SECOND RELEASE
A $383,615 grant from the Texas Workforce Commission will provide customized job training for WCJC students interested in the construction industry. Front row, left to right, are Tamara Sealy, WCJC's Continuing Education Corporate Coordinator; Ruth Hughs, Texas Workforce Commission Chairman; and Alice Atkins, WCJC's Director of Continuing Education. Back row, left to right, are Danny Gertson, WCJC Board of Trustees Chairman; Carrie Womack, Human Resources and Benefits Manager for Environmental Development Partners; Michael Ammel, President of Environmental Development Partners; and Bryce Kocian, WCJC's Vice-President of Administrative Services.
AUSTIN – Environmental Development Partners LLC has partnered with Wharton County Junior College to provide job training using a $383,615 Skills Development Fund grant from the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC). The grant will benefit workers in the Gulf Coast Workforce Solutions area.
“The partnership between Environmental Development Partners LLC and Wharton County Junior College on this Skills Development Fund grant will provide customized training in the construction industry in the Gulf Coast Workforce Solutions area,” said TWC Chair and Commissioner Representing Employers Ruth Ruggero Hughs. “This investment is a win-win situation for the employer and employee that will enhance this high-demand industry and encourage growth for Texas.”
This grant will be used to provide custom training to 146 new and incumbent workers in the construction industry, which is targeted by the state and the Gulf Coast Workforce Development Board to expand its capacity to develop curriculum. The newly developed curriculum will benefit other construction businesses in the area, as well as other colleges. Trainees will include customer service representatives, meter replacement and service technicians, administrative assistants and operators. Upon completion of training, the workers will receive an average hourly wage of $20.97.
Since its inception in 1996, the Skills Development Fund grants have created or upgraded more than 356,744 jobs throughout Texas. The grants have assisted 4,356 employers with their customized training needs. The Legislature allocated $48 million to the Skills Development Fund for the 2018-19 biennium. Employers seeking more information about the Skills Development Fund may visit the TWC website at: www.texasworkforce.org/skills.
Wharton County Junior College contact: Director of Marketing and Communications Zina L. Carter, 979-532-6322, cherylm@wcjc.edu
The Texas Workforce Commission is a state agency dedicated to helping Texas employers, workers and communities prosper economically. For details on TWC and the services it offers in coordination with its network of local workforce development boards, call 512-463-8942 or visit www.texasworkforce.org .
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