TEXARKANA, Texas - Texarkana College received almost $1 million in grants Wednesday from the Texas Workforce Commission for job training at Graphic Packaging and at the college.
Juan Alvarez, Texas Workforce Labor commissioner, was on hand to deliver the $781,361 Skills Development Fund grant for Graphic Packaging and a $196,534 Jobs and Education for Texans grant for students to train for careers in the automotive industry.
Alvarez said TC was helping change the economy and the lives of students and employees at GPI through the implementation of the grants.
"This changes lives. This changes lives and these are game-changers for small communities," he said. "The combination of these two grants will have an economic impact. The economic (effect GPI) will have in partnership with Texarkana College for this region is $10 million."
He went on to say that TWC had received $49 million in requests for the JET grants and only awarded $1.5 million statewide. Those allocations were made through the help of lawmakers, he added, and that they were aware of how important workforce careers are today.
"What we've done this past session with the help of our senators and representatives is we tried to implement the importance of those individuals that were going into the trades. You see, we had forgotten about them," he said.
Brandon Washington, TC's dean of workforce development, explained how the JET grant would benefit students.
"The good thing about this grant is it will train over 500 individuals, Red River Employees, dual-credit students from all of our local ISDs and all of our adult students in the diesel program here and at TexAmericas Center," he said. "Five hundred individuals will have the opportunity to move forward to get a basic skill or to pursue certifications to work at Red River Army Depot."
Washington also explained that the Skills Development Fund grant at GPI would be used to train workers in electrical, extrusion, instrumentation, mechanical maintenance, paper operations, power operations, warehouse, distribution and others.
"A total of 375 employees will receive training in these areas," he said. "With these two combined grants, you're looking at 875 individuals that will get additional training."
Mark Bruyns, operations manager for GPI, thanked the commission and the college for working to get the grant to train their workers.
"Our mill has a strong culture of training, the development is ingrained in our core," he said. "We believe in developing our team from within and providing necessary skills to perform at high levels so that we can continue to maintain high-quality product and service that our customers expect."
State Rep. Gary VanDeaver said the grants were the result of a collaboration to increase workforce offerings and economic development in the area.
"This is state government getting it right, and it's so nice to be part of an event where they are getting it right and investing in people, investing in people's lives and investing in our local economy," he said. "I don't know anyone that can't get on board with that."
Alvarez also said the grants were the result of work lawmakers had done in Austin to improve workforce training opportunities.
"You may not see Rep. VanDeaver or Sen. (Bryan) Hughes every day, but let me tell you, they are fighting for not only the best interests of this region, but for the state of Texas," he said. "This is what makes Texas so strong, what you have put together here. This is the backbone of Texas."