"If I talk to my members, large and small, from the airlines to engineering firms to the brake shop on the corner, the number one challenge that they are facing is workforce and talent; attracting and retaining skilled workforce, across the board," said Steve Montgomery, president and CEO of the Fort Worth Chamber.They hope to connect students and schools to businesses, even providing internship and hiring opportunities.
He and Montgomery said many students are unaware of all the high-paying jobs their highly valued skills can open up."They may have an interest in automotive, but they don't know what they could achieve with the attainment of some skills or the breadth of industries that they could go into, you know, the from airlines to again, to engineering," Montgomery said.They're partnering with Fort Worth ISD for a pilot program to launch this upcoming school year.
“We teach also internal combustion engines, electrical components and whatnot. Can they work on generators? Of course. Can they work on machinery? Of course they can," explained Orlando Grijalva, an instructor of 16 years.“These are young technicians that need to be valued for their skills," he said.
“YouTube can only take you so far, so I decided to come to school and learn a little bit more," he said.