Today, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed a state budget that includes several key funding proposals impacting labor unions and the environment. A topline win secured in the budget is maintaining funding for the California Workforce Development Board’s High Road Training Partnerships program. This budget deal rejects the originally proposed cuts, which had threatened the future of the nationally recognized program. 

“The budget deal between the Governor and the legislature is a significant victory for California’s workers and clean energy future,” said Tamina Chowdhury, California State Policy Manager for the BlueGreen Alliance. “Consistent negotiations and strong advocacy efforts have prevailed, leading to a critical component of the budget deal that will maintain existing funds for the High Road Training Partnership (HRTP). HRTPs are collaboration hubs where workers, employers, communities, and researchers come together to support and build a skilled workforce.“ 

The California Workforce Development Board created the High Road Training Partnerships (HRTP) program to bring together employers, labor unions, environmental advocates, environmental justice and community groups, tribes, educational institutions, workforce agencies, and others to collaboratively develop workforce strategies and training programs that meet the industry’s skilled workforce needs while simultaneously improving job quality and promoting equity and sustainability.    

 “State leaders have invested substantially over the years in creating the High Road Training Partnerships, which have been a highly successful collaborative model for workforce and economic development” said Josh Sonnenfeld, BlueGreen Alliance Senior California Strategist. “The announced budget deal secures critical funding to keep this innovative work going, benefiting workers and our local communities. We thank Governor Newsom and the legislature for their ongoing commitment to advancing job quality, equity and environmental sustainability as core pillars of economic success.”