Employment Training Panel Approves Over $6.6M to Train California Workers
For New Jobs
SACRAMENTO – The State of California’s Employment Training Panel approved 28 contracts
worth over $6.6M in job training funds at its regularly held public meeting today. Proposals
included small business and smaller scale projects, under $100,000 each, approved by Panel
Chair, Barry Broad and Chief Deputy Director, Jill McAloon through the Panel’s delegation order
process. Training proposals were comprised of both single and multiple employer contracts
representative of various industry sectors throughout the state.
Within the manufacturing, green technology, and transportation/logistics sectors was a proposal
from New Flyer of America Inc. (New Flyer), to train a total of 67 workers, including 59 newly
hired employees. A manufacturer of heavy-duty transit buses in the United States and Canada,
New Flyer offers a broad product line including vehicles with drive systems powered by clean
diesel and natural gas, electric trolleys, and energy-efficient diesel-electric hybrid vehicles.
Having recently been awarded a five-year contract by the Los Angeles County Metropolitan
Transportation Authority (LA Metro) for the purchase up to 900 heavy-duty compressed natural
gas buses, New Flyer of America Inc. (New Flyer), a newcomer to the Employment Training
Panel, has a need for workforce training. In addition to an existing distribution center in Fresno,
the contract with LA Metro has opened the door for New Flyer to expand its presence in
California with the establishment of a new facility in Ontario. Both New Flyer’s existing location
and its new location are in areas of the state where the rate of unemployment is particularly
high.
In addition to its partnership with ETP, New Flyer has been designated a Critical Proposal by
the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz), and also partnered
with the San Bernardino Economic Development Corporation and the Riverside Economic
Development Corporation to support New Flyer through this period of job creation and
workforce expansion.
Today, the Employment Training Panel approved employment training funds in the amount of
$184,200 to assist New Flyer in providing training to all occupations, including Acceptance and
Delivery Specialists, Technicians, Manufacturing Engineers, and Materials Specialists. Training
has been designed to equip workers with the skills and knowledge needed in a production
environment. Furthermore, extensive cross-training will be provided to ensure a broad
understanding of New Flyer’s entire production systems and process.
“New Flyer of America is excited to partner with the Employment Training Panel in funding
training for our newly expanded workforce,” said Janice Harper, VP Human Resources of New
Flyer of America. “ETP support is critical during this initial development phase of our expanded
workforce. We truly believe that by providing a strong foundation and skill set for our employees,
we will be able to ensure safety, reduce the impact of quality issues and provide a streamlined
process to ensure customer satisfaction.”
ETP is a business and labor supported state agency that assists employers in strengthening
their competitive edge in the economy by providing funds to partially off-set the costs of
necessary job skills training. California’s ETP is a performance-based program, providing funds
for trainees who successfully complete training and are retained in good-paying jobs at or above
a required wage base, for at least 90 days.
The program, funded by the Employment Training Tax paid by California employers, helps
businesses threatened by out-of-state and international competition. The Panel also serves
employers under its Special Employment Training Program, funding projects designed to
improve skills and employment security of frontline workers in projects that do not meet
standard employer/trainee eligibility requirements. Since its inception in 1983, the ETP program
has provided approximately $1.25 billion to train over 800,000 workers for more than 78,000
California companies. Employers match training funds awarded by ETP, making these projects
true public-private partnerships. For more information about the program, please visit
www.etp.ca.gov, or call 916-327-5368.