House OKs Bill for East Williamson County Higher Education Center
The Texas House has given approval to a bill relating to the creation of a multi-institution teaching center (MITC) for East Williamson County.

House Bill 2074, sponsored by Representative Mike Krusee, creates enabling legislation for a campus located in East Williamson County designed to meet the academic and workforce needs of all East Williamson County residents.

Memorandums of Agreement have been created and signed that will bring not only academic and technical colleges to the campus but possibly two universities as well. This kind of institution will be the backbone of Texas’ workforce and development and can help the citizens of East Williamson County gain skills and knowledge needed to help with research and development, product design, and lights-out manufacturing. It is through innovative processes that concepts become creations. Whether students will want to work in design, testing or repair, the high skill, high wage programs will help the current and future workforce of East Williamson County.

“The East Williamson County Higher Education Center will be an extension of the educational successes of Temple College at Taylor and will provide a portfolio of educational and workforce opportunities for the citizens of rural East Williamson County” said Dr. S. Chuck McCarter, Executive Director of the initiative. “Part of the goal for the Center is to create quick and flexible responses to employer needs. An additional goal of the Center is to create strategic partnerships with area school districts, the Texas Bioscience Institute, Temple College, Texas State Technical College, and various major universities. The Center’s collaborative technology training model will allow it to leverage the strengths and successes of member partners while providing it the autonomy that is required to build a truly unique regional educational center for the 21st century”.

Dr. McCarter continued, “this is only one side of the battle. Now we have to repeat our efforts on the Senate side. Senator Steve Ogden and his staff however are very much in support of our legislation and we fully expect the Senator to carry our legislation through the Senate successfully.

Our partners have been so support of this effort. The Hutto and Taylor Economic Development Corporations and the Hutto and Taylor Independent School Districts as well as a number of community leaders and elected officials have all been working so hard to bring a higher education center to East Williamson County McCarter said, it is very gratifying to see both communities come together with their hearts and their minds to make this vision come true.