The College of the Canyons Employee Training Institute has received $850,000 from the California Employment Training Panel to provide worker training to client companies in the Santa Clarita Valley that want to retain an up-skilled workforce through customized training programs.

The two-year reimbursement contract will allow the college to offset training costs charged to employers who meet the eligibility requirements set by Employment Training Panel.

This is the 18th contract of its kind awarded to College of the Canyons, which brings the total Employment Training Panel funding to more than $9 million secured for Santa Clarita Valley employers.

“This Employment Training Panel award allows us to continue supporting local businesses by making high-quality training more accessible and affordable,” said Jeff Gregor, assistant superintendent of Workforce and Economic Advancement at COC. “Investments like this strengthen our workforce, help employers stay competitive, and create long-term benefits for the Santa Clarita Valley community.”

Created in 1982 by the California Legislature, the Employment Training Panel program helps ensure that California businesses have the skilled workers they need to remain competitive.

Unique to California, the Employment Training Panel is geared toward job creation and job retention through training in an effort to keep companies competitive and operating within the state.

The Employment Training Panel fulfills its mission by reimbursing the cost of employer-driven training needed by employees to excel in the workforce.

The program prioritizes industries most vital to California’s economic growth and recovery, including manufacturing, construction, green/clean technology, biotechnology, information technology services and transportation logistics.

For more information about Employment Training Panel funding and the Employee Training Institute at College of the Canyons, please visit https://canyonsworkforce.org/eti/.