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Workforce Partners with Industry to Train Workers
Workforce Solutions Southeast Texas has partnered with S&B Engineers and Constructors,
Inc., in a training cohort for Pipefitter Helpers. "This initiative has been a success in
Southeast Texas in the past", stated Mike Stilley, VP of Education and Workforce
Development. "With our current industrial project, we feel this model will help our
company hire individuals interested in a career path in skilled craft occupations."
The program is designed to take a selected group of applicants through 16 weeks of
training which includes classroom instruction, with an emphasis on safety, and hands-on
training in the actual industrial construction environment. Applicants who successfully
pass the initial assessments will be hired, earning $16.00 per hour. The program is
designed to increase wages as the worker's skills increase.
Marilyn Smith, workforce board executive director and a proponent of 'growing your own' manpower,
feels this training program fits into the board's goal. "We appreciate S&B's support of our local
job seekers and this initiative shows the company's commitment to developing a skilled, competitive
workforce." Partners in the training cohort include Region 5 Education Service Center, which will
provide academic support, and Wells Fargo Bank, with financial management tools for the trainees.
As many as 40 applicants have been selected through the initial pre-screening and assessment.
The program is currently on track to meet the mid-July target date.
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