Jan 30, 2020
Board of Trustees receiving a large check.
Pictured are (l-r) COM Board of Trustees Alan Waters, Kyle Dickson, Dawn King and Donald Gartman; Texas Workforce Commission Chairman and Commissioner Representing the Public Bryan Daniel; COM President Dr. Warren Nichols; COM Trustees Melissa Skipworth, Dr. William McGarvey and Dr. Verna Henson.

The Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) presented the College of the Mainland Foundation with a Jobs and Education for Texans (JET) grant during a check presentation at its recent board meeting on January 27.

Through a competitive selection process, the JET grant program allocates funding on a quarterly basis for educational institutions to defray the start-up costs associated with developing career and technical education programs.

During the special presentation, TWC Chairman/Commissioner Representing the Public, Bryan Daniel, joined COM officials to present a check to the Foundation in the amount of $188,713. The grant will be used to equip the college’s Process Technology (PTEC) program with custom training equipment for students to gain essential hands-on experience before entering the workforce.

With the growth of the petrochemical industry on a steady rise in the Gulf Coast region, the funding will help to ensure that the more than 450 students enrolled in the college’s PTEC program are prepared to meet the high demand for skilled workers in the industry.

“This one piece of the pie is really going to give us benefits throughout the state and a return on investments specifically with the money that is invested here at College of the Mainland,” said Daniel. “All of us at the Texas Workforce Commission are not only counting on our community colleges to help continue to push us in the right direction, but we’re looking for new and innovative ways to continue these partnerships.”

For more information about the College of the Mainland Process Technology program, visit www.com.edu/ptec or call 409-933-8536.