PRAIRIE VIEW, TX – During the COVID-19 pandemic, one Historically Black College and University continued to offer their certification courses when job hunters searched for options and employers desperately called for skilled workers. Prairie View A&M University’s (PVAMU), The Rural Workforce Academy (TRWA), a program within the Cooperative Extension Program’s (CEP) Community & Economic Development unit, kept their doors open and allowed students to become qualified competitors in the job sector, free for those qualified. This week, the university celebrated National Apprenticeship Week by highlighting the great successes of the academy and a look ahead at what is to come.

The program came to fruition in 2020, thanks to the dedication of Jimmy Henry, the Program Leader for the Community & Economic Development unit at PVAMU. Armed with the vision to allow rural residents to invest in their future and careers, he submitted a proposal that awarded the CEP a three-year $800,000 grant from the U.S. Economic Development Administration Department of Commerce and PVAMU. Through TRWA, students can become certified in welding, electrical installation, core construction, and nursing assistants.

The week’s festivities began on Monday, where CEP’s Executive Associate Director Carolyn Williams, Ph.D., welcomed participants and praised the academy’s excellent work. The College of Agriculture and Human Sciences Dean and Director of Land Grant Programs Gerard D’Souza, Ph.D., also spoke about TRWA’s efficiency and influence.

The Apprenticeship Training Representative for USDOL Office of Apprenticeship, Jon Lavin, and Texas State Director of USDOL Office of Apprenticeship, Lee Price, both expressed their eagerness to work closely with PVAMU to ensure TRWA’s success.

“We want to be a part of the excellent job, and we want to partner with you here as you progress into the future with your apprenticeship program,” Price said. According to Price, TRWA has trained more pre-apprentices than any other agency in the State and HBCUs nationally.

The program’s goals are to help participants earn a certification, secure employment, become lifelong learners, and more. In February 2021, TRWA officially became a Registered Apprenticeship Program – one of only a few training programs that have this distinction – and as of June 2021, has graduated more than 303 pre-apprentices.

And the program can expect the volume of graduates to increase in the future as the number of certification courses grows. TRWA will offer masonry, cybersecurity, drone piloting, carpentry, CNA, telecommunication/CCTV technology, and organic gardening in the spring. There will also be courses that allow rural residents to discover and access new industries.

“If you’re into small businesses, we’ll make a pathway to small businesses for you.  If you need housing, we will make a pathway to homeownership for you, which will include credit counseling and financial literacy,” Workforce Development Program Specialist Laura Jones said. “One course that will be mandatory is home and family organization because that is where you first succeed.”

The rest of the week featured information sessions on the workshops offered by the academy and a graduation luncheon on Thursday, where graduates reflected on the program’s ability to provide them with the tools, community, and opportunities that may not have been present otherwise. A virtual job fair for employers and employees was held on Friday morning.

CEP’s Extension Specialist Natriez Peterson, Extension Program Specialist Talia Washington, Assistant Director of Waller County Economic Development Unit Amanda Stevens, and many more PVAMU partners lend their expertise and support to the program.

To learn more about PVAMU’s TRWA program, please visit https://www.pvamu.edu/cafnr/rural-workforce-academy.

Pascale Mondesir
Communication Specialist II
pamondesir@pvamu.edu
(936) 261-5155