The Texas Workforce Commission has awarded Blinn College, Brenham, Texas, a $195,000 Building and Construction Trades Grant to establish new plumbing and carpentry programs at Texas A&M’s new RELLIS Campus.

The college expects to begin both programs this June.

In addition to providing funding for tools and materials, the grant also will fund student scholarships.

Blinn’s plumbing and carpentry programs are designed following National Center for Construction Education and Research curriculum. This nationally recognized curriculum was developed with the cooperation of more than 125 construction CEOs, trade association officials and academic leaders.

Students who complete these courses will earn the Occupational Safety & Health Administration 10-Hour Construction Certificate; the NCCER Core Construction Certificate; the NCCER Level I Certificate for plumbing or carpentry; and the Blinn College Certificate of Completion.

The Plumbing Program will include 145 contact hours of skills training and assessments covering introductory plumbing; plumbing tools; plumbing math; plumbing drawings; plastic pipe and fittings; copper tube and fittings; cast iron pipe and fittings; steel pipe and fittings; plumbing fixtures; drain, waste, and vent systems; and water distribution systems. The program also includes a 10-hour OSHA construction training course covering recognition, avoidance, abatement, and prevention of workplace safety and health hazards, and 75 hours of skills training and assessments in basic safety, construction math, hand tools, power tools, construction drawings, basic rigging, communication skills, employability skills, and material handling.

Students who successfully complete the program will be awarded the NCCER Plumbing Level I Certificate and their assessments will be entered in the NCCER National Registry as a Plumbing Level I completer.

The programs come six months after Blinn and the Texas A&M Engineering Extensive announced a partnership to meet demands for regional workforce training.

The new campus establishes a new educational community combining a major university system and a community college at a single physical location. This co-location will allow Blinn College students to transfer seamlessly to leading universities throughout The Texas A&M System in the years to come.

Blinn and Texas A&M University have a history of developing innovative partnerships. Since 2001, the Texas A&M-Blinn TEAM (Transfer Enrollment at A&M) Program has served as the nation’s model for a collaborative, co-enrollment partnership between a major university and a community college.

The TEAM Program has allowed thousands of additional qualified students to earn their degree from Texas A&M while enjoying the benefits of enrollment at both institutions, and in 2014 the program received the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board’s coveted Star Award as one of the top educational initiatives in Texas.