Three years ago the property on Wycon Drive in Waco was overgrown with weeds.
Today, that land is changing the lives of residents in McLennan County.

Leaders from Texas State Technical College, the city of Waco and McLennan County formally opened The WorkSITE (Skills, Innovation, Training and Education), a collaborative accelerated training facility, in February 2025. The $17 million building is in the heart of Texas Central Park, home to several existing and emerging industries.

“We have great relationships with our industry partners,” said Kacey Darnell, TSTC’s vice president of student learning and senior director of The WorkSITE. “If they need something, they always reach out.”

The partnership is aimed at increasing access to customized training and building a skilled workforce in the county.

“There is a lot of focus and interest in Waco,” said Mito Diaz-Espinoza, president and CEO of the Cen-Tex Hispanic Chamber of Commerce in Waco. “What excites me is there are large companies that bring in auxiliary businesses.”

Working together

According to The WorkSITE’s 2025 annual report, more than 160 people from Graphic Packaging International, Sanderson Farms, Toppan and Uzin Utz received training. Others participated in industrial systems open enrollment courses, the Manufacturing Institute’s Heroes MAKE America cohorts and OSHA certification training. The WorkSITE’s students have a 97 percent completion rate.

Kacey said The WorkSITE was a hub for Graphic Packaging International as their production facility was under construction nearby.

“They knew they would have a huge hiring need when they opened their doors and they started preparing for that about 18 months in advance of opening,” she said. “They did onboard training here, along with mechanical and electrical training. We sent faculty members to their plant in Michigan so they could understand how their processes work.”

Alicia Cruz, The WorkSITE’s associate team lead, has worked with chambers of commerce in the county to assist in spreading the word about planned courses. Alicia is also part of a communication group consisting of several of the county’s non-profit organizations that exchange useful information.

“For year two (of The WorkSITE), I want to get deeper in the community,” she said.

An opportunity to learn

Mito shared he likes how staff can build courses to meet specific industry needs for residents. He said he can use his organization’s bimonthly newsletter, networking events and social media to narrate what The WorkSITE has planned.

“Our community is really big on trust and loyalty,” Mito said. “We like connecting with people we know and making those relationships. There has to be a layer of credibility and safety. That loyalty and networking goes a long way.”

The people taking courses at The WorkSITE come from all sectors, from the underemployed to those needing additional learning to advance in their careers.

Brandon Parsons, of Robinson, participated in the most recent Industrial Automation and Manufacturing Systems course. He learned about The WorkSITE from his father, who met someone who previously took the course.

“The guy gave him a flyer and my dad sent me a picture of it, and so I sat on the picture for a couple of months,” Brandon said. “I decided to go ahead and inquire about it.”

Brandon has primarily worked in the hospitality industry, and briefly studied massage therapy, for the last two decades.

“I just kind of wanted to do something different and felt this would be a big boy kind of deal,” he said. “It’s a good opportunity and fits my budget.”

Brandon described himself as a “blank canvas” when he walked into The WorkSITE on his first day of class in early January.

“There were a few times I was nervous taking the exams because I did not feel I was grasping the information enough,” he said. “I put a lot of pressure on myself to perform and pass.”

But Brandon said he has enjoyed learning about gears and sprockets. He said his massage therapy lessons have been helpful in being able to use a sensitive touch. His advice to people who join courses at The WorkSITE is to take photos of all of the slides during lectures and pay attention. He also advised prospective students to not miss class days.

The building

Staff at The WorkSITE think with industry in mind when predicting what could be needed in the future. Industry-standard equipment, which include electrical wiring learning systems, mechanical drives, programmable logic controllers, and single-armed robots, fill the building’s two flex labs.

One of the labs is named for longtime TSTC supporters David and Valerie Fallas. The Fallas family is the founder of Fallas Automation in Waco, which specializes in producing automation support equipment and compact case packers.

“I think The WorkSITE is a wonderful idea; it gives students practical experience that is desperately needed and all at Fallas Automation are excited to be part of this,” David Fallas said in October 2025 at the lab dedication in his family’s honor. “We need a balance of intelligence, experience and a willingness to learn, and we have it at The WorkSITE.”

The building also features a welding lab and outdoor grinding work area. Juniors and seniors from Robinson High School were the first to use the lab in June 2025 as part of a partnership between the Robinson Independent School District -Texas ACE (Afterschool Centers on Education) program and The WorkSITE. The month-long summer session was at no cost to the students.

Kacey said one of her goals for the second year of the building is to secure a funding source to cover course tuitions for accelerated training students.

“We have used grants, and I still intend on applying for them, but having security and knowing there is a permanent funding source would be great,” she said.

For more information on The WorkSITE, go to worksite.org.