Military veterans looking to enter the Texas workforce are eligible to receive free training at Lone Star College thanks to grants from the Texas Workforce Commission, Workforce Solutions and the Texas Department of Transportation. The streamlined training will shorten the completion time for military veterans looking to enter the workforce.
“These grants help veterans pay for their training in a variety of programs including Diesel Technology, Oil & Gas Drilling, Welding, Truck Driving and Electrical Technology,” said Dr. Melissa Gonzalez, LSC vice chancellor of workforce and economic development. “These careers offer good salaries and continue to be in high demand.”
Upon completion of the training, a student could earn more than $38,000 a year as a diesel technician, more than $41,000 as an electrician, $35,000 as a professional truck driver and more than $55,000 as a drilling floorhand/roustabout.
“Lone Star College is proud of the service our veterans made to our country and we strive to make sure they get the support they need when they return from active duty,” said Gonzalez.
Veterans attending LSC have access to a wide variety of services to help them succeed. Each LSC campus has a Veterans Services liaison to help veteran students and eligible dependents with services including a centralized processing center for the certification of education benefits. LSC also offers career and financial aid counseling, along with a number of student groups for veterans on its campuses.
The Texas Workforce Commission, Workforce Solutions and the Texas Department of Transportation provided these grants to LSC to maximize college credits awarded to veterans and service members for their military experience in order to expedite their transition into the Texas workforce.
The Texas Workforce Commission funded the College Credit for Heroes grant program with $150,000 to help veterans earn fast track, marketable skills that lead to sustainable wages in Industrial Diesel Technology, Automated Manufacturing and Electrical Technology. Lone Star College is providing a matching $75,000 in equipment, supplies and usage of its conference center in support of this grant. The grant seeks to provide training for more than 40 veterans.
TWC also awarded LSC a $174,526 Petrochemical Veterans Initiative grant in the fall 2014 which also helps veterans earn fast track, marketable skills that lead to sustainable wages in petrochemical-related occupations such as welder and electrician. The grant seeks to provide training for 90 veterans.
In addition, LSC received a $174,460 grant from the Texas Workforce Commission Petrochemical Industry Training Initiative for Veterans program to help 45 veterans become welding technicians.
The Texas Department of Transportation awarded LSC a grant in the amount of $92,130 to fund the Commercial Motor Vehicle Operator Safety Training
To learn more about these pathways to a new career, visit LoneStar.edu/Accelerate.
Lone Star College has been opening doors to a better community for more than 40 years. Founded in 1973, LSC remains steadfast in its commitment to student success and credential completion. Today, with almost 83,000 students in credit classes, and a total enrollment of more than 95,000, Lone Star College is the largest institution of higher education in the Houston area and one of the fastest-growing community colleges in the nation. Stephen C. Head, Ph.D., is the chancellor of LSC, which consists of six colleges including LSC-CyFair, LSC-Kingwood, LSC-Montgomery, LSC-North Harris, LSC-Tomball and LSC-University Park, seven centers, LSC-University Center at Montgomery, LSC-University Center at University Park, Lone Star Corporate College, and LSC-Online.
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