WACO, TX — Prosper Waco has partnered with the City of Waco to develop UpSkill Waco, a program that provides multiple fast-tracked training courses to help those who are looking for employment
After a difficult year of job loss and financial hardships, Prosper Waco began working on a solution to provide training for higher wage, high demand jobs to help provide better economic stability for families in Central Texas.
“We’ve known for a number of years that we have a high number of people in Waco who are working lower wager, lower skill jobs. And so accessing that landscape and then COVID hit and our unemployment rate unfortunately rose to higher levels than we’ve seen in years," said Tiffany Gallegos Whitley, Prosper Waco's Director of Workforce Initiatives.
Each training course will last less than 12 weeks. Prosper Waco partnered with Texas State Technical College to provide the first training course, which will be a six week program for Industrial Maintenance Technician beginning on March 15.
“We’ll train folks on a little bit of electrical, a little bit of mechanical, safety, and all things in-between. It will give them the skills they need to go out and land an entry level job in the maintenance field,” said Adam Barber, TSTC's Executive Director for Workforce Training.
The program is not only designed to give specialized job training, but will also help individuals make connections with future employers.
“There's no experience required for this particular class, this training. We are going to provide you with the skills and the instruction that you need to be successful, so if you’re having hesitations, just jump out there,” said Barber.
“There’s jobs that we have, like industrial maintenance, in our community. There’s a number in the healthcare field where you don’t have to have a four year degree necessarily to make a higher wage. So we’re trying to look at those jobs that provide an opportunity for people, who maybe a four-year degree isn't the best fit for them to go the four-year route, to still make a family sustaining wage,” said Whitley.
The hope is that UpSkill Waco will be able to provide seven to eight training courses available this year.
If you are interested in signing up for the Industrial Maintenance Technician program, you can fill out the application, which will be available online on January 15 at .
If you are looking for additional programs, TSTC also provides training in certain fields. You can learn more here.
