The college was among seven recipients statewide and will use the funding to develop new curriculum. The program is expected to benefit up to 150 students, who will receive the training and certification needed to enter the workforce at no cost.
Brenda Martinez, director of Continuing Education, said students will also receive the instructional equipment necessary to prepare for the field.
"The students will be not only able to get the credential, but get the instructional equipment and everything needed to be prepared for this job," Martinez said.
In addition to local opportunities, students completing the program will be able to pursue careers beyond Laredo.
"There's a lot of job opportunities not only here but also within the South Texas Region, of course, San Antonio and Austin," Martinez said.
College and workforce leaders gathered to mark the announcement, emphasizing the regional demand for skilled fiber technicians.
LC President Maria Minerva 'Minita' Ramirez was joined by Workforce Solutions of South Texas Executive Director Rogelio Trevino, who spoke about career and trade growth in the region and what it means for students and those interested in trade-oriented jobs.
"It's a new idea for us, it is a new idea for many," Ramirez said. "Building a stronger Laredo, building a stronger Texas is only going to happen if we can build the instructional programs and the workforce programs that support that growth — and this is one of those programs."
Trevino said the partnership through this grant addresses the needs of the community and industry while projecting where jobs and the labor force will be.
"Broadband infrastructure is critical to South Texas's economic future. It impacts our education, our health care, our business growth and the quality of life," Trevino said. "Programs like this are how we continue building a workforce and keep South Texas competitive, connective and moving forward."
State officials also highlighted the broader investment in broadband infrastructure across Texas.
Also in attendance was Omar Ledesma, digital opportunity program supervisor with the Broadband Development Office at the Texas Comptroller's office, who said there is unprecedented investment in broadband infrastructure across the state.
"We need to be doing more to address that need. There's a lot of work coming, so we need to make sure that we're ready for it, that we're ready to start building this," Ledesma said. "We just wrapped up what's a huge investment for our state, connecting all these homes — I believe it's 51 percent fiber. That's a lot of fiber technicians. We see data centers popping up across the state — that's gonna need to have fiber technicians there."
"It just seems to make sense to invest in projects like these where you see education stepping in and recognizing need, partnering with workforce solutions to try and address that need for their communities," Ledesma said.
For more information, contact the Continuing Education department at 956-721-5374 or 956-794-4520.
© 2026 the Laredo Morning Times (Laredo, Texas). Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
