Lone Star College System officials celebrate an expansion of workforce training facilities at the LSC-Conroe Center.[/caption]

The Lone Star College System continues to emphasize workforce training in Montgomery County with the expansion of the college's Conroe Center.

LSCS representatives, students and local elected officials gathered Thursday at the Conroe Center campus for a ribbon-cutting ceremony celebrating the $6.4 million dollar expansion of the workforce training facilities at the campus. The expansion includes advanced machining controllers, an automotive technology classroom and lab, 23 new welding booths and a plasma-cutting machine.

LSCS Chancellor Stephen Head said the system investing in workforce training programs benefits students who need specialized training to enter the career of their choice.

"We cannot produce enough welders, machinists or automotive technicians," Head said. "We try to match our programming with community needs, but students also have to earn a livable wage. So we do everything we can to make sure we have the right programs."

LSC-Montgomery President Rebecca Riley said the college is focused on training students to enter industries that are in demand locally.

"The Conroe Center is located in the Conroe Park North industrial park, so our hope is to train people to enter the workforce specifically for the industries in our immediate vicinity; that is why we focus on welding and machining, for example," Riley said.