Perry travels to Palacios

PALACIOS - When Elizabeth Castandon first heard of the program, she grew skeptical.

"I was not convinced the program would work," said Elizabeth, a Palacios High School senior who is now president of that same group - Powerful Opportunities for Women Eager and Ready for Science, Engineering and Technology.

"My interest in engineering would have not happened had I not been a part of Power Set," she said Thursday to an auditorium filled with students, local officials, family and Gov. Rick Perry .

Elizabeth is the next generation who will lead the area into the future of nuclear power, Perry said.

On Thursday, Perry presented a $175,000 workforce training grant to the Power Set Workforce Industry Training program at the Palacios High School Fine Arts Auditorium.

The workforce industry training program is similar to the all-girl-Power Set group but will include both genders.

The nuclear power workforce development program is for high school students in Bay City, Van Vleck, Sweeny, Palacios and Louise, who are interested in science, technology and engineering.

It is important to provide young Texans with the skills and education necessary to thrive in the future, he said.

"Texas has more nuclear power plants under development than any other state and this program will prepare our future workforce to carry out the state's all-of-the-above energy strategy," the governor said.

South Texas Project is preparing for the future by working attract the workforce necessary to staff Units 3 and 4 and to maintain the operational and financial excellence of Units 1 and 2, said Ed Halpin, president and chief operating officer of South Texas Project.

"To meet this demand, we have taken a grow your own philosophy," he said.

In the next seven years, South Texas Project will need 1,300 new hires and this program will give students the exposure, encouragement and knowledge to not only meet their goals but to also give them the confidence to consider further education, said Halpin.

The workforce training program is designed to motivate high school students with educational opportunities in STEM fields, accelerate their learning in key subjects and give them firsthand experience with careers in the growing field of nuclear power technology.

The goal of the program is to meet the nuclear workforce challenge in Texas by cultivating students interested in those occupations outside the traditional classroom environment, he said.

The grant will provide one-or-two year technical degrees and will provide hands-on experience, and on-site visits to industry partners, mentorship's and job shadowing.

Elizabeth will graduate this month and will attend Texas A&M with a four-year scholarship. She plans to major in nuclear engineering.

"To remain competitive in the global economy, Texas must continue to build a seamless system of opportunity and innovation for our students and job creators," said Perry.