Is This the Best Paid Job Training in Texas Right Now?

Luling is known for the Watermelon Thump and Buc-ee's. Now X-Bow Systems is making it the primary site for its solid rocket manufacturing. Ari Arias, Executive Director of the Luling Economic Development Corporation, walks through what that means for the town: a Career Pathway Program with Tesla that pays 18- to 21-year-olds for seven weeks of on-the-job training and leads to a job offer, the return of CTE advisory meetings at Luling ISD, and Quantum Engineering's plan for five campuses and 300 to 400 jobs in three to five years.

She also covers the new LIFT grant program for local businesses, about 500 homes planned north of town, and how Luling plans to grow without losing its small-town feel.

In this episode:
• Why X-Bow Systems is making Luling its primary site of operations
• Quantum Engineering's multi-campus, hundreds-of-jobs plan
• Bringing CTE advisory meetings back to Luling ISD
• Paid Career Pathway training for 18- to 21-year-olds
• The LIFT grant program for local businesses
• Growing strategically without losing small-town feel

Guest: Ari Arias, Executive Director, Luling Economic Development Corporation (Luling EDC)
Host: Justin McKenzie, The Building Texas Show

Luling EDC: https://www.lulingedc.org
X-Bow Systems: https://www.xbowsystems.com
Quantum Engineering: https://quantumengineering.us

Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/6zJ2Ni5xato
Subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/@thebuildingtexasshow?sub_confirmation=1
More episodes: https://www.buildingtexasshow.com

0:00 Paid training and a guaranteed job
0:24 Welcome to Luling
01:21 X-Bow Systems and aerospace
02:30 Quantum Engineering's 300 to 400 jobs
03:33 Workforce starts at the school
04:30 The Tesla Career Pathway Program
05:38 Attract, retain, grow your own
06:44 Building an NDT certification pathway
07:41 What's on the horizon for Luling
09:45 Retail and developer interest
10:12 Growing without losing the small-town feel
11:13 500 new homes north of town
12:15 Site selectors and the golden triangle