The Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) presented Lone Star College and Lone Star Corporate College with the Texas Talent Connection (TTC) Fund at a check signing event Jan. 25 at LSC-University Park.
LSC will use the $324,792 grant to develop partnerships with area corporations to offer enhanced job placement services for graduates of the associate degree and certificate workforce programs. This joint venture will increase the production of a skilled workforce in six industries: manufacturing, automotive, information technology, business, visual communication and health care.
“Lone Star College is extremely grateful for the support shown to us by the Texas Workforce Commission,” said Stephen C. Head, Ph.D., LSC Chancellor. “We enjoy the relationship we have and look forward to strategically planning how to use these funds to ensure student success.”
The TTC grant is an initiative of Texas Governor Greg Abbot and is funded by the Wagner-Peyser 7(b) federal funds. The money will benefit people participating in the Strategic Engagement for Student Career Planning project. The funds will also assist first-generation students enrolled in career preparation training programs and workforce associate of applied science degrees that yield industry-specific credentials.
“In Texas, 52 % of the labor market requires some training after school, which disqualifies 24% of job seekers who do not have those criteria,” said Bryan Daniel, Texas Workforce Commission Commissioner and Chairman. “The Texas Talent Connection Grant will help educate and train the workforce, which will help address the growing shortage in critical fields.”
There are 14.5 million people in the workforce, and a third of the jobs require a bachelor’s or master’s degree, which a third of the workers have, according to TWC. There are 500,000 unemployed (who want to work and are looking for jobs) people and 525,000 open positions. TWC said the lack of training and educational programs leaves the unemployed population unqualified for vacant jobs.
“Lone Star College will use the grant to create better employment opportunities for our students and introduce our students as a highly-skilled workforce for our corporate partners,” said Linda Leto Head, LSC Senior Associate Vice Chancellor External and Employer Relations. “We will help students find jobs in school and after graduation while finding meaningful ways to grow, cultivate and engage employers.”
Other speakers at the TTC check signing event included James Giles, National Oilwell Vargo Talent Acquisition Manager and Rick Cochran, HMG Healthcare, LLC Special Projects Vice President. Attendees included LSCS Board of Trustees Jim Cain, Ed.D., and Rebecca Broussard; Seelpa Keshvala, Ph.D., LSC Executive Vice Chancellor and LSC-Online CEO; Dwight Smith, Ed.D., LSC Vice Chancellor Academic and Workforce Success; Melissa Gonzalez, Ph.D., LSC-Kingwood President; Rebecca Riley, Ed.D., LSC-Montgomery President and Archie Blanson, Ph.D., LSC-North Harris President.
In Lone Star College’s 50-year history, various agencies have given funds to help create and support innovative educational programs. In the last two years, the Texas Workforce Commission has granted LSC more than $2.1 million to fund six programs.
“The Texas Workforce Commission has awarded several grants to Lone Star College to implement workforce programs and customized training that can lead to high-earning employment and retention strategies for our business partners,” said Leto Head.
Lone Star Corporate College partners with corporations to offer customized training, open-enrollment courses and professional seminars. They also lead the job function for LSC students. The focus is on the energy, computer technology and manufacturing sectors; however, training opportunities are available for retail, hospitality, school districts, health care organizations, nonprofits and other industries. Visit LoneStar.edu/CorporateCollege to learn more.
Lone Star College enrolls over 80,000 students each semester providing high-quality, low-cost academic transfer and career training education. LSC is training tomorrow’s workforce today and redefining the community college experience to support student success. Stephen C. Head, Ph.D., serves as chancellor of LSC, the largest institution of higher education in the Houston area and has been named a 2022 Great Colleges to Work For® institution by the Chronicle of Higher Education, ranked 35th in Texas in the Forbes ‘America’s Best Employers By State’ list and recognized by Fortune Magazine and Great Place To Work® as one of this year’s Best Workplaces in Texas™. LSC consists of eight colleges, seven centers, eight Workforce Centers of Excellence and Lone Star Corporate College. To learn more, visit LoneStar.edu.