ECTOR COUNTY, Texas — The Permian Strategic Partnership has announced a $10 million investment in the Ector County Independent School District Career Technical Education Center, according to a press release from ECISD.
The funding, combined with Ector County’s school bond and land donated by GROW Odessa, will support the construction of a state-of-the-art facility and expand course offerings. ECISD aims to raise an additional $13 million to further enhance the center.
“So, in this particular facility, we pulled together a design team," said Dr. Scott Muri, superintendent for ECISD. "So, as they planned that space, the dollar amount and the space is very large and so it necessitated some additional contributions, some additional dollars beyond what was allocated in the budget and we knew that that the Permian strategic partnership was going to be, you know, a great partner... But we still have an additional gap and we're extremely confident over the next couple of months that we'll close that gap.”
PSP President and CEO Tracee Bentley said it’s important to foster the growth and education of skilled industry workers at home and that with the new CTE Center they can potentially add 190,000 new jobs locally by 2040.
“It's critical because I don't think we're going to fill that 190,000 honestly without it," Bentley said. "And so having pathways for students, not only in oil and gas, that's very important to us, but also in healthcare and education because as we all know, we have a shortage in each of those areas too for our region. So having the ability to grow our own is going to be absolutely essential.”
Bentley sees investing in the success of students as investing in the economy of the region.
“The PSP believes in the power of education to transform lives and communities,” Bentley said. “By equipping students with the skills and knowledge to thrive in today's competitive job market, we are not only supporting their future success but also contributing to the economic vitality of our region. We are committed to supporting ECISD and Dr. Muri in their ongoing fundraising efforts to ensure the successful completion of this project."
The groundbreaking for the new CTE facility is set for January 2025 and the facility itself is set to open for students in 2027. It will offer specialized training and advanced resources in fields like energy, healthcare, welding, automotive collision and culinary arts.