Houston City College receives more than $1.5 million in workforce training grants for Texas businesses

Houston City College (HCC) will provide customized workforce training to employees of four Texas businesses through more than $1.5 million in Skills Development Fund grants awarded by the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC).

TWC Chairman Joe Esparza presented the grants, which will support training partnerships with Tesla Inc., Texas Tissue Converting LLC, Karsten Management LLC and Watchfire Signs LLC. The funding will help strengthen workforce skills, prepare employees for evolving industry demands and support business growth.

“We are honored to be a partner with HCC. We are listening to industry, and employers are telling us where they want to go in today's economy,” said Joe Esparza at the latest HCC Board of Trustees meeting attended by TWC representatives, business leaders, state lawmakers and community leaders.

The TWC Skills Development Fund helps Texas businesses develop specialized training programs for new and current employees. Grants can cover curriculum development, training materials, instructor certifications, and the purchase or upgrade of training equipment.

The largest grant, totaling $782,998 for Tesla Inc., will fund technical training for 261 new employees supporting the company's Megafactory battery operations in Brookshire, Texas. Training will cover advanced manufacturing, robotics, programmable logic controllers, automated material handling, industrial welding, electrical systems, quality control and high-voltage safety.

HCC Corporate Training and Development will coordinate the program in partnership with the college’s Advanced Manufacturing Center of Excellence Southwest and the Material Science Center of Excellence Welding Department.

A second grant of $690,044 for Texas Tissue Converting LLC and Karsten Management LLC will support training for 300 employees, including 80 new hires and 220 current employees.

The third grant, valued at $83,963, for Watchfire Signs LLC will support scalable training to advance innovation efforts.

“Building a strong workforce requires strong partnerships. These grants demonstrate how state agencies, employers and Houston City College can work together to meet evolving workforce needs, strengthen Texas businesses and create meaningful opportunities for workers. This is Future Forward in action, connecting talent with training and preparing our communities for long-term success,” said HCC Chancellor Margaret Ford Fisher, Ed.D.