Texas Workforce Commission Awards $2 Million Skills Development Fund Grant to TEEX

Officials with TWC checkCOLLEGE
STATION — Texas Workforce Commission Chairman Andres Alcantar presented an oversized check representing a $2
Million Skills Development Fund Grant to the Texas A&M Engineering
Extension Service (TEEX) at a ceremony on Nov. 2 in College Station.

The grant
will fund customized training for 759 employees at six manufacturing companies
in four counties. TEEX will deliver more than 35,000 hours of training for
employees in multiple industries, which include food, oil & gas, marine
propulsion and paper manufacturing. Some of the training will also be delivered
by Blinn College and several community colleges in the Gulf Coast region. Numerous
job positions will receive training, including maintenance technicians, CNC machinists
and operators, welders, assembly valve technicians, and production operators.

Training is
designed to meet specific needs identified by each company, including courses
such as Machine Tending Operations, Manufacturing Safety and OSHA training.  Both trainees and incumbent workers will
participate in the training.

 TEEX is partnering
with six manufacturers to deliver 88 courses through February 2019:

  • Blue Bell
    Creameries, LLP
  • Accredo
    Packaging, Inc.
  • Aker
    BioMarine Manufacturing, LLC
  • Samson
    Controls, Inc.
  • Thrustmaster
    of Texas, Inc.
  • United States
    Gypsum Company

 “TEEX has worked
with these six manufacturers to form a comprehensive, multi-region manufacturing
consortium, which spans two workforce boards, four counties, four community colleges,
the Texas Manufacturing Assistance Center and multiple industries,” said Lisa
Mutchler, Program Director of Economic Development and Workforce Development at
TEEX.  “We’re
excited to partner with TWC to offer customized, technical skills training to
these manufacturers. Not only will this training benefit the companies, but it
will also enhance the technical skills of their employees, which could advance
their career opportunities.”

TWC logoBoth TEEX
and Texas community colleges are authorized to administer Skills Development
Grants for the TWC, Mutchler pointed out, adding, “Overall, this program will
help the Texas economy by helping to increase the productivity of these
manufacturers and growing the state’s skilled workforce.”

About the
TWC Skills Development Fund

The Skills
Development Fund is Texas’ premier job-training program, providing local
customized training opportunities for Texas businesses and workers to increase
skill levels and wages of the Texas workforce. The Texas Workforce Commission
administers funding for the program. Success is achieved through collaboration
among businesses, public community and technical colleges, Workforce
Development Boards and economic development partners.