Primary Department: Purchasing
Primary Department Head/Elected Official: Kimberly J. Williams, JD
Secondary Department: Economic Equity and Opportunity
Secondary Department Head/Elected Official: Jie Wu, Interim Executive Director
Regular or Supplemental RCA: Regular RCA
Type of Request: Contract - Amendment
Project ID (if applicable): 220111
Vendor/Entity Legal Name (if applicable): NPower INC DBA Tech-TSC, INC
MWBE Contracted Goal (if applicable): N/A
MWBE Current Participation (if applicable): N/A
Justification for 0% MWBE Participation Goal: 0% - Specialized, Technical, or Unique in Nature
Grant Indirect Costs Rate (if applicable):
Justification for 0% Grant Indirect Costs Rate (if applicable): Choose an item.
Request Summary (Agenda Caption):
title
Request that the County Judge execute an amendment to an agreement with NPower INC DBA Tech-TSC, INC in the additional amount of $901,000 for additional services illustrated in the updated budget in the Best and Final Offer (Exhibit B), update the Statement of Work (Exhibit G) and update the funding source to County general funds beginning October 1, 2026, as permitted under Local Gov't. Code § 381.004 for Training for Apprenticeship Workforce Program for Harris County for the period of February 2, 2025 - February 1, 2027 (220111), Justification for 0% MWBE Participation Goal: 0% - Specialized, Technical, or Unique in Nature.
end
Background and Discussion:
In March 2022, Commissioners Court approved the advertisement of a Request for Proposals for the Apprenticeship Advantage Program to expand and create opportunities for U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) Registered Apprenticeship Programs in traditional and high-growth emerging industries within Harris County, including wraparound support services. Following the competitive selection process, NPower Inc. was selected as a subrecipient based on its ability to meet program requirements and the quality of its proposed services.
NPower is a national workforce development organization with an established presence in Texas. Its apprenticeship program is DOL-registered and designed to create pathways for individuals seeking to enter or advance within the technology sector.
The Apprenticeship Advantage Program was initially developed in response to significant economic disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, including employment losses and rapidly changing workforce needs. The program was intended to expand access to high-quality training and create pathways to employment. The proposed FY2027 scope builds upon this investment by continuing to provide targeted workforce development and apprenticeship opportunities in the technology sector.
For FY2027, NPower will provide services from October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027. The proposed FY2027 budget is $901,000 in Harris County General Funds. Funding will support personnel, fringe benefits, training and certification costs, outreach and marketing, program operations, wraparound services, and apprenticeship placements. The updated scope also establishes monthly reporting, performance monitoring, compliance requirements, and financial documentation to support accountability and evaluation of program outcomes.
Expected Impact:
The proposed FY27 program is expected to provide 170 Harris County residents with access to technology-focused workforce training, professional development, industry-recognized certifications, work-based learning, career placement, and ongoing support. The program is expected to strengthen the technology workforce pipeline and provide continued support for prior graduates.
Alternative Options:
If the amendment is not approved, the Apprenticeship Advantage program would not have training for 170 Harris County residents seeking to enter or advance in the technology sector.
Commissioners Court could approve a reduced level of services or funding. This option would require corresponding reductions to program activities and performance targets, including the number of participants enrolled and trained, training completions, certifications, employment or advanced-training outcomes, and apprenticeship placements.
County Strategic Plan Goal: 3. Make our economy more inclusive.
County Strategic Plan Objective: K: Provide workers with training and other supports (e.g. child care) to participate fully in the local economy.
Justice/Safety Initiative (Goal 1): N/A
Infrastructure Initiative (Goal 2): N/A
Economy Initiative (Goal 3): K2: Partner with community organizations to create new and build upon existing apprenticeship opportunities,
Health Initiative (Goal 4): N/A
Climate/Resilience Initiative (Goal 5): N/A
Housing Initiative (Goal 6): N/A
Additional notes related to the Strategic Plan:
Prior Court Action (if any):
|
Date |
Agenda Item # |
Action Taken |
|
3/22/2022 |
205 |
Approval to advertise project |
|
1/31/2023 |
22 |
Award Approved |
|
10/8/2024 |
232 |
Amendment No. 1 & Renewal Option No. 1 |
|
5/22/2025 |
179 |
Amendment No. 2 |
Location: N/A
Address (if applicable): N/A
Precinct(s): Countywide
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Fiscal and Personnel Summary |
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Service Name |
Workforce Development |
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Current Fiscal Year Cost |
Annual Fiscal Cost |
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Labor |
Non-Labor |
Total |
Recurring Expenses |
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Funding Sources |
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Existing Budget |
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1000 - General Fund |
$ |
$901,000 |
$901,000 |
$901,000 |
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Choose an item. |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
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Choose an item. |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
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Total Existing Budget |
$ |
$901,000 |
$901,000 |
$901,000 |
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Additional Budget Request (Requires Fiscal Review Request Form) |
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Choose an item. |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
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Choose an item. |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
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Choose an item. |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
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Total Additional Budget Request |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
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Total Funding Sources |
$ |
$901,000 |
$901,000 |
$901,000 |
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Grants - Proposed Budget (For Grants Items only) |
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Labor |
Non-Labor |
Total |
No. of Grant Years |
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Local Match Source - Existing Budget: Choose an item. |
$ |
$ |
$ |
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Local Match Source - Additional Budget Request: Choose an item. |
$ |
$ |
$ |
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Grant Funds Applied for/Awarded (Total) |
$ |
$ |
$ |
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Personnel (Fill out section only if requesting new Position Control Numbers (PCN)s) |
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Current Position Count for Service |
- |
- |
- |
- |
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Additional Positions Request |
- |
- |
- |
- |
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Total Personnel |
- |
- |
- |
- |
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County Attorney’s Office Legal Review (for Harris County Code Items only) |
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CAO Reviewer Name and Title |
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CAO Review Completion Date |
Click or tap to enter a date. |
Anticipated Court Date: 9/22/2026
Anticipated Implementation Date (if different from Court date): 10/1/2026
Emergency/Disaster Recovery Note: Not an emergency, disaster, or ARPA related item
Contact(s) name, title, department: Aidhee Torres, Sr. Contract Manager, Purchasing
Jie Wu, Interim Executive Director, Department of Economic Equity and Opportunity
Paula Pineda, Assistant Director, Department of Economic Equity and Opportunity
Clairisa Landry, Program Manager, Department of Economic Equity and Opportunity
Attachments (if applicable): Letter, Amendment