HCC Northeast awarded TWC grant for piping design students

HCC Northeast campus received a $426

AUSTIN – The Gulf Coast area workforce will benefit from a $426,727 job-training grant from the Skills Development Fund that the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) administers. The Society of Piping Engineers and Designers has partnered with Houston Community College to provide the training.
The grant will be used to create 60 new jobs and upgrade the skills of 90 piping designers and drafters, among others. Upon completion of training, workers will receive an average hourly wage of $22.07.
“Through this job-training grant, jobs will be created and workers will receive the training they need to become more successful in the workplace,” state Rep. Gary Elkins said. “I applaud the hard work put forth by Houston Community College, TWC and this piping engineers and designers consortium.”
“The partnership of private enterprise and public education has been a powerful force in economic development in Texas,” said TWC Chair and Commissioner Diane Rath. “This Skills Development Fund grant continues those efforts, and we are all indebted to the Governor and the Legislature for their continued support of customized training that benefits both employers and workers.”
In Fiscal Year (FY) 2007, Skills Development Fund grants created or upgraded 20,831 jobs, which paid an average hourly wage of $19.04. These grants assisted 281 Texas employers with their customized training needs. The Legislature has appropriated $50 million to the Skills Development Fund for the 2008-09 biennium.
Employers seeking more information about the Skills Development Fund may visit the TWC Web site at http://www.twc.state.tx.us/svcs/funds/sdfintro.html.