CA AB1457

Establishes a two-year pilot project requiring the Employment Training Panel to create a statewide network of at least 10 regional business training centers through community college partnerships to support workforce training during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.

Requires community colleges participating in the pilot project to offer short-term training programs helping displaced and incumbent workers gain skills in essential, emerging, and dominant industry sectors based on regional skills maps.

Authorizes the Employment Training Panel to partner with the California Community Colleges, Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development, Labor and Workforce Development Agency, and California Workforce Development Board to coordinate training and small business assistance services.

Allows the Employment Training Panel to allocate up to 30 percent of appropriated funds before completion of regional skills gap maps and requires annual reports to be submitted by October 1, 2021 and 2022, with a final report by January 1, 2023.

Sunsets on January 1, 2025 unless the Legislature provides an appropriation to implement the pilot project.