BAYTOWN, TX — Students pursuing technical programs of study at Lee College now have additional money to help fund their education after the East Harris County Manufacturers Association (EHCMA) donated $140,000 for scholarships and other academic support.
EHCMA Executive Director Craig Beskid, outgoing Board Chairman Todd Monette, incoming Board Chairman Monty Heins and Workforce Development Committee Chairman Roy Watson presented the donation check Thursday, Dec. 17, at the regular meeting of the Lee College Board of Regents.
The money was raised at the second annual EHCMA Workforce Development Golf Tournament in November, in which more than 35 teams from more than 70 companies in the manufacturing and construction industries participated this year. Proceeds from the tournament exceed the association’s goals, and were divided between Lee and San Jacinto College.
“This funding will have a positive impact on the availability of programs that provide the skills and certifications needed for students within the surrounding communities to enter into the petrochemical and manufacturing workforce,” said Monette, manager of the LyondellBasell Channelview Chemical Complex and featured speaker at the Lee College Fall 2015 Commencement Ceremony. “This golf tournament is one of the many ways EHCMA brings our community together to support the growth of the Houston workforce and provide opportunities for our community.”
EHCMA focuses heavily on the workforce development issues facing the industry and sponsors numerous initiatives to create opportunities for local students to access skilled education programs, particularly focused on successful petrochemical or manufacturing careers.
“Finances are one of the main barriers that our students have to completing their degrees,” said Pres. Dr. Dennis Brown. “These scholarship dollars mean a lot in terms of our students’ ability to really finish what they start. To have industry step forward and provide this kind of an opportunity is amazing.”