Special to The News

WASHINGTON — U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross has announced the Department’s Economic Development Administration is awarding a $1.6 million grant to Lamar State College Port Arthur in Texas to build a Process Technology Training Unit that will provide state-of-the-art industrial training equipment for students and individuals currently employed in the petrochemical and chemical industries. According to grantee estimates, the project is expected to create 900 jobs.

“President Trump continues to diligently work to provide job growth and technical training Americans need and want,” Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross said. “This project will not only help revitalize Port Arthur’s economy following last year’s devastating storm, but will also ensure the community has the skilled workforce it needs to support its local industries and to create jobs far into the future.”

“As a leader in the petrochemical and chemical industries, Texas is the ideal destination for the state-of-the-art industrial training equipment provided by this grant,” said Gov. Greg Abbott. “This investment in the students of Lamar State College of Port Arthur will make a lasting impact on a community and an industry that continues to recover after Hurricane Harvey. I thank the administration for their commitment to Texas students and to continued economic growth throughout this recovery process.”

“Education and jobs-based training make all the difference,” said U.S. Rep. Randy Weber, R-Texas. “Lamar State College is in tune with the needs of its community and wants to see its students succeed. The college and community are working together to support each other’s goals. Many thanks to this administration and the EDA grant for helping our community achieve success.”

The project is intended to help improve the local workforce and aid the region’s recovery from Hurricane Harvey. The project was made possible by the regional planning efforts led by the South East Texas Regional Planning Commission.