$8.7 million grant awarded to train 1,250 workers
The United States Department of Health and Human Services has awarded an $8.7 million grant to San Jacinto College and partners for training that will move more people into the health care job areas that are experiencing a shortage of qualified employees. The Health Careers Pathways Partnership grant will allow San Jacinto College to train approximately 1,250 low-income and Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) recipients for the health care industry. Primary partners for the grant include the Neighborhood Centers, Inc. (NCI) and the Harris Health System. The grant will run over the course of five years with $1.6 million distributed during the first year. Targeted job openings include home health aide, projected to grow 23 percent over the next three years in the Texas Gulf Coast region; nursing assistants, projected to grow by 10 percent; phlebotomists, projected to grow by nine percent; pharmacy technicians, projected to grow by nine percent; medical administrative assistants, projected to grow by 10 percent; licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses, projected to grow by nine percent; registered nurses, projected to grow by 11 percent; and medical and clinical laboratory technicians, projected to grow by 12 percent, according to the Texas Workforce Commission.
Cosmetology program earns high rankings
The San Jacinto College cosmetology program is ranked eighth in the nation, fourth in the South, and first in Texas by a research website called Best Beauty Schools based on facilities, curriculum, faculty profiles, job placement rates, and other factors. The Best Beauty Schools website employs an objective ranking system of 1,634 cosmetology programs in the United States, 837 in the South, and 131 cosmetology programs in Texas (under the category of “general cosmetology programs”), with the conclusion “the best beauty programs in Texas are offered by San Jacinto College. The school has a good general cosmetology program: three-star rating for curriculum and four-star rating for teaching.” According to the site, Texas has the most general cosmetology colleges in America, followed by California (130), Florida (107), Illinois (81), and North Carolina (80).
Board of Trustees approves tax rate
The San Jacinto College Board of Trustees approved the 2015 ad valorem property tax rates for the College District. The rate approved by the Board is 17.5783 cents per $100 valuation of taxable property located within the San Jacinto Community College District. This rate is nearly one cent lower than the rate that was adopted in each of the last three years. The tax rate is comprised of an assessment for maintenance and operations (12.9194 cents) and a separate assessment for principal and interest due (4.6589 cents) during the coming year on outstanding general obligation bonds. The proposed debt service rate of 4.6589 cents is lower than last year’s rate of 5.8557 cents, due to the increase in certified values as compared to last year.
Free workforce training available for unemployed and incumbent workers
Unemployed or incumbent workers may qualify for free workforce training at San Jacinto College through the H-1 B Gulf Coast Ready to Work Petrochemical grant, funded by the U.S. Department of Labor. The grant will allow participants to receive tuition assistance to pursue courses that will lead to certifications that are widely recognized and often required for employment throughout the petrochemical manufacturing industry. Military veterans who fit the criteria will be given priority, and those who have been unemployed for 27 weeks or more may receive additional funding. Grant-funded courses available include National Center for Construction Education and Research (NCCER)-certified welding, pipefitting, electrical, and industrial maintenance; and engineering design graphics, non-destructive testing, project management, and Lean Six Sigma. Funding may also be used to pursue credit courses for a certificate of technology. The Ready to Work grant partnership consists of San Jacinto College, College of the Mainland, Lee College, and Brazosport College. The grant aims to meet the regional employment needs of the petrochemical and other manufacturing industries for middle and upper-level science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) employees in areas where companies might otherwise seek H-1 B visa holders.