AUSTIN, TX, May 20, 2021 — Today the Texas Association of Community Colleges (TACC), in collaboration with Amazon Web Services, Inc. (AWS), announced a statewide initiative to enable access to cloud computing education courses and certifications for students in community colleges, as part of the Texas Reskilling & Upskilling through Education (TRUE) initiative. This statewide initiative aims to train, reskill, and certify 50,000 Texans, over the next three years, to qualify for cloud computing jobs in their local communities.
In support of this initiative, AWS aims to equip TACC with professional development, technical training, and a select number of certification exams for those educators, instructors, and faculty who will begin teaching cloud computing courses to their students starting next fall. AWS education programs provide education institutions with ready-to-teach, cloud
The global pandemic upended learning on college campuses across our state, challenging students’ pursuit of post-secondary degrees in ways we had not anticipated. It also disrupted the global economy and deepened the mismatch between employer workforce needs and skilled workers. Texas community and technical colleges are committed to addressing this gap. It is time to take bold, purposeful action to strengthen our workforce, support employers and help our communities build a stronger economic recovery.
“As the current provider of more than 90% of credit-bearing career and technical education certificates, Texas community colleges are best positioned to close the
Rep. Tan Parker (R-Flower Mound) and Sen. Brandon Creighton (R-Conroe) have filed the Texas Reskilling & Upskilling through Education Initiative, an investment in Texas community colleges and technical institutions to quickly reskill and upskill the Texas workforce and put Texans back to work in high-demand occupations.
Of the record number of Texans who lost their jobs and filed initial claims for unemployment, many lack skills to quickly reenter the workforce. The unemployment rate for individuals with a high school diploma or less remains significantly higher than for individuals with post-secondary credentials. As the current provider of more than 90% of credit-bearing career and technical education certificates, Texas community colleges are best positioned to close the skills gaps to good-paying jobs.
“Texas is a rapidly growing state, and our diverse economy requires a robust and
AUSTIN, Texas - Unemployment remains high despite the high demand for skilled workers.
Community colleges and Texas lawmakers have plans to meet those needs by re-skilling and up-skilling the Texas workforce.
State Sen. Brandon Creighton (R-Conroe) has filed Senate Bill 1102 and state Rep. Tan Parker (R-Flower Mound) has filed its companion bill, House Bill 3003, to introduce a new proposal: Texas Reskilling & Upskilling through Education Initiative (TRUE).
Dr. Brent Wallace, chancellor at North Central Texas College, joins Mike Warren to discuss the TRUE initiative in the Texas Legislature.
