California Apprenticeship Council (CAC) Training Funds
Contractors on public works projects must pay training fund contributions as required by California Labor Code §1777.5. These contributions help ensure new apprentices receive high-quality training and that skilled trades continue as journeypersons retire.
Each year, the California Apprenticeship Council distributes these funds as grants to approved multi-employer apprenticeship programs who serve the same craft or trade and geographical area where the training contributions were made.
Programs applying for this grant must maintain detailed records of all expenses, including invoices, receipts, and canceled checks. These records must be made available for review by the Department of Industrial Relations to verify that grant funds are used only for training apprentices.
Timeline
Action Dates
| September 23, 2025 | Applications Open |
| September 25, 2025, 10:00am PST | CAC Training Funds Information Session
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| October 14, 2025, 10:00am PST | CAC Training Funds Office Hours
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| October 28, 2025, 10:00am PST | CAC Training Fund Office Hours
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| November 14, 2025 | Deadline for Applications |
| November 2025 – January 2026 | Estimated Eligibility Evaluation |
| February 2026 – March 2026 | Estimated Payment Window |
Applications for training fund grants open annually.
Funding Details
Type of funding: Formula
Estimated total funding: $20 million
Award amount: Eligible apprenticeship programs will receive a formal notification of the grant funds they have been allocated for the FY 2025-2026 cycle. This notification will include a detailed breakdown of grant amounts by occupation, along with instructions to apply for the program’s allocated funds.
Application Process
All applications are required to be submitted online using the California Outreach Rapid Deployment (CORD) platform. To begin the application submission process through CORD, please follow the steps outlined below.Step 1: Create an account on CORD by visiting www.cordhub.org.
Step 2: During the registration, provide your business or organizational email address, as well as your first and last name.
Step 3: Once logged in, navigate to the "Networks" menu and click on “My Applications”. Click on "Start New Application" to begin the process.
Step 4: Click on “Apply Now” for the California Apprenticeship Council (CAC) Training Fund
More Information
Eligible entities: DAS registered Multi-employer Programs in the Building & Construction Trades
CAC Training Funds Guidance on Applications for Reimbursement Funding
Contact: Trainingfundgrants@dir.ca.gov
Sector: Building & Construction
Target population: Distribute training contributions by making grants to approved apprenticeship programs for the purpose of training apprentices.
Required partners: N/A
September 2025