Overview
Brownsville, Texas is the city with the youngest workforce population in the region, with the average age of working individuals being 29 years old. Brownsville’s workforce is thriving, ready to work, and contribute to our community. Through GBIC’s “We Grow Our Own 2.0” workforce initiative, GBIC has been able to bridge the workforce gap for industry partners by connecting with skilled labor. Furthermore, CTE and college students are connected to job opportunities to grow and keep talent local.
The “We Grow Our Own 2.0” strategy has partned up with other institutions such as Workforce Solution Cameron and Texas Workforce Commission to offer industry partners all the necessary tools to facilitate hiring needs and upskill current employees. Programs such as the Skills Development Fund help industry partners receive training dollars through the state to upskill current employees to be a better asset for the company. The Business, Retention and expansion (BRE) & Workforce Development Department at GBIC connects industry partners with available resources and funding opportunities.
Workforce Partners
The Greater Brownsville Incentives Corporation in partnership with Texas Workforce Commission andWorkforce Solutions Cameron offer workforce services to any company relocating to Brownsville or anyindustry partner looking to expand their operations in the city. Also, the BRE Department can assist anyindustry partner with applications for the Skills Development Fund and Texas Enterprise Zone (TEZ)Program.
Partners include:
Education
Texas Southmost College
TSC offers career, and technical programs leading to an associate degree or certificate along with courses specializing in college preparatory and developmental education, workforce training, adult literacy, and continuing education to support the evolving needs of Cameron County.
University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
UTRGV offers Innovation, opportunities, and careers throughout the Rio Grande Valley, UTRGV empowers successful futures, enhances daily life, and lets our region shine as a global innovator in higher education, bilingual education, health education, biomedical research, and emerging technologies.
Vocational Schools
With multiple locations and specializations vocational schools in Brownsville offer programs in the medical and business career fields, such as medical assistant, medical billing & coding specialist, business administration, electrical technician, cosmetology and more.
PTECH
CTE has multiple programs available for BISD students that offer a great variety of skills from cosmetology, pharmacy tech, EMT, forklift and business. The program allows students acquire a certification while receiving school credit.
The Texas Education Agency collaborates with the Texas Workforce Commission and the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board to develop and implement a plan for the P-TECH program that addresses:
- Regional workforce needs.
- Course credit transfer policies between IHEs.
- Internships, apprenticeships, and other work-based education programs for P-TECH students
- Partners for Postsecondary Success (PPS), an initiative building community partnerships to double the number of young adults with postsecondary credentials leading to living wage employment.
- The PPS initiative was created with the guidance of MDC Inc., a non-profit organization based in North Carolina that helps communities across the nation close the gaps in education and guidance separating young people from opportunity.
- PPS was launched in 2011 with a $100,000 one-year planning grant and a $1.5 million implementation grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, as well as $240,000 in funding from local individuals, businesses, and foundation.