Texas Insider Report: AUSTIN Texas Lockheed Martin was named Large Employer of the Year at the Texas Workforce Commissions (TWC) 20th Annual Texas Workforce Conference held Dec. 7-9 in Houston. Lockheed Martin was nominated by Workforce Solutions for Tarrant County (Tarrant) and chosen as the Large Employer of the Year from among three exemplary finalists out of 26 private-sector employers nominated. All nominees have 500 or more employees and were recognized for contributions to their communitys workforce through innovation andcollaboration with their local Texas Workforce Solutions network partner. Lockheed Martin was also recognized with the Local Employer Award of Excellence for the Tarrant County area.
Lockheed Martin is one of the largest aerospace and global security companies in the Dallas/Fort Worth region (DFW) and is engaged in the research design development manufacturing integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems and products. Lockheed Martin employs more than 15000 workers in the DFW area contributes $1.6 billion to the local economy and contributes more than $739 million to Texas suppliers and vendors within Tarrant County. The company also leads the DFW Aerospace Consortium and partners with consortium members TWC Tarrant County and local educational institutions to grow the local aerospace industry and create training and job opportunities.
Through its innovative partnership with Workforce Solutions educational institutions and local aerospace industry representatives Lockheed Martin is growing industry in its community and creating a demand for highly skilled jobs for the region" said TWC Chairman Andres Alcantar. I commend Lockheed Martin for its contributions to the local workforce and economy and extend my sincere congratulations."
In response to workforce demands spurred by industry expansion Lockheed Martin has made tremendous contributions to workforce development through training and job opportunities. The company is expected to add 2000 manufacturing jobs over the next three years in support of its F-35 project and was recently awarded a $1.5-million TWC Skills Development Fund grant to develop a cutting-edge aerospace industry training curriculum.
Lockheed Martin has placed 405 unemployed or underemployed engineers in competitive jobs locally while training 222 new engineers and offers aerospace and aviation training in partnership with Tarrant County Community College and Tarrant County Community Learning Center.
Congratulations to Lockheed Martin for its tremendous contribution to the local workforce and for its efforts to shape the next generation of highly skilled workers in its community" said TWC Commissioner Representing Employers Ruth R. Hughs. Lockheed Martins collaboration with local partners exemplifies the positive and lasting impact employers can make in their communities."
Lockheed Martin has also shown a strong commitment to growing the local aerospace worker pipeline by supporting career and technology programs that include science technology engineering and math (STEM) educational programs for middle and high school students. The company is an avid supporter of the STEM program Project Lead the Way investing $1 million in the Fort Worth Independent School District for implementation of these programs.
I congratulate Lockheed Martin and recognize its commitment to helping new and incumbent members of the workforce gain the training and skills needed to succeed and its ongoing creation of quality local jobs" said TWC Commissioner Representing Labor Julian Alvarez.
Lockheed Martin and its DFW Aerospace Consortium partners also launched the Gotta Jet?" aerospace career awareness campaign to promote engineering and other high-demand aerospace industry careers to students. The company offers internship opportunities and employees volunteer their time at local schools in support of National Engineering Week.
Working closely with our community education institutions the DFW Aerospace Consortium and Workforce Solutions for Tarrant County we continue to encourage interest in engineering aerospace and aviation careers" said Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Human Relations Vice President Jean Wallace. We are honored to receive the Large Employer of the Year award from the Texas Workforce Commission."
Additionally the other two exemplary employer finalists for Texas Workforce Solutions Large Employer of the
Year included:
- Emerson Process Management (Emerson) was nominated by Workforce Solutions Texoma (Texoma). Emerson collaborates directly with Texoma for recruitment job postings pre-employment assessments and participation on the Workforce Development Board. Emerson is not only a premiere employer in Sherman it is also a driving force in developing the next generation of industry workers. It leads local efforts to educate students parents and teachers about career pathways participates in career fairs for students and has agreed to provide funds to students at two local high schools participating in a Level I Manufacturing Certificate training program.
- James Avery Craftsman Inc. (James Avery) was nominated by Workforce Solutions Alamo (Alamo). James Avery collaborates directly with Alamo for recruitment job postings and seasonal hiring fairs. In addition to hiring more than 2000 seasonal employees annually in addition to its non-seasonal workers James Avery contributes to the community by providing products for fundraising events and donating funds to community arts educational environmental faith-based and health care organizations.
Each of the 28 local workforce development boards also recognized a Local Employer of Excellence at the conference. The award honors a private sector employer that is actively involved with Texas Workforce Solutions and has made a positive impact on employers workers and the community.
Awards also were granted to local workforce development boards that provided outstanding services to Texas employers workers job-seekers and local communities. Additionally monetary awards were given to the boards that were recognized for outstanding performance. Monetary awards will be used to enhance board service programs during the next year.
The primary goal of TWC and the workforce boards is to respond to the needs of Texas employers through locally-designed market-driven workforce development initiatives and services. All employers workers and job seekers are eligible to take advantage of these services.
