Trinidad State Junior College has been awarded nearly $1.5 million to benefit their new Energy Production and Industrial Construction (EPIC) program.

The Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration Community-Based Job Training Grant program awarded $125 million to 72 community college partnerships who successfully competed under the President’s Community-Based Job Training Grants initiative.

The grant will assist TSJC’s EPIC program through the acquisition of state of the art, industry specific equipment and full scholarships, including tuition and books, to 50 students annually for three years.

TSJC’s proposal identified a need for highly trained employees in the energy production and support industries related to coal bed methane production. As a result of this need, TSJC introduced the EPIC program in the fall of 2006. Students focus on welding, heavy equipment operation or diesel mechanics to receive their certificate in less than one year. Students interested in all three disciplines will spend two years at TSJC and may elect to add general studies courses for AAS degree. Students completing this training are immediately desirable in the industry and typical starting salaries are around $20.00 per hour and up.

The main objectives of the grant are to recruit, train and provide job placement services for TSJC EPIC students. An exciting aspect of the project will be the acquisition of state of the art industry specific equipment for students to learn and perfect their skills.

TSJC brought together many partners for the project including: Pioneer Natural Resources USA, Purgatoire Valley Construction, Weatherford International, Wagner Equipment Company, Colorado Workforce Center, Rocky Mountain SER and Trinidad High School.