Oct 1, 2012

The Texas Workforce Commission has awarded College of the Mainland a skills development grant totaling more than $300,000 that will allow Marathon Petroleum Corporation in Texas City and Marathon Pipe Line LLC in Findlay, Ohio, to hire new and train current employees.

The grant covers the cost of instruction and equipment, including hazardous materials suits, for a new industrial training initiative that will fulfill the companies’ need for a class on hazardous waste operations, emergency response and other corporate initiatives.

“The training provided by the grant will make it cost effective for the companies to hire new employees by offsetting the cost of their training,” said Danny Bacot, COM assistant director of contract training. “It also helps modernize the facility by upgrading the skills and knowledge of current workers, increasing worker retention there.”
 
Marathon Petroleum Oil Corporation is one of the seven companies that serve on the Craft Collaborative Training Advisory Committee at COM, which helped provided the guidance and industry knowledge that led to the creation and quality of COM’s Mechanical Maintenance Program.
 
“We didn’t stop there,” said Bacot.
 
At continued meetings, Marathon mentioned its need for training of new and current workers, and this grant was created to fulfill their needs.
 
“We provide training partnerships. That’s why we’re here,” said Bacot.