Courtesy of Jason Jones/The Palestine-Herald Press

Construction has begun on Trinity Valley Community College’s Palestine campus’ new training facility for Texas Department of Criminal Justice personnel.

The project includes a new 20,000 square foot building, expanded parking and a new campus entrance at the north end of the college’s property. Existing buildings on the campus are to be renovated.

“This facility is for pre-service and in-service training for TDCJ personnel from all over the state who come to Palestine for two to three weeks at a time,” said Palestine Campus Director Karen Shipman. “This project not only affects TVCC, but it helps local businesses like hotels, restaurants and stores. It really is good for the local economy.”

TVCC has managed the training for TDCJ for the past 10 years at the Palestine Workforce Education Center inside Palestine Mall. According to TVCC Director of Workforce Training, Rich Crosby, the expansion will benefit the college in several ways.

“Not only will the new facility increase training capacity, it will make the entire process more efficiently,” Crosby said.

Visibility for TVCC was also a major factor in choosing to move forward with the project.

“The project will give us greater exposure to the community and to prospective students,” Shipman said. “The added entrance to the campus will help enhance our existing Commercial Driver’s License and Lineman training programs, and the updates will help us to better serve our students.”

“This expansion solidifies our working relationship with TDCJ all across the state and will show what TVCC is capable of doing in a collaboration of this magnitude,” Crosby said.

For more information about TVCC’s educational opportunities and vocational training visit www.tvcc.edu.