Types of Trainees

ETP funds training for currently employed (incumbent) workers and individuals who are unemployed at the start of training.

Retraining for Incumbent Workers

ETP is unique among job training programs in that funds can be used to retrain incumbent workers. In general, to qualify for retraining funds a company must demonstrate that the jobs to be retrained are threatened by out-of state competition.

A company primarily engaged in manufacturing is automatically eligible under the out-of-state competition provisions. A company also faces out-of-state competition if the company provides a service sold outside of California or provides services sold inside California that competes directly with the providers of the same service located outside of California. For more information on out-of-state competition please review the Regulations, Section 4416.

If there is no direct out-of-state competition for your company, you may still qualify under the Special Employment Training Program provisions.

What is a Retrainee?

Retrainees are incumbent workers who meet any one of the following criteria: 1) workers employed full-time for a minimum of 90 days with a single employer, and are participants in the training program; 2) workers who have been employed for less than 90 days with their current employer and have a work history of being employed for at least an average of 20 hours per week for at least 90 days by an ETP eligible employer(s) during the 180 day period preceding their current hire date; 3) workers who were employed less than 90 days prior to the start date of employment with their current employer and were collecting Unemployment Insurance (U.I.) benefits, or had exhausted their benefits within the previous two years.

New Hire Training for Unemployed Workers

Multiple employer contractors, including training agencies (public and private), Workforce Investment Boards, and Workforce Investment Act Grant Recipients may provide training and placement services to unemployed workers with ETP's new-hire training program.

What is a New Hire Trainee?

New hire trainees are unemployed at the start of ETP-funded training and are receiving Unemployment Insurance Benefits at the time of hire, or have exhausted their benefits within the previous 24 month period. Workers who have received a layoff notice from their employer are also eligible for these training projects.