Texas Border Business
By Selene Rodriguez
South Texas College and partners in education La Joya and Weslaco Independent School Districts and Vanguard Academies Mozart, Beethoven and Rembrandt were awarded a combined $4,718,866 through nine Jobs and Education for Texans (JET) grants, presented by the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC).
“This is a significant accomplishment that took much coordination and effort with La Joya ISD, Weslaco ISD and Vanguard Academy, these funds will help continue to impact thousands of students all across Hidalgo and Starr County,” said STC President, Ricardo J. Solis, Ph.D. “Thank you to our partners for their strong courage and initiative, and thank you TWC for believing in STC. We have been able to demonstrate that we can deliver and as one of the top five colleges in the state of Texas, we will continue to grow and evolve. This is just the beginning.”
TWC’s JET grant provides resources to help institutions of higher education, school districts or open-enrollment charter schools acquire necessary equipment for the development of career and technical education courses or programs.
The nine grants divided among the four institutions will be used to purchase and expand state-of-the-art equipment that will benefit the hands-on training of 1,255 students across the Rio Grande Valley in high-demand careers such as health care, machining, computer networking, automotive services and welding.
“The economic growth of the Rio Grande Valley as a region is a driver for the rest of the state; full-service institutions like STC are transformative for the community and make a difference one family at a time,” said TWC Chair, Bryan Daniel. “Businesses succeed here because they can get the workforce they need and that’s an accomplishment achieved due to strong partnerships between colleges and school districts such as these.”
STC received a $330,600 and $696,824 grant for its Vocational Nursing program and Emergency Medical Services, respectively.
With these resources, the college will purchase advanced simulation equipment which includes high-fidelity, full-body and CPR adult and pediatric manikins, an automated medication dispensing system, medical oxygen generation systems, specialized compression devices and ventilators and motorized lifting equipment to be used by nearly 400 students across three STC campuses.
This technology is crucial for health care students to practice real-life scenarios that will strengthen their critical thinking skills and will better prepare them to meet the needs of their respective fields, which will help them transition seamlessly from the classroom to the workforce.
“The significant impact of this funding cannot be overstated; thanks to the TWC we will be able to purchase vital equipment that will keep our students up to date in a field that is quickly evolving,” said STC’s Dean for Nursing and Allied Health, Jayson Valerio, DNP, RN. “This is not just a financial investment, it’s a gesture of faith to STC to better prepare our future leaders in health care professions.”
Through their strong partnership with STC, La Joya ISD was awarded two grants that totaled $1,384,190 and will benefit nursing and machining students.
“Community colleges address specific economic and workforce needs to their education models to provide better opportunities to our students; there’s no better example of that than STC,” said La Joya ISD Interim Superintendent, Heriberto Gonzalez. “Our youth go to school for one reason; to get prepared for college, the workforce and most importantly for life. Strong education and dynamic and innovative programs here at STC help thousands of students reach the American dream.”
Similarly, Vanguard Academy received a total of $1,494,805 for Vocational Nursing and Computer Networking students; representatives showed their gratitude as this is the second year they are eligible for the grant as a charter school.
Weslaco ISD was awarded two grants that total $1,180,189 for Automotive and Welding programs. Representatives thanked STC for their continuous support and collaboration to help students in dual enrollment programs achieve an easy transition from high school to college and help them succeed in life.
“We are proud of our partnerships. Together we continue to create pathways and opportunities for our high school students that are critical to the economy of the region,” said Solis. “STC continues to be a pioneer in dual credit as we deliver and respond to the needs of our nation’s economy and play a key role in one of the fastest growing regions of the United Stated, the Rio Grande Valley.”
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