Austin : FMC Technologies, Saint-Gobain Abrasives and Stephenville ISD have partnered with Ranger College to provide job training using two Skills Development Fund grants totaling $1,209,415 from the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC). The grants will benefit the Workforce Solutions for North Central Texas area.
FMC Technologies and Saint-Gobain Abrasives will provide custom training to 788 incumbent workers for industry-related topics using a $991,705 Skills Development Fund grant. Focused instruction will include training on computer numerical controlled machining, forklift operation, manufacturing safety and basic machining training. Trainees will include assembly, production and machining technicians. Upon completion of training, the workers will receive an average wage of $24.10.
Stephenville ISD will use a $217,710 dual-credit grant to offer Career and Technical Education programming to junior and senior high school students, which supports curriculum-focused training for machinists. Students who complete the training may be eligible for industry-recognized credentials that will prepare them for a career upon graduation from high school.
“The partnerships on this Skills Development Fund grant will benefit both the local community and its workforce,” said TWC Commissioner Representing Labor Julian Alvarez. “Our labor force is among the most talented and skilled in the world and we continue to seek and implement strategies to improve the skills of Texas workers.”
The Skills Development Fund grant program is celebrating 20 years of success as the state’s premier training program in 2015-16. The fund was initiated by the Legislature in September of 1995 and first began awarding contracts in 1996. During that time the Skills Development Fund grants have created or upgraded more than 329,333 jobs throughout Texas. The grants have assisted 4,141 employers with their customized training needs. The Legislature allocated $48.5 million to the Skills Development Fund for the 2016-17 biennium. Employers seeking more information about the Skills Development Fund may visit the TWC website at www.texasworkforce.org/skills.
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