Commissioners Ellis, Briones Announce $3.6M will be Added to Harris County Apprenticeship Advantage Program

Harris County Commissioners Rodney Ellis, Lesley Briones, labor leaders and apprentices announce that Commissioners Court will invest another $3.6 million in the Apprenticeship Advantage Program aimed at training over 1,500 people through labor apprenticeships in the construction, public transportation and live entertainment industries. On Oct. 29, Commissioners Court voted on awarding the $3.6 million to extend the Texas Gulf Coast Area Labor Federation’s contract to September 2026.

On Oct. 8, Commissioners Court approved $3 million to extend the contract through October 2026 for NPower, a nonprofit that creates pathways to economic prosperity by launching digital careers for military veterans and young adults from underserved communities. The latest $6.6 million investment will increase the number of industries involved and offer more training slots to Harris County residents. Last year, Commissioners Court allocated up to $18 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds to create partnerships with Texas Gulf Coast Area Labor Federation and Npower. The program expanded and created a Department of Labor-registered apprenticeship programs in traditional and high-growth emerging industries.

Leaders included Harris County Commissioner Rodney Ellis, Harris County Commissioner Lesley Briones, Executive Director of the Texas Gulf Coast Area Labor Federation Hany Khalil. Apprentices included Barbara Swanson with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, Vanessa Guerra with Insulators Local 22, and Alexis Moore with NPower.