(WACO) – Texas State Technical College received the Partnership Award from the Texas Workforce Commission at the Texas Workforce Conference earlier this month in Houston.
“The Partnership Award recognized the technical college for its work with businesses statewide, training and retaining employees,” said Carliss Hyde, vice president of sponsored programs at TSTC. “The Office of Sponsored Programs and workforce teams make this work possible, and we’re grateful for the award and appreciate the TWC as well.”
The technical college has led workforce training using state Skills Development Fund grants. In fiscal year 2016, the grants provided customized training to more than 1,000 Texas workers to improve their skills. The grants were worth more than $2.2 million, according to TSTC information.
One of the companies benefiting from the workforce training is Waco-based Jobe’s, which cuts outdoor commercial fabric into consumer-friendly sizes. Workers learned about equipment troubleshooting, quality control and machine upkeep. A representative from the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration led sessions on machine and workplace safety.
“I know the quality of education at TSTC,” Wayne Winekauf, Jobe’s director of plant operations, said in September. “I’m very impressed. It’s a gem that is hidden.”
Gerdau Ameristeel and Chaparral Steel Supply, both in Midlothian, had more than 180 workers trained this year with TSTC faculty for lessons in hydraulics, electrical troubleshooting, motor controls, mechanical crane inspections and bearings. The grant’s trained workers receive an average hourly wage of $27.89, according to TSTC information.
Some other companies that have had workforce training with the technical college include Betafence USA in Ennis, Kinro Inc. in Waxahachie, 3M in Brownwood, and Capstone Mechanical, Domtar Personal Care and Sherwin-Williams, all in Waco.
Skills Development Fund grants have helped more than 4,100 employers with training for more than 329,000 employees since 1996, according to the TWC’s “Skills Development Fund Annual Report Fiscal Year 2015.” The average hourly wage for companies participating in training grants increased from $10.33 an hour in 1996 to $27.10 in 2015, according to the annual report.
The technical college, TWC and participating companies are not the only partners in workforce training. Local workforce development boards, economic development entities and state workforce business services also play roles in company job training.
