Governor Greg Abbott today celebrated the new Texas A&M Coastal Bend Occupational Advanced Skills Training (COAST) program that will continue to support the state’s efforts to bring high-quality training programs to hardworking Texans during a press announcement at the Port of Corpus Christi. “Thanks to Chancellor Sharp and Texas A&M for helping Texas train a highly-skilled workforce and to provide employers with the best workforce in America,” said Governor Abbott. “Texas is growing rapidly, businesses are moving or expanding here, and the Coastal Bend is in the early stage of explosive growth. Businesses here need highly-skilled employees—and they are willing to pay for it. With the help of Texas A&M, our state is dramatically increasing jobs and skills training programs across the state. The program announced today by Texas A&M will provide the experience and training for skills like cyber security, robotics, and pneumatics and develop skills like communication, collaboration, and leadership. I thank Texas A&M for helping us with our mission to provide better jobs and bigger paychecks for Texans across our great state.” Led by the Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service (TEEX), the COAST program builds off the success of TEEX’s Rio Grande Valley Advanced Manufacturing Innovation Hub in Brownsville. This program will provide valuable training to Texans in the Coastal Bend region for high-demand jobs in critical sectors, including chemical and petroleum manufacturing, fabrication, maritime shipping, and research. The Governor was joined at the press announcement by Texas A&M University System Chancellor John Sharp, Texas A&M University System Board of Regents Chairman Bill Mahomes, Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service Director and CEO David Coatney, Senator Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa, Representative Todd Hunter, Corpus Christi Mayor Paulette Guajardo, and other state and local officials. During the announcement, Governor Abbott highlighted Texas’ ongoing efforts to provide jobs and skill training programs for students across the state and mentioned yesterday’s career training grant announcement to Huntington Independent School District as an example of the state’s continued efforts. The Governor also touted how Texas is the Best State for Business and has the best business climate in the nation due to the state’s highly-skilled workforce and reasonable regulations. Additionally, the Governor lauded the booming Texas economy, mentioning that the state has won the Governor’s Cup for an unprecedented 12 years in a row and has the eighth-largest economy in the world. In April, Governor Abbott celebrated the groundbreaking of Texas A&M’s advanced manufacturing training facility near the Port of Brownsville. That facility provides training to Texans in the Rio Grande Valley for in-demand jobs, while stimulating advancements in manufacturing through research and initiatives.