Alamo Colleges Lead Consortium Awarded $1.3 Million THECB Grant
By: Kay Hendricks
Monday, November 19, 2012
Tag: Web Archive
The Alamo Colleges and the Eagle Ford Shale Consortium (Costal Bend, Laredo, South Texas Junior and Victoria colleges) have been awarded $1,286,000 from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) to implement programs integrating basic skills education with career and technical pathways that will help an estimated 800 adult students earn skills and certificates in high-demand occupations throughout the Eagle Ford Shale area. The occupational areas include welding, commercial truck driving, office technology, oil and gas and certified nursing assistant to licensed vocational nurse.
Alamo Colleges’ Chancellor Dr. Bruce Leslie praised the collaboration between the five community colleges as means to promote innovation and minimize program duplication, while responding to regional business and industry needs as a unified community college system.
Dr. Federico Zaragoza, Alamo Colleges’ vice chancellor for economic and workforce development, noted that the funds will allow the participating Eagle Ford Shale colleges to build and align training programs at their colleges that connect to the jobs being created by the Eagle Ford Shale economy.
Leodoro Martinez, president of the Eagle Ford Shale Consortium, emphasized that the funds to be provided will allow the colleges to enroll students that are often overlooked for training due to lower skills, limited English and lack of a GED or high school diploma.
At the Alamo Colleges, high quality education and low costs provide exceptional value to students and alumni who are major contributors to the economy and culture of our community. For more information, visit our website at alamo.edu.
image caption:
Dr. Federico Zaragoza, vice chancellor Alamo Colleges Leodoro Martinez, executive director, Middle Rio Grande Development Council Wanda Garza, interim vice rresident, South Texas College Dr. Beatrice Espinoza, president, Coastal Bend College Anson Green, Alamo Colleges Dr. Raymund Paredes, commissioner, Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) Dr. Bruce Leslie, chancellor, Alamo Colleges Jose Ceballos, Americas Natural Gas Alliance Jennifer Yancey, Victoria College Dr. Diane Miller, Laredo Community College Dr. Hector Gonzales, president elect, Southwest Texas Junior College