HOUSTON—ExxonMobil Corp. said it will fund a $500,000 program at Houston's leading community colleges to help train local residents for jobs in the chemical manufacturing industry.
The initiative, building on the success of the Lee College ExxonMobil Process Technology Program, is expected to benefit 50,000 students and educators over the next five years.
ExxonMobil said it has contributed more than $2.6 million over the last 10 years to manufacturing training initiatives across the U.S. Gulf Coast area, impacting more than 15,000 students.
Lee College will work with Houston Community College, Lone Star College, San Jacinto Junior College, Alvin Community College, Wharton County Junior College, Brazosport College, Galveston College and College of the Mainland to train students seeking certification or completion of degree programs for instrumentation, electrical, machinist/millwright, welding, pipefitting and other skills needed by the chemical industry.
Plans call for area high schools to be included in the future.
The average annual salary in the Texas chemical industry is $86,000, according to a Texas state legislator.
"The chemical industry supports 73,000 high-paying Texas manufacturing jobs and will add more under announced expansion plans by industry, including ExxonMobil," said Steve Pryor, president, ExxonMobil Chemical Co. "Our industry has made Texas the top chemical producing state in the nation, driven in large part by abundant and affordable supplies of natural gas for energy and feedstock. We contribute to a strong economy for Houston and the state."
Prospective students can enroll at the campus of their choice for classroom instruction, dual-credit courses, internships, certificate programs and two-year degrees. More information is available at www.HoustonNaturalGas.com.