(WACO, Texas) – Today the Texas Workforce Commission awarded a Skills Development Fund grant totaling $115,132 that was used for customized training provided by Texas State Technical College for two companies.
The grant created industry-related training for 58 new and incumbent workers at Cargill, a Minneapolis-based company whose Waco plant processes cooked meats, and Eagle Systems Inc., which provides professional security services.
Company representatives were invited to join TWC and TSTC officials for the check presentation ceremony held at the John B. Connally Technology Center on TSTC’s Waco campus.
TSTC Provost Adam Hutchison opened the ceremony by commenting on the importance of keeping workers well trained to help local businesses and economies thrive.
“The dollars that go into a project like this are reflected back in paychecks and resources that are invested into our community,” he said. “And it’s real people, earning a better living, who may then turn and contribute more meaningfully into our local economy and to the communities they serve.”
Prior to signing the oversized presentation check, Bryan Daniel, the TWC chairman and commissioner representing the public, spoke about the importance of workforce training to employee retention.
“So many companies have reached out to us and are taking advantage of the Skills Development program and working with both technical colleges and community colleges to create actual, real, customized programs,” Daniel said. “These are skills that the companies invest in because they want those employees to stay.”
The training at Eagle Systems included training for its supervisors, who are located in different locations along the Interstate 35 corridor from Dallas to Austin.
Sherri Springman, human resources manager for Eagle Systems, said the company had grappled with a solution to getting all of its supervisors together in one place for training.
“This training was huge — just another piece of the puzzle for us to strengthen our team as a whole and just really connect those pieces and make us stronger all across the board,” she said.
Officials from Cargill were unable to attend the presentation.
For more information on TSTC Workforce Training, visit https://tstc.edu/workforce/home.
