Texas Southmost College is looking to expand its workforce department.

The college is upgrading the U.S. Coast Guard's old building at South Padre Island. They want to turn it into a Workforce Training Center.

With the growing region and the need for trained trade workers, TSC wants to be able to keep up to service areas in Port Isabel, Laguna Vista, and South Padre Island.

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Some courses they're looking to offer include enrichment and industrial programs.

"Like HVAC and plumbing, again to help those complexes to help the big systems that they need to troubleshoot and we want to help them keep their businesses going. So it's really responding to the demand in industry in that community," TSC Vice President of Institutional Advancement Stella Garcia said.

Before they go forward with the project, TSC needs to secure the funding.

Recently, they applied for a $1 million grant they say would help them pay for the upgrades.