From left: Dr. Kathy Walton, ACC's Executive Director for Customized Training/Business Assessment; State Rep. Mark Strama, D-Austin; Debra Thompson, Applied Biosystems; Mary Daigle, Workforce Solutions board chair; Dr. Stephen Kinslow, ACC President/CEO; Donna Crenshaw, Workforce Solutions; ACC Board of Trustees Vice Chair Allen Kaplan; and TWC Commissioner Ronald Congleton.

The Austin Community College District has received a $391,094 Skills Development Fund grant from the Texas Workforce Commission. The funds will enable the college to provide job training to upgrade skills of local workers at Applied Biosystems, Inc., a global biotechnology company.

“The Customized Training department at Austin Community College is pleased to help companies like Applied Biosystems gain work skills needed to improve their business.  As the liaison to industry, we stand ready to provide educational services and access to grant funds for area employers,” said Dr. Kathy Walton, ACC’s executive director of Customized Training and Business Assessment.

TWC Commissioner Representing Labor Ronald Congleton presented the Skills Development Fund grant check to the college during an ACC Board of Trustees meeting.

“Austin needs to continue to be at the forefront of advanced technologies, and I hope this will play a part in ensuring that it does,” said Commissioner Congleton.

Upon completion of training, the workers will earn an average hourly wage of $32.62.

“The Skills Development Fund ensures that Texas workers can gain the skills they need for high-demand jobs and good wages,” said State Rep. Mark Strama, who attended the presentation. “It is rewarding to see these funds benefit our employers, workers and communities.”

The grant will be used to train more than 300 Applied Biosystems employees, including managers, engineers, scientists, and support staff. The training will cover topics such as quality assurance and productivity.

“We are excited to be partnering with ACC to bring critical skills training to our employees,” says Debra Thompson with Applied Biosystems. “ACC has a strong record of delivering high quality programs with excellent instructors – truly a win-win collaboration.”

Skills Development Fund grants created or upgraded 19,516 jobs in FY 2009. These grants assisted 170 Texas employers with their customized training needs. The Legislature appropriated $90 million to the Skills Development Fund for the 2010-11 biennium. Click here for more information on the TWC’s Skills Development Fund.