Tarrant County College and Cummings Electrical have received a $1.27 million Skills Development Grant from the Texas Workforce Commission to deliver customized training to 639 employees at the Fort Worth-based company, one of the largest electrical contractors in DFW.
TCC will use the funding to tailor technical training courses in the foundational knowledge, basic skills and national electrical code guidance needed on a commercial construction site.
Newly trained employees will have marketable skills that can lead to professional craft roles within the industry.
“We continue to prepare Texas for the workforce of tomorrow by investing in programs that provide critical training for Texans looking to jump-start their career in high-demand industries,” said Gov. Greg Abbott. “This workforce training grant will provide hardworking Texans with valuable upskilling opportunities to take their careers to new heights.
“Through partnerships like this between the Texas Workforce Commission and Tarrant County College, we will continue to train Texans for high-demand, good-paying jobs and build a more prosperous economic future for our state.”
TWC Chairman Bryan Daniel presented the award Tuesday to representatives from TCC, Cummings Electrical and other local partners in a ceremony at the College’s Opportunity Center in Fort Worth.
“The Skills Development Fund helps ensure the Texas workforce is prepared to fill high-demand jobs,” the chairman said. “Partnerships like the one with Tarrant County College play a big part in TWC’s mission to help Texans advance their careers.”
SDF, the state’s workforce training grant program, helps businesses upskill their new or incumbent workforce. TWC collaborates with technical colleges and workforce development boards to provide customized, innovative training to Texas businesses of all sizes.
The Skills Development Fund has provided training for more than 4,800 employers to upgrade or support the creation of over 420,000 jobs throughout Texas since the program’s inception in 1996.
“This grant is a win for all sides,” said TCC Chancellor Elva LeBlanc. “It’s a win for the Cummings Elecrical employees, the regional economy, the state of Texas and for Tarrant County College. We are putting people to work, and that’s what TCC has been doing for 60 years.”
Employees who complete the training, facilitated by TCC’s Corporate Solutions and Economic Development office, will earn up to $37 an hour.
Tarrant County College is one of the nation’s largest higher education institutions and boasts the second lowest tuition of Texas’ Top 10 community colleges. A comprehensive two-year college with six campuses in Tarrant County and online classes, TCC offers a range of opportunities for learners of all ages and backgrounds, including Associate of Arts and Associate of Applied Science degrees; workforce and economic development programs; technical and skilled trades programs; and customized training for area businesses and corporations.