WORK READY COALITION
The necessity of meeting demands for an extensive, capable workforce was a catalyst for the development of the GEDP in 1995. When the City of Garland, Garland Independent School District, and Garland Chamber of Commerce formally joined together, the group also sought out DCCCD, Workforce Solutions of Greater Dallas, and the Dallas County Manufacturers' Association, to establish a task force called the Work Ready Coalition.
The vision was to develop Garland's employment base and create opportunities to increase the number of skilled workers available. Currently, Richland College continues to train hundreds of potential and incumbent workers. To date, the college has secured more than $7 million in training grants from the Texas Workforce Commission alone. Overall about 3,800 manufacturing workers have been trained. Since 2008, Richland has had about 700 machine shop graduates, as well as over 700 customer service employees who were trained from the campus.
SIGNATURE PROGRAMS
Richland College offers specialized programs in manufacturing, engineering, and electronics, where certifications/degrees can be earned in: advanced manufacturing, semiconductor manufacturing, electrical engineering, electronics, computing, programming, and more. The campus also has extensive coursework for business support, administrative support, customer service, along with options in accounting and business administration. Students benefit from a career-oriented school that trains them for the local workforce. They also are able to obtain hands on training before they graduate. Inside the Garland campus, one can find industrial labs with equipment they can expect to see on the job.