In a move to bolster the skill sets of local employees, the Texas Workforce Commission has recently forked over a sizeable grant to El Paso Community College (EPCC), as reported by the college's media newsroom. The fund is geared towards specialized training for 102 employees at Bain Enterprises, LLC, who'll be getting up to speed with over 980 hours of new knowledge in their toolkit.
The EPCC received a hefty $85,521 from the Texas Workforce Commission's Skills Development Fund (SDF), a financial boon that's designed to cover a gamut of costs such as tuition, teaching fees, and materials while simultaneously boosting workers' earning power and proficiency in their respective fields; following a check presentation at the EPCC Administrative Services Center where Mr. Alberto Treviño, III, the Commission's Commissioner Representing Labor, handed over the dough.
President Dr. William Serrata, representing EPCC, eloquently captured the essence of this initiative when he told EPCC News, "This is extremely important," stressing its significance to local business, industry, and the empowerment of workers through beefed-up skill sets.
The training, a concerted effort between EPCC and Bain Enterprises, will span different realms like Basic Construction Surveying, Blueprint Reading for Construction, Flaggers Certification to UAS/Drone Operations that are sure to add competitive edges to the participating workforce Bain Enterprises CEO, Scott Bain, shared with EPCC his satisfaction with the collaboration that began in 2024; being the first construction company in El Paso to snatch up such a grant, he called it a "win-win for El Paso."
Rounding out the announcement, the EPCC Vice President of Instruction and Workforce Education, Dr. Steven Smith, channeled community spirit as he envisaged the program bolstering the region's response to local training needs and ultimately, fortifying the local workforce, a sentiment echoed by leaders from Bain Enterprises and EPCC who gathered to commemorate this educational turning point. The SDF has been no stranger to facilitating progress since its inception, having paired with over 4,800 employers to support job creation and employee advancement across Texas, as detailed by EPCC News.
