PORT ARTHUR, Texas — Lamar State College-Port Arthur is teaming up with Bechtel to help Southeast Texas industries expand.
The partnership was created to help provide a pathway for people to get specialized training to lay concrete.
The free seven-week course will be filled with hands on experiences. Instructors at LSCPA tell 12News the opportunity is available to anyone willing to learn.
"We need more people like that because the industry is growing, it's growing," said Instructor Carl Dennis.
Applications are open for people interested in learning what it takes to keep the concrete we walk on from cracking and breaking.
"They intend to hire every student that graduates," Workforce Vice President Dr. Ben Stafford,
According to Dr. Stafford, Bechtel designed the class and will be present throughout the course.
"And even if the student weren't to go to the Bechtel site there are many other construction sites hiring for the skill right now," he said.
Over a span of seven weeks students enrolled in the Reinforcing Iron class will begin by learning basic safety skills before transitioning into learning how to handle and place concrete.
"I try to put a lot of safety in everything I teach them so they'll have a good understanding of the safety within that job," Dennis said.
The college says their goal is to move people who have never done this type of work into the jobsite.
The class can hold about 20 students. Classes begin Monday, April 1 but applications are being accepted until the third day of class.
If you're interested in the program, you can check out their website for more information.
LSCPA- Reinforcing Iron | More information about the program can be found here