Cameron County gets healthcare grant to train technicians

Workforce Solutions Cameron announced that it received a $150,000 Texas Industry Partnership grant through the Texas Workforce Commission, along with a $150,000 match from a private industry partner, to train people for healthcare jobs locally.

Specifically, the grant will be used to train 29 patient care technicians and 24 non-certified x-ray technicians to work in hospitals and clinics within Cameron County, WSC said. The TIP grants are meant to “help meet the growing demand for existing and specific emerging occupations that lead to successful job placement, increased wages and improved job retention,” according to the announcement. The grant is also aimed at increasing the earning capacity of South Texas families.

WSC’s training partner in this case is the Cameron County Educational Initiative, whose president, Rita Hernandez, said “this grant is special for our school because it is a model of how we should work collaboratively with industry and other training partners to ensure our community has access to debt-free training and valuable credentials.”

CCEI was established to help the county achieve a goal set by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board in 2015, that 60% of Texans ages 25-34 earn a post-secondary education credential by 2030 with little to no debt, she said.

“CCEI was designed to help families … reach that goal in a quick, industry-led and affordable manner that includes working collaboratively with industry and other providers,” Hernandez said.

Alberto Trevino III, TWC commissioner representing labor, will presented a ceremonial check last week at Valley Baptist Medical Center.

Workforce Solutions Cameron Executive Director Pat Hobbs said the combined funds for training are doing a lot of good.

“These matching grants between (TWC) and private industry across the state are having a major impact on the development of our local work forces, by improving the skill sets of incumbent workers and the training of new employees in high-demand careers.”

WSC is one of 28 workforce development boards around the state. The main goal of the boards and is to meet the needs of Texas employers and workers through locally designed, market-driven workforce development initiatives and services.

“All employers, workers and job seekers are encouraged to visit our workforce centers in Brownsville and Harlingen for a full array of services,” WSC said.