SBCCD awarded $1.8 million to upskill 3,200 Inland Empire workers

The State of California’s Employment Training Panel (ETP) recently announced that it approved a $1.8 million contract with the San Bernardino Community College District (SBCCD) to train more than 3,200 workers throughout Riverside and San Bernardino counties. This is the largest retraining contract in California awarded by the ETP.

“The foundation of a strong economy is a strong workforce,” said SBCCD Chancellor Bruce Baron. “We are ready to roll up our sleeves and partner with local businesses to give their employees the job skills they need to grow and prosper.”

In addition to associate degrees and career training certificates through Crafton Hills College and San Bernardino Valley College, SBCCD houses a department that works exclusively with local employers. SBCCD’s Economic Development & Corporate Training (EDCT) division administers the state’s ETP contract, with job training courses in workplace health and safety, business communication, computer literacy, manufacturing, technical and logistics skills, among others. 

“Since we began providing ETP classes in 2009, our team of instructors has served more than 200 businesses in Southern California and provided in-demand job skills to more than 6,300 workers,” said SBCCD Vice Chancellor of Workforce Development Richard Galope.

Recognizing the value ETP training creates for the Inland Empire economy, SBCCD will use a portion of its $1.8 million contract to expand its statewide impact by sharing best practices and replicating its training model across nine California community colleges.

“Our community colleges play a critical role in supporting job creation, business attraction, retention and expansion,” said EDCT Interim Executive Director Robert Levesque. “That is why we are proud to deliver employer-driven workforce training to help them remain competitive in our global economy.”

To participate in ETP training, the company and the employee must be California-based. Additionally, businesses must pay their employees at least their regular salary while attending classes.
For more information, please visit www.sbccd.edu or call (909) 382-4084.