There’s a lot of land, and a lot of wind. South Texas is on the cusp of emerging as a hub for clean wind energy. To capitalize on the area’s increasing population and skilled labor force, Texas State Technical College is offering a new wind turbine program to train potential engineers/mechanics working within wind energy.
The Rio South Texas Economic Council, the regional marketing and economic development organization, will be exhibiting at the 2010 Windpower Expo and Conference in Dallas, TX from May 23-26.
To read the full story about the new program, click here.
Victoria Education, Work turbine engineering, wind energy, Windpower
To help grow the the Advanced Manufacturing in the Rio Grande Valley, South Texas College has partnered with many of the local manufacturing companies to offer Spanish-English language courses. Each class is customized to the needs of the company. The training is offered through STC’s Institute for Advanced Manufacturing. Click here to learn more about IAM.
Local companies that have operations in McAllen and some in Reynosa already have utilized this program to increase the skills of their binational workforce. Companies such as ALPS Automotive, JVC, AM-MEX, Rio Grande Pak Foods, Corning Cable Systems, Coca-Cola and GE Engine Services already are participating in this training.
In a news release, HR director Maurice Rodriguez for Corning Cable Systems in McAllen said: “We have more than 4,300 employees at our Reynosa plant and an additional 50 U.S.-based employees. We are very appreciative of the offerings, given that 25 percent of our team is working hard to improve their Spanish language skills to help them with day-to-day communications. We have seen great results and have received positive feedback from the employees who have taken the courses at STC. Many of them have commented on how helpful the courses were to them, and now I’m actually receiving some e-mails from them written in Spanish.”
Victoria Education, Work Institute for Advanced Manufacturing, South Texas College
Texas Governor Rick Perry, along with other state officials, announced a $3.4 million state Emerging Technology Grant to the the University of Texas-Pan American. This grant will go toward the recruitment of top researchers and the establishment of a world-class advanced manufacturing center at the university. This initiative is aligned with UTPA’s Rapid Response Manufacturing Center and the North American Advanced Manufacturing Research and Education Initiative (NAAMREI).
The article in The Monitor said “the governor said the investment in UTPA is intended to help accelerate the university’s efforts in developing rapid response manufacturing and help create high-tech jobs via private investment and entrepreneurship, which he called ‘the building blocks of our economy.’”
Click here to read the complete article.
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Professors at the University of Texas-Pan American recently discovered new technology that, “eliminates the electricity and relies on gravity to spin the tiny particles together on a spindle like cotton candy at the county fair,” according to local media reports.
The researchers plan to market this technology and have created www.fiberiotech.com. Click here to visit the company’s Web site. The researchers hope this will attract new companies and investment to South Texas, where the company has established its headquarters.
Click here to read more.
vitamo Education Nanofiber, UTPA
South Texas College, one of the fastest growing colleges in the United States, has announced a new specialized degree in Human Resources.
South Texas College serves more than 25,000 students in Hidalgo and Starr counties. The college offers two and four degrees, plus specialized training programs linked to local industry. The McAllen Economic Development Corporation and South Texas College work together to create new programs and courses that accommodate the needs of companies located in the Rio Grande Valley. HR-Postcard
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The corn maze Mercedes, TX, about 20 miles east of McAllen, is promoting education, as well as fun this fall season. The corn maze actually spells out Dedication to Education and there are education-related items and activities throughout the maze.
To see the full story, click here
vitamo Education, Live Corn Maze, Education
The Texas Association of School Boards named Oscar Rodriguez Jr, superintendent of Mission Consolidated Independent School District since 2005, the Superintendent of the Year.
The Mission school district, within the neighboring city to the west of McAllen, has received this honor once before in 1994. Mission CISD continues to grow its programs for its diverse and increasing student population.
Read the full story in the local newspaper, The Monitor by clicking here
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The Hispanic Engineering, Science & Technology week (HESTEC) officially began at the University of Texas-Pan American this week. This annual event focuses on developing skills of local Hispanic students and discussing opportunities for students in the engineering, science and technology fields. This event draws in students from kindergarten through the university and is a full-community event.
Speakers such as Hilda Solis, Secretary of Labor for the Department of Labor, as well as local representatives and national business leaders, will be at HESTEC.
The University of Texas-Pan American serves more than 18,000 students, majority Hispanic, and is located in Edinburg, TX. UTPA offers athletics and a variety of academic programs for undergraduates, grad students and PHD candidates.
For more information, click here
vitamo Education HESTEC, UTPA
The MEDC wants to respond to questions and comments about what students of all ages and grades in the Rio Grande Valley want to learn about economic development.
Please leave a comment here on our blog, our Facebook or Twitter. We want to respond to the needs and wants of our educated workforce.
Let us know. Thanks!
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In a time when efficiency and cost-saving techniques have become critical to the survival of a company, many are looking at ways to incorporate the strategic location of McAllen, TX. As a way to save money, streamline operations and remain competitive and near customers, companies such as Panasonic, ALPS Automotive and Fujitsu Ten Corp. have recently relocated operations to McAllen.
The Monitor, McAllen’s local newspaper, has the story here
vitamo Education, Reynosa, Work ALPS Automotive, Fujitsu Ten Corp, Panasonic, relocation to border