TCC’s job market savvy wins Fort Worth Chamber award

Tarrant County College leaders saw a need and filled it: The Center for Excellence for Aviation, Transportation and Logistics at Alliance Airport focuses on areas that can lead to well-paying jobs in North Texas.

TCC and the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce estimate the college’s local economic impact at $1.6 billion annually. Besides responding to new needs, the school is helping fill gaps in the workforce in healthcare, information technology and manufacturing outlined in a JPMorgan Chase skills gap report.

For its cooperation with other local entities and job market savvy, the college district is receiving the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce’s Spirit of Enterprise Award this year.

TCC, said Chancellor Erma Johnson Hadley, understands the need for current fields of study “to keep our region at the top of the growing economies of the world.”

Louise Appleman, president of TCC’s board of trustees, called the award “a powerful validation of our history and our future.”

TCC has been a leading workforce development partner for the chamber, said Chamber President and CEO Bill Thornton. It serves more than 100,000 students each year and ranks as the seventh-largest college or university in Texas.

The award comes as TCC celebrates its 50th anniversary. Tarrant County Junior College was established on July 31, 1965, after Tarrant County voters OK’d its creation.

Today, the college district has five campuses and offers online learning in more than 250 online credit courses. Under the TCC Connect program, students can access e-Learning, dual credit courses and Weekend College.

Appleman said TCC will continue to invest in Centers of Excellence, including a new one for energy technology that opens in August at the South Campus.

She said said TCC continues to help develop “a college-going culture” with programs such as College for Kids, Early College High School and Dual Credit for high school students.

TCC receives the award Friday at the chamber’s 133rd annual meeting at the Worthington Renaissance Fort Worth Hotel. The honor, first given in 1975, recognizes companies that have made significant contributions to the city’s advancement and prosperity.

This story was originally published June 4, 2015 at 2:54 PM with the headline "TCC’s job market savvy wins Fort Worth Chamber award."