LUBBOCK, TX (January 12, 2016) – Texas Tech University and Group NIRE have been funded by the Department of Homeland Security over the next two years to train homeland security professionals through a workforce development program. The program will be directed at rural and small urban communities, as well as the underserved Hispanic population.

The initial efforts will focus on the development of seminars and continuing education modules that will serve as training tools in critical infrastructure resilience for both college students and DHS professionals.

“We are excited to partner with Stanford University and others at the Critical Infrastructure Resilience Institute to create a program that teaches students how to protect critical infrastructure against major isolated and cascading events,” Group NIRE Director of Business Development Michael Wilson said.

The education modules will be taught by both experts in the industry, as well as Group NIRE staff. Group NIRE’s facility gives students the opportunity to have hands-on training in response to power grid failures due to extreme weather, cyber-attacks and mechanical failures. The experts will detail how to restore communications utilizing radio networks and other recovery techniques.