Workforce Development: Precision and Partnership for Higher Performance.

Customization and collaboration are the hallmarks of workforce development in the Rio South Texas region, where training initiatives are carefully tailored to meet enterprise needs and delivered through both private collaboratives and public-private partnerships that extend across the Rio Grande River.

Long a leader in global skills development, the state of Texas supports world-class training with the Texas Skills Development Fund, used to underwrite the design and implementation of customized job training for qualified projects. Funds are dispersed through local Texas Workforce Solutions offices working in conjunction with experienced training teams at local community colleges.

A Pipeline for Performance Across Sectors

Development initiatives advance from the solid foundation of high literacy rates and high-performing K-12 schools with key contributions by leading institutions of higher education including:

University of Texas-Rio Grande Valley: For its approximately 30,000 students, this R-2 Research University offers affordable opportunity; it is also one of the largest institutions in the U.S. to have a majority Hispanic enrollment. Empowering the region’s advanced manufacturing and bio-life sciences talent pipeline are UTRGV assets including the School of Medicine, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, College of Science and College of Engineering and Computer Science.
Texas Southmost College: This two-year college offers an opportune transitional path for students seeking four-year degrees through programs like the Texas A&M-Chevron Engineering Academy; now the college is partnering with Texas A&M to bring more four-year degree programs to TSC students.
South Texas College: As the designated Regional Institute for Advanced Manufacturing, STC has taken a leading role in workforce training, coordinating business needs with the technical and community colleges throughout the area. STC has also formally partnered with Instituto Internacional de Estudios Superiores (IIES), a private education institution in Reynosa, to provide training in areas including industrial automation and industrial and building maintenance.
Texas State Technical College: TSTC is the only college in Texas to adopt a funding model based entirely on student employment outcomes. That career focus, combined with strong business relationships and state-of-the-art equipment, has made TSTC a powerful resource for economic development.
Texas A&M: A Carnegie-classified R1 university, Texas A&M opens opportunity for Rio South Texas students at the Texas A&M Higher Education Center in McAllen.
Texas A&M International University: At its Laredo campus, TAMIU is preparing tomorrow’s workforce with undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degree programs in four colleges, including the A.R. Sanchez, Jr. School of Business. TAMIU is also paving the way for tomorrow’s regional success with the insights and services of business-focused research centers, including the Center for the Study of Western Hemispheric Trade and the Texas Center for Border Economics and Enterprise Development.
Laredo College: The approximately 10,000 students at LC’s two campuses enjoy the choice of both academic and technical programs. Through the Workforce Education Division, the College offers A.A.S. (Associate of Applied Sciences) or Technical Vocational Certificate in areas such as business management, including logistics and distribution; computer information systems; electrical technology; petroleum technology and welding technology.