State of California

916/327-5261

"Enhancing skills for existing workers and new hires is a crucial component of California’s economic recovery and job creation," said ETP Executive Director Brian McMahon. "It is especially important when it involves the green/clean industry sector, a leading growth industry for California, and which was recently given a booster shot when Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger approved sales tax exemptions of green technology manufacturing equipment."

The green/clean sector-related projects are representative of both labor unions and business contractors throughout the state. Approximately 850 workers with wages ranging from $11 per hour to $75 per hour -- depending on occupation -- will be trained with ETP funds to encourage retention and expansion in California’s emerging green/clean sector.

Contract recipient Green Plumbers USA will provide worker skills training for sustainability and renewability in reusing/recycling water, installation and maintenance of plumbing and related systems for solar, and rainwater and graywater technologies. Working primarily with small and medium sized manufacturers, Southern California-based California Manufacturing Technology Consulting will train 300 incumbent workers employed at wind energy and other renewable energy manufacturing companies. The training will focus on technical skills and industry-specific process improvement techniques. Wind turbine manufacturer, designer and engineer Clipper Windpower will provide 80 engineers with training to increase employee skills and knowledge in designing, implementing and managing green processes to help meet the predicted doubling of wind energy capacity by the end of the current decade.

ETP is a business and labor supported state agency that assists employers in strengthening their competitive edge by providing funds to partially off-set the costs of job skills training that is necessary to maintain high-performance workplaces. California’s ETP is a performance-based

program, providing funds for trainees who successfully complete approved training programs and are retained in well-paying jobs for a specific period of time.

The program is funded by the Employment Training Tax paid by California employers and targets firms threatened by out-of-state and international competition. Since its inception in 1983, the ETP program has provided close to $1.25 billion to train approximately 760,000 workers for more than 77,000 California companies. Employers match training funds awarded through ETP contracts, making these projects true public-private partnerships.

To view copies of all proposals considered by the Panel at its April meeting, please visit the ETP website at www.etp.ca.gov/packets.cfm. For more information about the ETP program, please visit www.etp.ca.gov, or call 916-327-5261.

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By action of the Panel, the projects listed below may be reduced based on determination of available funds. The amounts below do not reflect this adjustment.

California Manufacturing Technology Consulting Statewide $257,180

Clipper Windpower, Inc. Santa Barbara $172,800