COSA-DC Offers Full Support of Howard College RN Program

At a COSA-DC meeting in March, city staff reported they were working on an application for a Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) High Demand Job Training Program Grant to develop a bridge program for LVN’s to become RN’s  at Howard College in San Angelo.  Roland Pena and Mike Buck gave the board an update on the progress of the application at Wednesday morning’s COSA-DC meeting.

“We began this research and due diligence to identify the project back in October, and [the COSA-DC board] provided the authority to the Executive Director to press on and apply for this grant, and to identify the project,” said Pena. “We will apply for the funds in the next few days, there is no guarantee, but Mike Buck has been working diligently with the folks at the state office,” Pena explained.  "This helps to fund job training and activities related to direct cost, including individual recruitment, skills assessment, job search skills, equipment, and/or minor renovation of the facilities used for the program related to training.”

Mike Buck is the Executive Director for the Concho Valley Workforce Development Board, and as Pena said, has been working closely with the TWC and other entities to get the program up and running in the region.

"Once we have this, we will have a tentative budget in place,” said Buck. “I have talked to Community Hospital, I talked to Shannon today, talked with the mayor, and we’ve got letters out to State Representive Drew Darby, Gov. Greg Abbott, and Judge Floyd. It’s very promising, and the TWC employees are positive about it as well.”

RNs are in high demand in our region, with an estimated 380-400 vacancies waiting for qualified candidates.  Increasing the number of health care professionals in our area without those individuals having to drive to Big Spring for classes is the main purpose for the funding.

"At our local hospitals, each hospital is understaffed by about 30 RNs, so it really has become a growing need in our community,” said Pena. COSA-DC members are in full support of the program, citing it a necessity, and voted unanimously to endorse it.