ETP reviews priority sectors and reimbursement schedules annually.

Marcela Loza, Finance Section Chief, laid out MAC funding mechanics and reimbursement rates: priority-industry classroom, lab and instructor-led e-learning are reimbursed at $28 per trainee hour; computer-based training (CBT) is reimbursed at $11 per hour; non-priority-industry classroom, lab and e-learning are reimbursed at $24 per hour. Loza emphasized reimbursement is earned based on completed trainee hours and supporting documentation rather than projected hours.

Loza also described invoicing and payment timing: trainees become eligible for advance payments after completing eight hours of training; final invoices and contract closeout require submission of trainee wage and retention data demonstrating the contractual wage and retention requirements have been met. Training activities must be tracked in ETP’s online system and individual training events must be between 8 and 200 hours. After 75% of contracted hours are uploaded, an MEC may apply for a new contract with equal or greater funding, she said.

On funding designations, Lazarovich described Out-of-State Competition (OSC) for employers facing interstate or overseas competition and a separate set ("set" funding) for employers focusing on frontline worker upskilling; ETP designates roughly 15% of total funding for set projects and recommends applicants seeking set funding apply at or near the start of the fiscal year.

Campbell closed by reiterating the panel’s customer-service approach and directing participants to ETP’s application portal (Cal e-Force), the agency website and contact channels for follow-up. The webinar included an offer of development and project management analyst support during application, panel preparation and contract management phases.

Next steps: interested MEC applicants should contact ETP for eligibility checks and guidance on the Cal e-Force application and prepare for an in-person panel presentation as part of the funding decision process.