Tomball EDC Earns Award for Collaboration with Tomball ISD P-TECH
The Tomball Economic Development Corporation (Tomball EDC) was honored for exceptional contribution to community workforce programs by Texas Economic Development Council during its annual conference held in Allen, Texas. The Workforce Excellence Award recognized the Tomball ISD's new Early College High School for Pathways in Technology (P-TECH) initiative focused on developing health professionals.
P-TECH, a unique collaboration between HCA Houston Healthcare Tomball (HCA Tomball), Tomball ISD, Lone Star College-Tomball (LSC-Tomball) and Tomball EDC, was approved last year by the Texas Education Agency. Students apply for access to the program which includes high school and college academic courses and health professional work experience at HCA Tomball.
Tomball EDC collaborated with HCA Tomball, LSC-Tomball and Tomball ISD, as part of Tomball EDC’s economic development priority to build a skilled workforce.
“As Tomball EDC economic development efforts have attracted and retained business and industry, we established a priority to develop an available, skilled workforce in industries, such as healthcare, that bring good, high-paying careers to Tomball,” said Tiffani Wooten, Assistant Director of Tomball EDC.
“Tomball ISD worked determinedly to create an attractive and comprehensive P-TECH program that will help our healthcare industry and community by educating an ample supply of qualified professional healthcare workers to deliver effective healthcare, and meet the demand for good jobs created in our community through healthcare,” Wooten added.
The P-TECH program at Tomball ISD has proven to be popular with students. More than 100 students applied to the program. The inaugural class of twenty-five students, which starts in August, met earlier this year with Robert Marmerstein, HCA Houston Healthcare Tomball CEO, Dr. Lee Ann Nutt, Lone Star College-Tomball President and Dr. Kelly Marchiando, former Tomball Star Academy Principal to hear more about the program. These leaders congratulated the students on joining an elite program and encouraged them to enjoy, learn and gain experience and knowledge that will build confidence and help them become skilled healthcare professionals.
“Tomball ISD is proud to receive this honor as we are starting our program,” said Dr. Martha Salazar-Zamora, Superintendent of Schools, Tomball ISD. “The P-TECH initiative is part of Tomball ISD’s ‘Destination Excellence’ culture. The Texas EDC award recognition establishes an early standard of excellence that Tomball ISD will continue to achieve through this collaboration of community partners. Our goal is to develop skilled professionals to meet demand for high-paying jobs that will improve the excellence of healthcare in our community.”
Carlton Schwab, President/CEO of the Texas EDC offered the following about the workforce recognition by the Texas EDC awards program. “Our Texas Economic Development Council’s Workforce Excellence Award is one of the ways in which our organization honors the outstanding work done by our Texas communities and regions, their leaders, and their economic development professionals in the area of workforce development,” Schwab said.
Source: Tomball ISD
