Reskilling and Upskilling at Paris Junior College by Dr. Pamela Anglin, President
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As we begin 2022 at Paris Junior College, I believe that despite the pandemic there’s never been a better time to get training for a new career or to take the steps toward the career you dream of. Since the pandemic began, we find that jobs have changed, new skills are required, more people are working remotely, and the use of technology has advanced. In ten months, there was an acceleration in technological advances that would have taken ten years had there been no pandemic. For example, demand for online shopping has already met retail projections for 2030.
Because of the changes in jobs and demand for employees, the Texas Legislature created the Texas Reskilling and Upskilling Through Education (TRUE) Initiative. Texas made stimulus funds received from the federal government available to colleges as grants to initiate these reskilling and upskilling training programs. Paris Junior College received two grants to help reskill and upskill residents of our service area.
The College received funds for an Industry Readiness program. This program is a short-term non-credit training program that offers 80 hours of training over five weeks. Students can attend class Monday through Thursday evenings or on Saturdays and Sundays. They will receive OSHA certification, fall protection certification and a forklift certification along with training in electrical hazards, blueprint reading and logistics. Students are required to have a high school diploma or GED and the cost of the program will be covered by a scholarship from the TRUE funds. Once the program is complete, students will be prepared for entry level employment with local industries. The program will be offered in Paris, Greenville and Sulphur Springs.
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PJC also partnered with Dallas College and Tarrant County College on a TRUE grant to develop an information technology talent pipeline along the I-30 Corridor from Sulphur Springs to Fort Worth. Students can choose between online Cloud Training, Full Stack (Java) training, or IT help desk. Once completed, students will have placement assistance for an IT position and the potential to work remotely.
In addition to the TRUE reskilling and upskilling opportunities, PJC continues to provide multiple options for workforce training through credit programs.
This spring, PJC will use federal stimulus dollars to help each student meet the costs of attending college. Students enrolled full-time in at least twelve hours will receive $1,000 to help with the costs of attending and those enrolled part-time will receive $500.
There has never been a better opportunity to reskill or upskill for a new job or career. For our communities to grow and thrive economically, it is critical that we have a trained workforce ready to meet the needs of current and future industry. Call PJC today to enroll in one of our TRUE grant programs or in a credit program.
Pamela Anglin
President,
Paris Junior College
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