What Employment Training Panel does

The Employment Training Panel (ETP) is a California state government agency established in 1982 by the State Legislature to fund employer-driven workforce training. Funded by a dedicated Employment Training Tax paid by California employers (with no State General Fund support), ETP operates on a performance-based reimbursement model: contractors receive payment only after trainees complete training and are retained at specified wages for a minimum period (typically 90 days). The agency serves any California employer subject to the Unemployment Insurance tax, with particular emphasis on small businesses (100 or fewer employees) and 14 designated priority industries including manufacturing, healthcare, construction, agriculture, and information. ETP is governed by an 8-member tripartite Panel representing business, unions, and state government, with three members appointed by the Governor, two by the Assembly Speaker, two by the Senate President pro Tempore, and the Director of GO-Biz serving ex officio.

ETP's product surface is anchored by Cal-E-Force, a Salesforce Government Cloud-based contract management platform with two subsystems: Cal-E-Program (for training contracts and alternative funds) and Cal-E-Grants (for specialized grant programs like the Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Training Program and SEED entrepreneurship grants). The agency supplements its digital self-service portal with four regional offices (Sacramento, South San Francisco, North Hollywood, San Diego), an Economic Development Unit that runs weekly Zoom orientations, and assigned analyst support for each contractor throughout the two-year contract term. Distribution is hybrid: self-serve digital application plus field-based contract development and facility visits.

Revenue mechanics are entirely tax-and-grant-based. FY 26/27 total funding allocation is $114,271,417, structured as unit pricing with caps (single employer $650K, MEC $900K, critical proposals $900K). Fixed-fee reimbursement rates vary by training delivery method and priority industry status, billed on a pay-as-you-go cadence once trainees meet retention requirements. Since inception, ETP has reimbursed employers well over $2 billion across more than 100,000 businesses, making it one of the longest-running state-level incumbent worker training programs in the United States.

Name

Employment Training Panel

Legal name

Employment Training Panel

Website

https://etp.ca.gov

Company type

Private

Founded year

1982

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

The Employment Training Panel is a California state agency, established in 1982, that funds employer-driven workforce training through a dedicated payroll tax, reimbursing contractors after trainees complete training and meet wage retention requirements across priority industries statewide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Workforce Development Funding

NAICS

Educational Services (611)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Onboarding, Offboarding & Employee Lifecycle Administration (BPACAHAL)

Keywords

• Workforce training funding
• Employer training reimbursement
• Incumbent worker training
• Apprenticeship training
• State workforce development

Headquarters

HQ city

Sacramento

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Employment Training Tax Revenue: ETP is primarily funded by the Employment Training Tax (ETT) paid by California employers who are subject to this special payroll tax. The ETT is collected alongside the Unemployment Insurance tax. ETP receives no General Fund support from the State.
2. Performance-Based Training Reimbursements: ETP provides performance-based reimbursements to employers for training costs. Employers must provide proof that training hours have been completed and trainees have been retrained in well-paying jobs for a specific period of time at a specified wage before ETP reimburses payment. This is a reimbursement model, not revenue generation.
3. Alternative/Grant Funding: Additional funding through distributions from the Employment Development Department (EDD) and California Energy Commission (CEC) for alternative programs aimed at training unemployed workers for jobs emerging in the recovering economy.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

ETP is a California state funding agency that reimburses California employers on a performance basis for the costs of training their workers, with funds disbursed only after trainees complete training and are retained at specified wages for required periods. ETP also administers specialized grant programs (e.g., EVITP, SEED) and operates the Cal-E-Force digital platform for application, contracting, trainee tracking, invoicing, and reporting. ETP determines program guidelines, eligibility, and reimbursement rates; employers determine their own training needs and delivery methods.

Product overview

Employment Training Panel (ETP) operates as a California state workforce development agency offering two primary funding mechanisms: Contract and Alternative Funds (a performance-based reimbursement program funded by the Employment Training Tax) and Grant Funds (specialized programs like EVITP and SEED). The core technology platform is Cal-E-Force, a Salesforce-based system with two subsystems — Cal-E-Program for managing training contracts from application through invoicing, and Cal-E-Grants for grant program administration. ETP also provides supplementary services including interactive orientation sessions and ongoing technical assistance through assigned analysts.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Contract & Alternative Funds Performance-based reimbursement program funded by the Employment Training Tax paid by California employers. Employers are reimbursed for training costs only after trainees complete training and are retained for a specified period at a required wage. Includes Single Employer, Small Business, Critical Proposals, and Apprenticeship project types with defined caps.
• Grant Funds (Cal-E-Grants) Specialized funding stream supporting California economy development through targeted grants for specific populations and industries. Administered through the Cal-E-Grants subsystem of Cal-E-Force, managing grant applications, ranking, and performance tracking.
• Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Training Program (EVITP) Fund 2.0 Grant program in collaboration with the California Energy Commission providing up to $2,700,000 to train and certify electricians to install electric vehicle charging equipment statewide.
• Social Entrepreneurs for Economic Development (SEED) Grant Grant program supporting entrepreneurship of immigrants and Limited English Proficient individuals who face employment barriers. SEED 3 included 14 awardees across two separate grant programs totaling $6,750,000.
• Interactive Orientation Sessions Live interactive orientation sessions conducted via Zoom, typically on Tuesdays at 11 AM PST, providing potential contractors (employers, training agencies, MEC organizations) with information about ETP program guidelines, eligibility requirements, and contract processes.
• Technical Assistance and Monitoring Each ETP contractor is assigned an ETP Analyst who provides ongoing technical assistance including help with record-keeping, reporting, invoicing, and use of the Cal-E-Force management system throughout the two-year contract term.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over $2 billion reimbursed to employers for training since 1982
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• National Skills CoalitionminorOthers · 1 July 2026ETP and its Workforce Literacy Pilot Program was featured in an article written by Amanda Bergson-Shilcock for the National Skills Coalition. The article discussed California's workplace literacy training investments and lessons for other states.
• Labor Workforce Development AgencycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2026ETP and the Labor Workforce Development Agency partnered on the SEED 3 Grant, composed of two separate grant programs totaling $6,750,000, with 14 awardees across both programs supporting entrepreneurship of immigrants and Limited English Proficient individuals.
• Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC)minorOthers · 1 January 2023PPIC published a policy report noting that 'the Employment Training Panel shows positive effects on firm employment and sales, and on worker earnings and employment stability.' This independent research validates ETP's effectiveness.
• Brookings InstitutionminorOthers · 1 July 2020Brookings Institution published economic studies on 'State-Level Policies to Incentivize Workplace Learning: Impacts of California's Incumbent Worker Training Program' analyzing ETP's program effectiveness.
• Social Policy Research (SPR)minorOthers · 1 March 2020SPR conducted a 2020 Program Assessment of ETP, including survey issue briefs and panel meeting presentations evaluating program outcomes.
• Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 July 2013GO-Biz serves as the Governor's single statewide point of contact for economic development. The Director of GO-Biz has been appointed to ETP's Panel as an ex officio, voting member since July 2013. ETP is strengthening partnership with GO-Biz for business attraction, retention, and expansion services.
• California Workforce Development Board (CWDB)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerETP maintains strong partnerships with the California Workforce Development Board (formerly CWIB) and the California Workforce Association as well as other workforce development organizations throughout the State. CWDB sets workforce priorities including targeting training for ex-offenders/at-risk youth, veterans, and workers impacted by housing market downturn.
• Employment Development Department (EDD)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerETP receives additional funding through distributions from the Employment Development Department (EDD) for alternative programs aimed at training unemployed workers. EDD provides Labor Market Information data for defining High Unemployment Areas.
• California Workforce AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerETP maintains strong partnerships with the California Workforce Association as well as other workforce development organizations throughout the State to coordinate workforce training initiatives.
• Labor and Workforce Development AgencycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFeatured partner link on ETP website. Coordinates with ETP on workforce development initiatives and policies.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• ADP TotalSource: ADP's PEO division offering co-employment HR services including workforce support. Provides a private-sector workforce administration alternative for California employers that ETP's contractor base could otherwise use.
• TriNet: PEO serving small and mid-sized businesses with HR, payroll, and workforce support. Comparable to ETP in target customer (small CA businesses, roughly three-fourths of ETP-served) but operating as a private-sector alternative workforce administration provider.
• Insperity: PEO providing HR, payroll, benefits, and workforce development services to small/mid-sized businesses. Operates as a private-sector counterpart to ETP's employer-focused workforce training model, with overlapping customer base of California small businesses.

Emerging players

• Year Up: Workforce development nonprofit providing training and job placement for young adults from underserved communities. Comparable in mission and outcome focus to ETP's grant programs (e.g., SEED for immigrants, apprenticeship training).
• Goodwill Industries International: Nonprofit workforce development provider operating job training programs across multiple states. Comparable to ETP in targeting underserved workers but as a private nonprofit rather than a state funding agency.

Direct peers

• California Workforce Development Board: California's state-level workforce policy body that sets workforce priorities and coordinates with ETP. Both serve California workforce development missions through complementary programs targeting similar populations (ex-offenders, veterans, displaced workers).
• America's Job Centers of California: California's one-stop workforce service centers providing job search, training referrals, and workforce services. AJCC operates as a parallel California workforce development delivery channel for the same employer and worker populations ETP serves.
• Local Workforce Development Boards: Local/regional Workforce Development Boards administer federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act funds and partner with ETP for California's Multiple Employer Contract arrangements, serving overlapping employer and worker populations.
• Employment Development Department (EDD): California state agency administering unemployment insurance and workforce programs. EDD provides Labor Market Information data to ETP and channels alternative program funding, making it a sibling California workforce agency with overlapping customer base.

Regional players

• CareerSource Florida: Florida's statewide workforce development board and operator, comparable in scale and mission to California's ETP and CWDB combined. Serves a different geography but mirrors ETP's role of state-level training funding administration.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/employment-training-panel

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Employment Training Panel