BLINN COLLEGE RECEIVES TEXAS WORK FORCE GRANT

  

 

 

Texas Workforce Commission has awarded Blinn College a nearly $400,000 Skills Development Fund grant to provide safety and skills training for 341 employees of Igloo Products Corp. (“Igloo”).

Representing Texas Workforce Commissions, Ruth R. Hughs will present Blinn College with the grant on Thursday at noon at the Blinn College - Brenham campus Student Center Banquet room.

As part of the $384,469 grant, Blinn will provide training in:

·        Advanced Scientific Molding

·         Certification

·         Fire Safety

·         Employee Management

·         Lockout/Tagout Procedures

·         Machine Maintenance

·         Marketing

·         Occupational Safety and

Health

·         Precision Measurement

·         Rigging

·         Supervisory Skills

·         Hydraulics, Pneumatics, Mechanics

·         Arc Flash Protection

·         Electrical Safety

·         Forklift Operator Certification

·         Technical and Manufacturing

·         Machine Guarding

·         Processes/Production

·         Technical/Business Mathematics

·         10-hour General Industry Program

·         Product Design

·         Silica Awareness

 

·         CPR/First Aid/AED

·         Fall Protection

·         Manufacturing Safety

·         Lean Manufacturing

·         Production

·         Distribution

·         Oracle Technology System

·         Overhead Crane Operations

·         Purchasing and Procurement

·         Conversational Spanish

·         Manufacturing Core Skills

·         Transportation Regulations

·         Computers

 

The training will upgrade 277 current jobs and create 64 new jobs.

To facilitate employee training and retention, Blinn and Igloo had already partnered to develop a three-year Technician Apprenticeship Program consisting of 204 hours of industrial maintenance instruction per year to each Igloo employee.

“This training program has been specifically designed in partnership with Igloo to strengthen their employees’ core skills and build upon the existing apprenticeship training program,” said Megan Costanza, dean of Workforce Education. “With this grant, employees across the company will have access to a variety of technical trainings to support them in their specific roles.”

Igloo Products Corp. is a Texas-based international designer, manufacturer and marketer of coolers and other outdoor products and housewares. Founded in 1947, Igloo originated the cooler category and remains the number one cooler brand worldwide. For more than 67 years, the Igloo brand has been synonymous with quality, durability and innovation. Offering more than 500 different products, Igloo coolers are sold by more than 110,000 retailer storefronts around the world.

“Igloo has always supported its associates by fostering an environment of teamwork, diversity and sharing ideas. Our partnership with Blinn College will strengthen the skillset of our workforce and open career advancement opportunities,” said Janette Martinez, Igloo senior manager of human resources. “By providing our associates with additional access to training, organizational development and continuous improvement opportunities, we are cultivating a culture of commitment and high performance.”

The Skills Development Fund provides local customized training opportunities for Texas businesses and workers to increase skill levels and wages of the Texas workforce. During fiscal year 2013, Texas Workforce Commission awarded 40 Skills Development Fund grants totaling $21.48 million to serve 70 Texas businesses, support the creation of 3,409 new jobs and upgrade the skills of 10,833 workers in existing jobs.

Blinn’s Division of Workforce Education has secured $1.4 million in Skills Development Fund grants for local business and industry since August 2014.

“Blinn is excited about the opportunity to partner with more local businesses in applying for these funds,” said Rod Thomas, director of workforce and corporate partnerships. “Also available is the Skills for Small Business program, for businesses with less than 100 employees, which pays tuition directly to Blinn for coursework related to an employee’s job. Classes in QuickBooks, supervision, Microsoft Office, conversational Spanish and more are open.”

Businesses with fewer than 100 employees are also encouraged to contact Blinn Workforce Education for more information regarding Skills for Small Business grants. Businesses, consortiums and trade unions with more than 100 employees are also encouraged to contact the College at 979-209-7205 to explore partnering with Blinn for Skills Development Fund training opportunities.

Blinn’s Division of Workforce Education improves the local economy by helping job-seekers obtain the skills and credentials they need to succeed in the workplace, and by partnering with local businesses to offer training opportunities for incumbent and new employees. For more information on Blinn’s Workforce Education opportunities, including class schedules and registration information, visit www.blinn.edu/workforce.

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