Blas Castaneda. (File photo: RGG/Steve Taylor)

McALLEN, Aug. 30 - The chair of the Texas Border Coalition’s workforce development and education committee has praised the work of the Texas House Committee on Border and Intergovernmental Affairs.

Blas Castaneda testified at a hearing the committee held in Austin on Friday. The focus was on how to improve economic opportunities along the border, a specific charge given the committee by House Speaker Joe Straus.

Castaneda said he was “very impressed” with the leadership qualities shown by committee’s chair, state Rep. Veronica Gonzales, D-McAllen.

“The manner and process used by Rep. Gonzales and her committee members speaks volumes of what their leadership has for improving the border and its constituency. They were very focused on all the testimony given,” Castaneda said.

“Border economic development issues expressed by our border business leaders were given deep discussion by the committee members as well as the health needs of our communities. Education and training was a major point of deliberations and other matters important to all of us along the border.”

Castaneda’s testimony to the committee is included at the end of this story. The TBC’s full recommendations to the Legislature will be published in the fall.

“Business development, economic growth, job creation and enhancement are what we strive for so that our border communities can access these essential elements for their residents, employers and others,” Castaneda told the Guardian.

Gonzales said she was pleased with how the hearing went. Earlier this month, Gonzales met with economic development leaders and educators from the Upper Rio Grande Valley in anticipation of the hearing.

”We had a good hearing on how to improve the economics along the Texas-Mexico border. We talked about manufacturing and the importance of expanding our manufacturing green initiatives. We went into the health care arena and the impact health care has had on the Rio Grande Valley and other areas along the border and what a tremendous engine it is for us economically,” Gonzales said.

“We have got some real challenges when it comes to economic development along the border. But, we heard some great ideas. It gives us a much clearer path as we try to improve.”

Gonzales said she was pleased with the focus on higher education, a specialty of Castaneda’s.

“We had UTPA representatives testifying on HESTEC and South Texas College representatives testifying on the building of baccalaureate programs,” Gonzales said.

The one area of concern for Gonzales came when Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board Commissioner Ray Paredes spoke against STC’s efforts to establish a baccalaureate program on child development.

“We seemed to get some pushback from the commissioner saying that he does not want to see any type of competition between the university and the community colleges. I can understand him wanting to keep it affordable for students but the work that STC has been doing to increase opportunities both at an associate level and at a baccalaureate level should not be ignored and done away with in one statement,” Gonzales said.

“We want make sure the commissioner understands the kind of work that STC and colleges around the state are doing to improve opportunities for students. It was somewhat disappointing to hear the higher education coordinating board not wanting to see those programs expand.”

Gonzales pointed out that the Legislature gave STC the ability to create five baccalaureate programs and it has developed two. The college is trying to develop a third in the field of child development.

“My understanding is that this is something UTPA does not offer. STC was not competing with UTPA. I think STC put in a tremendous amount of hours to put together a program to the Coordinating Board and it was denied. It was kind of summarily denied without giving them much of a reason why,” Gonzales said.

“Our concern is that if the Coordinating Board knows that it does not want an expansion and they know they are not going to give approval they should let STC know early on so they do not spend the resources, the time, money and energy, getting a program going and not be allowed to move it along.”

Gonzales said STC’s Wanda Garza gave good testimony on the need for more skills development fund monies, the need for more adult basic education monies and on expanding baccalaureate programs.

“The frustration comes from a lack of communication from the Coordinating Board There should be continued discussions and very frank discussions, not telling STC after the fact,” Gonzales added.

Castaneda is chief development officer for Laredo Community College. He said he was pleased to see higher education and workforce training at the center of discussion by Gonzales’ panel. He said the two subjects are crucial for the economic development of a region. 

“Our colleges and universities were highlighted by the committee since we are in dire need of having our universities gain TIER 1 recognition in order for them to get critical funding and other much needed resources to support the development with our business and industry in our respective areas of the border,” Castaneda said.

“Technology is playing a major role at our community colleges and they are in need of special degree programs like the one at South Texas College. Laredo community College is also looking at certain improvements like all of our colleges. They must be provided with critical resources to answer the call of business and industry to prepare our workforce to compete in the global markets that are in our communities and not across the Atlantic or Pacific oceans.”

Castaneda said TBC is dedicated to helping the border region’s educational institutions gain the resources needed to support business and industry clusters.

“El Paso Community College, South West Texas Junior College, Laredo community College, South Texas College, Texas State Technical College and Texas Southmost College are the driving forces for workforce development along the border,” Castaneda said.

The border region’s universities must also gain the proper recognition they need to secure vital resources if they are to compete in the global area and support cities and counties along the border, Castaneda said.

“The University of Texas at El Paso, the University of Texas-Pan American, the University of Texas at Brownsville, Sul Ross State University and Texas A&M International University are major players for our communities and we depend on them for almost everything you can think of for business development, business incubators, knowledge base development, trade development, etc., but, best of all, our student development for career success.”

Castaneda said the TBC’s workforce committee is committed to opening the doors of opportunities for all border communities of all sizes.

“We want to help those communities that have a desire to succeed and give their youth or adults access to the best education and training to compete in the world of today and tomorrow. They in turn will give our business and industry the competitive edge they need to be successful in today's world market,” Castaneda added.

Here, in full, is Castaneda’s testimony:

Dear Chair Gonzales and Committee Members:

Thank you for the opportunity to testify today. My name is Blas Castañeda and I am the chief external affairs/economic development officer for Laredo Community College. I also serve as Chairman of the Workforce and Education Committee of the Texas Border Coalition.

The Texas Border Coalition (TBC) is a collective voice of border mayors, county judges, economic development commissions focused on issues that affect more than 2.1 million people along the Texas-Mexico border region and economically disadvantaged counties from El Paso to Brownsville. TBC is working closely with the state and federal government to educate, advocate, and secure funding for transportation, immigration and ports of entry, workforce and education and health care.

Our Workforce and Education Committee of TBC is currently developing our recommendations for TBC’s legislative agenda for the 2011 session. On May 4, 2010, the Economic Development Center at Laredo Community College hosted a public forum to receive input for TBC’s Workforce and Education agenda. Conference attendees from the Rio Grande Valley, Laredo, and El Paso listened to nearly one dozen testimonials and a live video address by Tom Pauken, Chairman of the Texas Workforce Commission. 

Audience members at the public forum included representatives from workforce boards, community colleges, private business, industry, nonprofits and elected officials. Attendees who spoke shared their perspective on the pressing needs affecting workforce populations in their regions, both urban and rural. They also provided recommendations and potential solutions to some of these challenges.

In addition, Laredo Community College hosted a gathering of community college educators from the border region on July 7 to discuss the most crucial issues facing the community colleges in the border region. 

While our Workforce and Education Committee is still developing our legislative agenda recommendations for next session, I would like to share with you some of the items that come up over and over again when we ask for public input on workforce and education priorities along the border. In order to capitalize on the border’s inherent strengths, state legislators may choose to consider:

1.  More flexibility in the Skills Development Fund.We have heard from several border colleges that their workforce development programs would benefit from more flexibility in the Skills Development Fund, so that colleges can respond to changing economic and employment conditions in their local communities, such as:
• The ability to make common-sense changes in their programs without the cumbersome process of amending their contracts with the state. Amending contracts with the Texas Workforce Commission can take up to 60-90 days and can prevent colleges from being agile in response to local employers’ hiring needs;
• A simple hold harmless provision would ensure that colleges are not penalized if a partner corporation has to close plants or lay off workers;
• The definition of “customized training” could be broadened so that colleges can respond to the training needs of employers in their community more quickly and easily; and
• Program requirements could be harmonized between the Workforce Commission’s Workforce Education Course Manual standards and accreditation standards from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. The legislature could clarify the distinction between “programs” and “courses” and give colleges more leeway to manage the particulars of their programs to best fit local community needs.

2.  Support Adult Basic Education and align funding with the highest needs. Many border cities and communities suffer from a high percentage of citizens, aged 25 years and older, who lack a high school diploma. In El Paso, for example, 30 percent of the workforce lacks a high school diploma or GED. In Laredo that number climbs to 45 percent, and 48 percent in Brownsville.  (Statewide, the figure is 24 percent.)

These workers are an untapped gold mine of productivity for the border, and they need ABE education so that they can access job skill training and begin contributing to their local economies. With investment in our human resource, we can make our border cities attractive to high tech and high-skilled industries that can provide a better quality of living to residents.

However, current anomalies in the funding formula for Adult Basic Education/GED (ABE) programs result in a waitlist for programs along the Texas border. In order to invest in our human capital along the border, the legislature could:

• Continue and increase its support for ABE programs along the Texas border;
• Involve local workforce boards and community colleges in the ABE funding process to harness their expertise in the local employment landscape; and
• Direct special funds to help border cities better market themselves and educate companies around the world about their strengths and prime international trade location.

3.  Recognize successful vocational training programs while maintaining academic standards. School districts have a hard time focusing time and resources on vocational training programs, also known as CATE, because of the state’s rigid academic accountability standards and testing practices. However, national and regional data show that students in CATE programs often outperform the majority of regular students. Students in CATE also have a better track record of succeeding in school and not dropping out.

Some school districts, like Laredo ISD, have students passing state board exams and obtaining industry certificates in certain technical trades while in high school. LISD, for example, has partnered with the city of Laredo to train a cohort of students in an emergency medical technician program. In order to facilitate cutting-edge vocational training for high school students, the legislature could:

• Provide state funds and financial incentives to school districts that implement and expand successful vocational training programs, and
• Create competitive magnet programs focused on vocational skills.

4.  Train the next generation of high-tech and green-tech workers on the border. A study by the Pew Research Center indicates that Latinos outpace other ethnic groups in wireless telephone use. Latinos with no high school diploma who use the Internet surged 10 points in two years, and are now at 40 percent. A Chamber of Commerce study notes that every dollar invested in telecommunications generates nearly $3 in new economic output. The border is also in a position to become a leader in green energy because of ample sun and wind elements in its climate. To harness the power of technology for job creation along the border, the legislature could consider:

• Funding specific technology training programs along the border, such as:
 high precision machines;
 robotics installation;
 clean energy technologies like wind, solar and biomass;
 digital control operations for oil, gas, wind and solar energy;
 plastic injection of molding, and
 industrial safety and industrial maintenance.

Thank you again for the opportunity to testify today, and we look forward to working with the committee for the economic and workforce development of the border.

Write Steve Taylor

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