Texas Border Business
By Amanda Sotelo
For the Basilica of our Lady of San Juan del Valle and its Physical Facilities Director Martin Lopez, workforce and safety trainings at South Texas College have been what he calls a “blessing.”
The recent $100,000 Safety Education Grant presented to STC from Texas Mutual Insurance Company will allow the college to expand its offerings to local businesses and organizations like the Basilica with continued trainings to upskill or reskill regional employees.
This is STC’s third $100,000 installment from Texas Mutual, making their donation total $300,000.
“The Basilica is a national shrine and when we started working with STC, people questioned what could STC do for us, but they’ve done a lot and have helped us transform our operations,” said Lopez. “We have our lawns, our buildings, our air conditioners. Our Basilica employs nearly 100 people, and many of those in our department are young men, who get to stay home with their families because STC has helped us get the right training they need to prepare for their futures. They’re changing the lives of these young men, and I couldn’t be more grateful.”
Texas Mutual Insurance Company is the state’s leading provider of workers’ compensation insurance and this year, has awarded $1 million in safety education grants to 10 Texas colleges like STC. Since its inception, it has invested $13 million to help colleges provide free or discounted safety training.
The Safety Education Grant, divided equally between STC’s Center for Advanced Training and Apprenticeships and Continuing Education and Workforce Development, will help cover tuition, supplies and material costs for students enrolled in their training programs.
“This is a phenomenal partnership we have with Texas Mutual…their grants are significant in helping us provide quality training to our region,” said STC President Ricardo J. Solis, Ph.D. “At STC, we’re very fortunate to have such strong partnerships and by getting this additional funding we can expand our trainings. It’s an incredible opportunity and we thank Texas Mutual for being big supporters of South Texas College.”
STC’s Safety Education Grant will provide free or discounted trainings such as Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) general industry and construction, industrial truck operator, advanced cardiac life support, first aid/CPR, Heartsaver CPR AED, basic life support, among others.
Eric Bourquin, Texas Mutual vice president of Safety Services, said STC is doing amazing work in providing the necessary training to employers in the Rio Grande Valley, and he’s happy to play a role in this success.
“Across the state we work hard at increasing workplace safety for a better, safer Texas, and while we were in the RGV we took the opportunity to visit with South Texas College and we were impressed…we knew this collaboration fit just right,” said Bourquin. “On behalf of Texas Mutual Insurance, our board of directors and leaders, we are proud to be here with STC and we love to support programs that keep the workplace safe. It’s safety programs like the ones at STC that are making a real difference across the state.”
This partnership has helped STC train at least 200 employees from numerous employers throughout the RGV.
For more information on safety trainings through STC’s Center for Advanced Training and Apprenticeships, visit southtexascollege.edu/cata.
For more information on programs offered through STC’s Continuing Education and Workforce Development office, visit southtexascollege.edu/cpit/industry-training.
