COSTEP Highlighting the Workforce Talent Development Programs in Rio South Texas

October 6, 2021

by Faith Chua

    At the heart of any successful business is a motivated and capable workforce. And at the heart of any successful region is a strong and competent workforce pipeline. It is what equips companies with the necessary knowledge and skills to navigate the local as well as the global marketplace. The Rio South Texas Region understands that, and this region demonstrates that understanding through the various public & private skills training and industry certification programs, college-level dual-credit programs in high schools, and future-focused higher education institutions operating here.

    Education institutions around Rio South Texas have been implementing a variety of occupational training programs to provide industry the talent necessary to grow and diversify their business. And while these programs are being implemented in the Rio South Texas region, their roots, as well as their impact, reach far beyond our region, and even our country. One great example of that is South Texas College’s (STC) collaboration with FESTO and Fuji Automatic Numerical Control (FANUC) providing certified training programs on some of the world’s most advanced Industry 4.0 manufacturing solutions to entering and experienced manufacturing industry professionals. FANUC is a leading supplier of robots, computer control systems, and factory automation, while FESTO’s solutions are among the world leaders in Industry 4.0 factory floor and digital twin solutions.

  And it isn’t just state-of-the-art manufacturing talent that is home-grown in Rio South Texas. The science of advanced materials used in the manufacturing processed of today and tomorrow is also being learned by the students in Rio South Texas, for example at The University of Texas – Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) in their advanced nanoscience laboratory. The laboratory’s research is primarily focused on experimental and theoretical condensed matter physics with a wide range of solid state phenomena examining nano-structured systems. Partners for the program include the National Science Foundation, the Air Force Research Laboratory, and NASA.

  These are only a couple of examples of the plentitude of workforce training and skills development programs across the education ecosystem the Region leverages to provide local companies and prospective investors with talent in industries such as mobility, aerospace, energy, and biotech! With a strong and competent workforce pipeline, as well as partners in North America and across the globe, the students of Rio South Texas educational institutions of today are quickly becoming the faces of globally successful companies of tomorrow.