BRAZORIA COUNTY, Texas - The Brazoria County Petrochemical Council (BCPC) Career Signing Day was awarded the Workforce Development Award by the Construction Users Roundtable (CURT), an international recognition for extraordinary, exemplary, and innovative training and education programs that encourages individuals to pursue a career in the construction industry and/or enhance construction skills.
Additionally, BCPC Career Signing Day won the top award of $5,000 jointly sponsored by CURT, the National Center for Construction Education & Research (NCCER), and Ironworker Management Progressive Actions Cooperative Trust (IMPACT).
Created four years ago, the BCPC Career Signing Day has "signed" over 80 high school students into craft careers. Modeled after athletic signing days, this event is an occasion for graduating seniors to be placed in full-time roles for work and on-the-job training. It connects the career and technology curriculum at local high schools to life-sustaining careers in the industry.
Industry leaders help students find careers with Career Signing Day
From left are Greg Sizemore, executive VP and Jim Ellis, president with CURT; Jessie Jennings, executive director with Brazosport ISD Education Foundation; Spencer Cole, senior talent acquisition advisor with BASF; Wendy Irwin, community relations liaison with CPChem; and Aaron Ennis, Brazosport ISD resource development coordinator.
"This award is a reflection of everyone's hard work and dedication to growing our future workforce," said Aaron Ennis, chair of the BCPC Workforce Development Committee and resource development coordinator for Brazosport ISD. "None of this would be possible without the collaboration of the people at owner companies, construction companies, school districts and community colleges."
CURT is an association of leading corporations in the U.S. and Canada dedicated to promoting cost-effective construction methods. CURT members recognize that training, education and recruitment are essential to excellence in construction project delivery. As a result, CURT founded the Workforce Development Awards to recognize companies and organizations for extraordinary, exemplary and innovative recruitment, training and education programs, encouraging people to pursue construction careers.
The BCPC Career Signing Day application will be open for high school seniors in January 2023 and closes on March 3. Interviews will be on April 5, with May 1 being the fifth annual BCPC Career Signing Day.
The Brazoria County Petrochemical Council comprises 26 companies with manufacturing, storage and transportation operations in Brazoria County, Texas, that produce thousands of raw materials and intermediate products. The annual combined economic impact of these companies is approximately $4 billion. The local industry employs over 11,000 direct employees and 6,800 contractors.
For more information, visit brazoria-county-petrochemical-council.com.
