(WACO) – Leaders from Texas State Technical College and the Texas Workforce Commission announced Tuesday afternoon the awarding of a $333,554 Skills Development Fund grant for the college to train 175 production, installation, mechanical and maintenance workers at two Waco companies, Englander dZignPak and Capstone Mechanical.

Englander dZignPak on Texas Central Parkway celebrates 50 years in Waco in April and specializes in signage, retail displays and packaging. Capstone Mechanical on Imperial Drive specializes in commercial contracting, engineering and service for plumbing and heating, ventilation and air conditioning throughout Central Texas.  

“Thank you for being part of a prosperous and evolving community,” said Texas Workforce Commissioner Representing the Public Andres Alcantar, who presented the check. “We need to work together to find solutions to succeed. Thank you for doing business in Texas.”

TSTC Provost Adam Hutchison said the grant represents the technical college’s mission — to grow the Texas workforce and connect local businesses to higher education. TSTC will conduct the training with the two companies.

Training grants enable workers to use their paychecks to make a difference in their communities, Hutchison said.

“This is real dollars being put back into our community,” he said.

Hal Whitaker, Englander dZignPak’s president and chief executive officer, said the grant ties in with the company’s strategic goals of improving employee safety and health.

Rick Tullis, president of Capstone Mechanical, leads more than 200 employees, some of whom are TSTC graduates. He said the company’s focus has always been to build and invest in people’s skills.

TWC’s Skills Development Fund was created in 1996 and has assisted more than 4,200 Texas employers to train more than 340,000 workers. In fiscal year 2016, more than $510,000 was used to fund 43 grants to serve 98 businesses.