Kern Oil Worker Retraining Fund Loses Its 2027 End Date; Next Info Session October 26

BAKERSFIELD, CA — The state training fund for displaced oil and gas workers was set to expire July 1, 2027, and plenty of people in Taft and Oildale figured it would run out before they got to it. Sacramento took that date off the books in September. The next chance to hear how the money works in Kern County is Monday, October 26, on East Belle Terrace.

Kern County's next Displaced Oil and Gas Worker Fund information session runs Monday, October 26, from 9:00 to 11:00 AM at America's Job Center in southeast Bakersfield. RSVP is required at (661) 742-2217. It is an information session, not a job fair.

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📍 At a Glance

Event	Displaced Oil and Gas Worker Fund Information Session
Date	Monday, October 26, 2026
Time	9:00 – 11:00 AM
Location	America's Job Center, SE Bakersfield, 1600 East Belle Terrace, Bakersfield
Format	In person
Registration	RSVP required, (661) 742-2217
Host	Kern County Employers' Training Resource
Eligibility	Workers laid off from oil and gas, or at risk of layoff

What Changed in Sacramento

Assembly Bill 2157, carried by Assemblymember Damon Connolly, removes the July 1, 2027 repeal date from the state's Displaced Oil and Gas Worker pilot program, which the Employment Development Department runs. Governor Newsom signed it, and it appears in the governor's September 20 legislative update. The bill text keeps the program going with no end date.

Read the fine print. The program continues only to the extent the Legislature funds it. Removing the deadline is not a fresh check, and no new Kern County allocation has been announced. You have more runway, not a guarantee the money in Kern's grant today will still be there later.

💵 What the Fund Pays For

This is training money, not an unemployment check. California launched the fund in 2022 with $30 million, and the Kern and Inyo workforce board in Bakersfield received the largest single share, about $11.3 million, according to KQED's reporting. KQED reported that an enrolled worker can get up to $15,000 for schooling, certificates, licensing or on-the-job training, plus up to $2,500 for the practical stuff: transportation, work clothes, tools, even relocation.

Kern had enrolled more than 650 workers by the end of May, and nearly 200 had landed new jobs, KQED reported. Your award depends on your eligibility and what remains in the local grant, so ask about both.

⚠️ Who This Is For, and Who It Isn't

The target group is workers laid off from oil and gas, or at risk of it. If your crew got cut back or your rig is stacked, you do not have to wait for the final paycheck.

This is not a hiring event. No employer booths, no interviews. You leave with a path to a case manager. If you need employers in the room, Employers' Training Resource runs a weekly Job Hub every Tuesday at 9:00 AM at its recruitment center, 1215 Olive Drive, Suite C, (661) 336-6650. For county job fairs still ahead this fall, see our fall Kern County job fairs guide.

Bring photo ID, your work history, any layoff paperwork and copies of every ticket you hold: CDL, H2S, crane, welding.

🔎 Where Kern Is Hiring for Oilfield Skills

Safety-trained field workers already fit much of what Kern is hiring for: freight along Highway 99 and in Shafter, construction in southwest Bakersfield, solar toward Rosamond and Mojave, plus county and corrections jobs. Know what is posted before you meet a case manager.

Start here:

Frequently Asked Questions

When and where is the next session?

Monday, October 26, 2026, from 9:00 to 11:00 AM at America's Job Center, SE Bakersfield, 1600 East Belle Terrace. RSVP at (661) 742-2217.

Is the fund really permanent now?

The 2027 end date is gone under AB 2157, but the program runs only as long as the Legislature funds it. No new Kern allocation has been announced.

Do I have to be laid off already?

No. Workers at risk of an oil and gas layoff are part of the target group.

How much training money can I get?

KQED reported up to $15,000 for training plus up to $2,500 for related costs. Confirm your own amount with Employers' Training Resource.

Make the Call This Week

No end date still rewards whoever applies first. Create your free LocalJobPage profile and turn on alerts for Kern County openings, or explore the Bakersfield Career Center before your session.

Employers: Kern has experienced field hands looking for a second trade right now. Post your openings on LocalJobPage Bakersfield and reach them first.