MIDLAND Skillpoint Alliance Permian Basin, a 501(c)3 workforce development organization based in West Texas that provides in-demand workforce training to vulnerable members of the community, has announced the expansion the program’s administrative staff, hiring Lawandra Jackson as the admissions coordinator, Yasmin Galvan as the student success coordinator and Frankie Apodaca as the pre-apprentice electrical instructor.
“We are excited to announce the expansion of our administrative and teaching staff,” Blair Flanagan, site director of Skillpoint Alliance Permian Basin, stated in the press release. “Together, they bring years of experience and an expansive knowledge that will propel Skillpoint Alliance’s expansion into new cities in the Permian Basin, as well as the expansion of programs we will offer.”
Before joining Skillpoint Alliance Permian Basin, Lawandra Jackson worked as a GED instructor and dual credit coordinator for Midland College. There she designed personalized learning programs for each student as they prepared for their GED exam.
In her new role as admissions coordinator, Jackson is responsible for recruiting participants for Skillpoint’s Permian Basin programs, attending job fairs, sharing fliers for current programs and building/maintaining relationships with community-based organizations and local employers. She is also responsible for facilitating all aspects of admissions and enrollment processes for qualified applicants, including interviewing, assessing and selecting applicants for Skillpoint programs based on eligibility, potential for success, and job readiness.
Jackson graduated with her Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff in Pine Bluff, Ark.
Yasmin Galvan joins Skillpoint Alliance Permian Basin after serving as ombudsman for the Permian Basin Long-Term Care program where she advocated for residents in long term care facilities and worked with administration to utilize state and federal regulations to solve disputes on behalf of residents.
In her new role as student success coordinator, Galvan is responsible for navigating the many challenges that often keep students from enrolling and staying in school, ranging from academic preparedness to financial stressors to mental health concerns and providing industry-specific professional development training to program participants, including resume-writing, interview preparation and soft skills coaching. She is also responsible for conducting outreach and follow-up communication for 180 days after graduation to determine graduate employment status.
Galvan graduated with her Bachelor of Science from Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center in Lubbock.
Fredie Apodaca joins the Skillpoint Alliance Permian Basin team as the pre-apprentice electrical program instructor. He is responsible for teaching classes when in session, preparing supplies and materials, including curriculum, assisting with scheduling the upcoming class and answering questions about specific program applicant backgrounds as needed.
Apodaca served in the United States Air Force, teaching Federal Regulation Compliance to over 2000 students in the Air Education and Training Command in San Antonio, TX. Apodaca has over forty years experience working in the commercial and residential electrical field and most recently owned his own electrical consulting business.
Apodaca graduated Magna Cum Laude from Touro University International in Cypress, California with a Master of Science in Health Sciences and a Bachelor of Science in Professional Aeronautics from Embry Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, Fla.
“The Permian Basin is experiencing exponential growth within the oil and gas industry, and with that growth comes the need for skilled trade workers to build new facilities, and the housing needed for workers moving in the area,” Kevin Brackmeyer, chief executive officer at Skillpoint Alliance in Austin, Texas, stated in the press release. “Our goal is to expand the programs we offer in the Permian Basin, while creating a talent pipeline and helping boost the local economy. With Jackson, Galvin and Apodaca joining the team, we are one step closer to expanding the programs we offer throughout the region and connecting individuals in the community to in-demand jobs within the electrical, HVAC and plumbing fields.”
