Workforce grant partners Campbell Soup, PJC

Published or Revised May 07, 2007

AUSTIN — The Northeast Texas area workforce will benefit from a $729,751 job-training grant from the Skills Development Fund that the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) administers. Campbell Soup Co. has partnered with Paris Junior College to provide the training. The grant will be used to create or upgrade 652 jobs, including maintenance technicians, network, personal computer and software technicians, manufacturing engineers, power plant operators, human resource professionals, controllers and quality department managers. Upon completion of training, workers will earn an average hourly wage of $15.30. "This Skills Development Fund grants help give working families jobs with better pay and help them gain the skills needed to fill those jobs," said state Rep. Mark Homer. "I congratulate Campbell Soup, Paris Junior College and TWC for making this training possible." "Workforce development and skills training are at the very heart of economic development," said TWC Chair Diane Rath. "Through the successful partnership of public education and private industry, these grants will provide skills training to create or upgrade nearly 700 jobs in North East Texas." In fiscal year 2006, Skills Development Fund grants created or upgraded 14,090 jobs, which paid an average hourly wage of $19.22. The grants assisted 125 Texas employers with their customized training needs. The Legislature has appropriated $40.5 million to the Skills Development Fund for the 2006-07 biennium.