Lilly to support efforts to strengthen workforce with San Jacinto College
PASADENA, Texas – Eli Lilly and Company to provide $12.5 million to support student success, program development, equipment, and facilities at San Jacinto College to build a reliable pipeline of technicians in careers that support advanced chemical synthesis pharmaceutical manufacturing in the Greater Houston region.
Pharmaceutical giant Lilly made the announcement on Sept. 21 at its Houston groundbreaking ceremony, marking its second large-scale facility to manufacture active pharmaceutical ingredients in the. U.S., located in Generation Park in northeast Harris County. The relationship will focus on refining curriculum and strengthening recruitment for the College’s biotechnology program, while developing Lilly-focused training pathways that produce technicians, operators, maintenance professionals, and other manufacturing talent. Lilly experts will serve as support for curriculum review, and instructor readiness and preparation, in addition to participating in recruitment and career exposure activities for San Jacinto College students.
This five-year relationship reflects San Jacinto College’s commitment to developing education and training opportunities that align with the evolving needs of the region’s pharmaceutical industries. As a leader and preferred training partner for industry, San Jacinto College is committed to advancing innovative, industry-aligned education that prepares students for careers in emerging fields and helps meet the demand for skilled talent across the region’s life sciences and advanced manufacturing sectors.
Separately, Lilly is providing a $2.5 million charitable donation to the San Jacinto College Foundation to the Foundation’s Promise @ San Jac Scholarship endowment. With this catalytic donation, the Foundation’s $30 million endowment goal has been exceeded, allowing the Foundation’s Promise @ San Jac Scholarship to continue to help expand access to a San Jacinto College education for generations to come. The Foundation’s Promise Scholarship covers 100% of in-district tuition and books for graduating high school seniors who live in the San Jacinto College taxing district. Since 2021, more than 13,800 students have become Promise Scholars at San Jacinto College, with nearly $12 million awarded in tuition and academic support.
“When you invest in a place like Houston, you invest in its people first,” said Edgardo Hernandez, executive vice president and president of Lilly Manufacturing Operations. “This facility will run on the talent of this community, powered by our relationship with San Jacinto College. We’re hiring across the greater Houston area to help residents build careers close to hime. This facility itself is being built to the highest standards for safety, quality and responsible stewardship of the environment, andevery one of these jobs helps bring innovative medicines to the patients counting on them.”
San Jacinto College’s biotechnology and advanced chemical synthesis pharmaceutical manufacturing training capabilities provide a foundation for the relationship. As a National Institute for Bioprocessing Research & Training (NIBRT) Global Partner serving the southern United States, the College’s Center for Biotechnology at the Generation Park Campus offers industry-aligned training opportunities that support workforce development for advanced chemical synthesis manufacturing. The College’s LyondellBasell Center for Petrochemical, Energy, & Technology also provides hands-on experiences in process operations, reactor systems, and production environments to support workforce development. Together, these facilities support the development of technical skills relevant to pharmaceutical manufacturing.
About San Jacinto College
Surrounded by monuments of history, evolving industries, maritime enterprises of today,
and the space age of tomorrow, San Jacinto College has served the people of East Harris
County, Texas, since 1961. The College is ranked second in the nation among more than
1,100 community colleges, as designated by the Aspen Institute and was named an Achieving
the Dream Leader College of Distinction in 2020 and 2026. As a Hispanic-Serving Institution
that spans five campuses, plus an online college, San Jacinto College serves approximately
45,000 credit and non-credit students annually. It offers more than 200 degrees and
certificates across eight major areas of study that put students on a path to transfer
to four-year institutions or enter the workforce. The College is fiscally sound, holding
bond ratings of AA+ by Standard & Poor’s and Aa2 by Moody’s. San Jacinto College is
accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.
