Pioneering Texas community college partners with SkillStorm for unique workforce development effort; welcomes industry partners to join tuition reimbursement scholarship initiative.
Lone Star College announced a new partnership designed to build stronger pipelines of talent in support of the greater Houston region’s fast-growing tech industry. The initiative, delivered as part of Lone Star’s Continuing Education offerings and developed in collaboration with industry partners including tech talent accelerator SkillStorm, will provide Texan employers with increased access to new talent pools and a means to close skills gaps within their current workforce. Through Lone Star, employers throughout the Houston area can use tuition reimbursement dollars to upskill their incumbent workforce through courses that lead to industry-recognized credentials from major tech employers including Salesforce, CompTIA, and AWS.
SkillStorm is also seeking industry partners in the metro Houston area to join UpSkill Together, its unique initiative that brings together universities and employers to expand access to tech training for individuals from historically underrepresented groups in the tech industry, including people of color, women, and veterans, as well as military spouses and dependents. For every course participant, UpSkill Together will issue a one-to-one match scholarship for the same training at no cost to a learner from an underrepresented background.
“Lone Star College has a track record of accelerating economic mobility for Texans through cost-effective, accessible certification and credentialing programs that align with the current demands of businesses in the region,” said Joe Mitchell, COO at SkillStorm. “This is about helping employers across the Houston area not just upskill today’s workforce but also build a future-proof, resilient pipeline of skilled talent ready for the jobs of tomorrow.”
Lone Star College, located in the metro Houston area, is at the center of surging tech growth in the state of Texas. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Houston area is expected to gain over 16,000 tech industry jobs over the next decade. CompTIA’s 2022 State of the Tech Workforce report indicates rising demand for talent with expertise in IT, cybersecurity, and software development from major Houston-based tech employers.
In collaboration with SkillStorm, Lone Star will offer a range of courses to prepare for certifications including AWS Cloud, Computer Programming, Coding, CompTIA Security+ and Salesforce Developer. These certifications will enable employers to keep up with the accelerating pace of technological change by providing training in high-demand tech skills to their existing workforce, while also helping job-seekers and early-career workers become more qualified candidates for high-demand tech careers.
