Bill Cullins

For more information, call Bill Cullins, WTTC executive director, at 481-8311.

WTTC Director Bill Cullins was shocked by the school district's initial proposal to cut the programs.

"In essence, the school district has been given $1,245,000 of new facility space into which they can relocate existing programs that are currently housed in old, outdated, and small instructional areas, and also make some programs accessible to both Central and Lake View students," he said.

The WTTC facility was built using state and federal grant money, as well as financial aid from the City of San Angelo Development Corp.

"It was like we built the school district a brand new house at no cost to it, and at the last moment the administrators were deciding not to move in," he said.

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Cullins is glad the immediate threat is past and is focusing on the big picture.

"We don't want to go through this every year.We need a long-term plan that will emphasize career and technology training in the region and not let it die out," he said.

Investment in the workforce will pay off for the region in the long run in terms of employment, economy and growth, Cullins added.

"We don't want to become a backyard retirement community," he said.

Contact Rashda Khan at rkhan@gosanangelo.com or 659-8262.

Top Occupations

Following are some top occupations in the metal trades industry and the average wages:

The Outstanding Community Service Award, which recognizes people who facilitate economic development, was given to Bill Cullins, executive director of the West Texas Training Center, a workforce training facility.

"This award should have been given to my staff," Cullins said.

Executive Director: Bill Cullins Phone: (915) 481-8311 Email: Bill.Cullins@angelo.edu

The existing funds only will allow completion of the welding and the fabrication shop at a basic level, said WTTC Executive Director Bill Cullins.

"It'll be like building a house but holding off on the air condition, microwave and kitchen cabinets," he said.

The Texas Workforce Commission and local business owners identified the trades as much needed skills, Cullins said.

"This is a matter of meeting the needs of the area industries," he said."We need to get this completed and start the programs next year."

Cullins requested about $75,000 from the City of San Angelo Development Corp.The San Angelo City Council will consider allowing the corporation to provide financial aid to WTTC at Tuesday's council meeting.

He also has requested grants from Hirschfeld Steel, the San Angelo Chamber of Commerce's Priority One and others.

The council also will consider a request from the residents along American Legion and Mermaid Roads to designate about 1.5 acres as open space/park land.

Residents of the area also requested permission to adopt the site for maintenance purposes under the Adopt-A-Spot program.They offered to maintain the park as a wildflower and native plant area and pay for any water and maintenance costs as a neighborhood project.