By Shaun Rabb | Published: December 8, 2023 | Red Bird | FOX 4

DALLAS – Dallas College is expanding its footprint, opening a workforce training facility in the Shops at RedBird Mall on Friday.

The location will offer job training and development to help people help themselves for free.

“It is a gift and I really do think about what it could mean to this community and what it means to Dallas College,” said Justin Lonon, the chancellor of Dallas College.

The 53,000 square foot workforce job training center in the mall.

“We know for so many students they’re not actually going to walk into our doors at a college campus, at a college environment. So we’re excited to bring these skill training’s workforce programs, educational programs right here into the heart of the community at Red Bird,” said Lonon.

The training is for jobs in demand now and tomorrow.

“Automation, robotics, health sciences training, so patient care technicians, EKG, phlebotomy, we’ll be focusing on entry-level, good paying jobs that put people on a career pathway,” said Gloria Smith, the Vice Provost of Workforce Education of Dallas College.

There is other job training that includes IT work, construction industry skill development and more.

“The beauty of this facility is we have designed it in a way that it’s flexible, so what we want to do is be responsive to business and industry needs,” said Smith.

Dallas College has invested millions of dollars here, to start, along with grants and private donors. 

“Our goal is to make sure when people walk through the door they don’t worry about how they are going to be able to pay for the training. We just want to make sure that they’re able to do so,” said Smith.

“For the community, Dallas College provides much needed workforce development in a place that is near where they live and in a place where they’re comfortable and feel welcome, and for the mall we are driving traffic, we’re going to have hundreds of people walking through here every day,” said Peter Brodsky, the co-developer of the Shops at Red Bird Mall.

Brodsky and Terrance Maiden are the reasons for RedBird’s renaissance.

The pair are mixing new ideas with restaurants, retail and residential. It makes what is happening more than just a facelift.

“What we’re trying to do is provide the high-end amenities that people in the community want, such as Starbucks, such as UT Southwestern Medical Center, but also provide an opportunity for people in the community who need a hand-up to be able to lift themselves up, and that’s where Parkland Hospital comes in, that’s where Vogel Alcove Childcare comes in, and now most importantly that’s where Dallas College comes in,” said Brodsky.

The Dallas College Workforce Job Training Center is part of what is new at the Shops at RedBird Mall to ensure not only the sustainability of this mall, but the sustainability of neighborhoods around it.

This article was originally published by Shaun Rabb on Dec 8, 2023