Health Care Consortium Partners with South Texas College

AUSTIN − The Lower Rio Grande area workforce will benefit from a $268481 job-training grant that the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) administers. South Texas College has partnered with a five-member health care consortium to provide the training.

The grant will be used to create or upgrade 305 jobs for physical therapists medical assistants registered nurses surgical technicians X-ray technicians and more. Upon completion of training workers will earn an average hourly wage of $20.11. The health care consortium includes The Center of Industrial Rehabilitation Services Starr County Memorial Hospital South Texas Health System Knapp Medical Center and Cornerstone Regional Hospital.

“The Skills Development Fund grant is good public policy because it merges the business needs of private companies with training from educational institutions to provide customized job training” said state Sen. Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa. “This creates better paying jobs for our communities and benefits our economy.”

“It is extremely impressive to see a college and business work together to create a stronger and more efficient workforce” state Rep. Armando Martinez said. “Health care jobs provide stable careers and contribute a vital service to our community. Congratulations go out to South Texas College and the many health care employers involved in this grant.”

“Responding to the workforce needs of Texas’ employers is one of our top priorities and the Skills Development Fund is one of the best methods we have for doing that” said TWC Chair Diane Rath. “With this grant area employers gain a custom-trained workforce workers learn valuable skills and the community benefits through added jobs and economic development.”

In Fiscal Year (FY) 2006 Skills Development Fund grants created or upgraded 14090 jobs which paid an average hourly wage of $19.22. These grants assisted 125 Texas employers with their customized training needs. The Legislature has appropriated $50 million to the Skills Development Fund for the 2008-09 biennium.

Employers seeking more information about the Skills Development Fund may visit the TWC Web site at www.texasworkforce.org.

South Texas College contact: Olivia Rodriguez workforce development and external affairs (956) 872-2770 or rolivia@southtexascollege.edu