Innovative HCC partnership focuses on training electricians
Jul 27, 2018
The Trio Electric Company of Houston had many job openings for electricians, but not nearly enough qualified workers to fill them. So, Trio looked for an innovative solution to its talent shortage and found it in a partnership with Houston Community College and Spring Branch ISD.
“Trio reached out to Houston Community College and Spring Branch ISD,” says Michael Webster, HCC associate vice chancellor workforce instruction.” Trio asked that we come up with something creative to fill the talent pipeline and we did.”
The result is a pre-apprenticeship program that includes a summer internship and boot camp for more than 40 Spring Branch ISD juniors and seniors. “They are starting out at $13 an hour and if they stay with Trio their pay will increase over time,” Webster says. The program offers dual credit and a level 1 electrician certificate.
According to Trio Electric’s Andrea Hodge, the need for electricians is very strong with about 9,000 job openings in Houston every year. “The problem is the chicken and the egg,” Hodge explains. “You can’t get hired if you don’t have the skills to get hired and you can’t get the skills unless you’re hired. So this pre-apprenticeship program bridges the gap.”
The partnership is just what Spring Branch ISD student Abigail Johnson needed to take the first step in her career. “It’s really awesome how this all works together,” Abigail says. “I can get college credit while learning my job skills over the summer.”
Webster points to a survey of the participating students as a sign of the program’s success. “All 43 students in the boot camp now say they have a defined career path, which is huge for a junior in high school,” Webster says.
Hodge credits HCC with giving students a chance to jumpstart their careers and helping Trio fill its need for qualified employees. “HCC has helped us with funds to provide the tools and even the boots on the student’s feet,” she says. “HCC has really been invaluable in setting up this program.”
The new program has caught the attention of other employers and community colleges in Texas who view it as a workforce-training model that can be duplicated. Even Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner has taken notice, showing up on the last day of the summer internship program to proclaim July 27 as TRIO Pre-Apprenticeship Partnership Day in Houston.
Another 60 high school juniors will begin the program in the fall. An equal number of students are expected to be part of the program each year. The four-year pipeline - two years in high school and two years post high school - will eventually result in a pool of 200.