Energy Transfer donates $75k to Golden Triangle Empowerment Center

Golden Triangle Empowerment Center (GTEC), which provides job training and placement services for overlooked and underserved communities in the Port Arthur area, today received a $75,000 donation from Energy Transfer. The donation from the Dallas-based midstream company will enable GTEC to purchase new equipment to help the nonprofit organization transition their curriculum into a virtual learning environment.

“This generous donation from Energy Transfer will allow us to purchase new computers to increase the number of students we train and place as we transition to an online environment,” said Melvin White, founder of GTEC. “Since the pandemic, we have had to adjust our curriculum to maintain a safe environment for our students and staff. As the majority of our students come from underserved communities, they do not always possess the technical equipment required now that we are transitioning to a virtual environment. This donation will allow GTEC to loan students the newly purchased laptops and hotspots to complete their coursework from the safety of their homes.”

“We believe it is important to provide these educational opportunities for those in Port Arthur and the surrounding communities who many otherwise not have the opportunity to learn valuable job skills,” said Michael Birkett, Energy Transfer’s Director of Operations at its Nederland, Texas Storage Terminal, the largest singularly owned, above-ground crude oil storage facility in the country. “By providing GTEC with this equipment, we hope they will be able to enhance and expand their online job training program to safely increase the number of students they are able to train on a yearly basis.”

GTEC was founded in 2007 and to-date, has trained more than 1,500 students with a 70% job placement rate. After successfully completing GTEC’s 10-week training curriculum, students receive core credentials for the National Center for Construction Education and Research (NCCER) and are entered into the NCCER database. Students also have the option to complete their OSHA certification through the course.