Texarkana College received a $109,581 Skills Development Fund grant Friday for technical training needs at the recently-reopened Alcoa Mill Products plant in Nash, Texas. Texas Workforce Commissioner Julian Alvarez said they were proud to give the funds to bring new life to the plant, which reopened early this year after being dormant since 2009.
"It's revitalizing the Alcoa plant. They hadn't had a presence here for a while, but of course they had workers still in the area," he said, adding that the investment of just over $100K will have a $6.3 million impact locally. "This is a win-win situation for the community," Alvarez said.
The funds will be used to give employees technical training in electrical high voltage, industrial manufacturing maintenance, mobile crane operations and OSHA safety procedures.
Pete Velota, Alcoa's director of operations, said safety is a key factor in keeping the plant running.
"Safety is the main issue," he said. "They have been a safe and very energetic workforce. We have started the plant safe, and we want to continue that and build the skills of the employees, bring their knowledge up."
That includes soft skills such as problem solving, working together and critical thinking skills, Velota said. "Because with a small work force of 80, we need to be able to move fast to do be doing this.," he said. "We really want them working in a team environment get the skill sets to people and upskill them."
Velota also said the manufacturing workforce is changing, and workers with specialized skills are needed to not only run, but maintain, the plant's machinery.
"It's not the brawn, it's more around technology," he said. "When we bring technology in, we're going to need people on the mechanical side, electrical side, to work on that equipment to help troubleshoot it if Texarkana can get those skills for its employees, we'll be able to benefit by hiring some of those people as well as other industries in the area."
Texarkana College worked with Alcoa before manufacturing ceased in 2009 to provide a skilled workforce, and also provided employee testing and training when the company re-opened the plant. TC President James Henry Russell thanked the company for choosing to come back to the area, and said he was looking forward to continuing their partnership.
"When you weren't totally in this community, you kept our hopes alive, you kept the plant alive, and this is a really exciting time for this community to have you back here," he said. "I promise you that we are going to work very hard to supply you with just the best labor force that you have at any plant because we'd love to see this place grow and grow and even get larger than it's ever been."
The Alcoa Inc. Foundation also gave $40,000 to the Texarkana College Foundation for the advancement of TC's new Industrial Maintenance program. It will enable the school to purchase a state-of-the-art hydraulic system, which will provide TC students and incumbent manufacturing employees the opportunity to train on all types of hydraulic units.
Texas Rep. Gary VanDeaver said reinvesting funds for the partnership provides a great opportunity for not only Alcoa, but also for the community and Texarkana College.
"I think this is a great investment. We complain a lot about how our taxes are spent, and I think if you look at projects like this, reinvestingwe're creating the jobs and then we're training them to take the jobs. What better way can we spend our money?" he said. "That money's going to return to the state because these folks are going to be future taxpayers and they're going to be able to make a good living for their family."