Alamo colleges announced last week that a new WETC facility will replace the existing one with a celebration at its current location near highway 151 and Enrique M. Barrera Pkwy. Students enjoyed tacos and refreshments as the district unveiled their new plans.
A decision has not been made on whether to build it where the current building sits or at a different site. The design plan process spans from September 2018 to April 2019.
Kay Hendricks, a spokesperson for Alamo Colleges said, “The planning process takes some time because this is a partnership effort and the community is very involved and we want everyone to have their voice heard in the design process.”
The size of the facility is not determined yet, but $23 million was set aside for the project from the Alamo Colleges 2017 bond issue of $450 million.
“The Westside Education and Training Center exemplifies both our mission of empowering our diverse communities for success and one of our most important values: being community-engaged,” said Alamo Colleges District Chancellor Dr. Bruce Leslie.
“I have been chancellor for the 12 years since the WETC opened in its current form, and I am deeply gratified to see how the Westside community has embraced the center and our efforts to improve lives through the power of education and skills training. The new WETC building will allow us to serve more students with more programs so that we can build on the success of the past 12 years.”
The Health Profession Opportunity Grant program that trains healthcare workers will continue at the new location and be able to enroll more students to meet the large demand for this program.
Construction on the new facility is planned to begin in May 2019 and completed by the summer of 2020 so that students can be in their new seats by fall 2020.