Exxon Mobil Corporation announced on Friday, June 7th, that it will invest $500,000 for a specialized workforce training program that would help create curricula and programs for students interested in certification or degrees in petroleum engineering and other related fields. The program is part of an ongoing campaign to enhance science and math education, with the goal of expanding training in trades necessary for petrochemical processing and manufacturing.

Over the next five years, the $500,000 project will target 50,000 students in  local community college systems. The company has already spent millions on manufacturing workforce training in Houston and the wider Gulf of Mexico area, including a $1 million endowment given to the University of Houston to train new science and math teachers. Exxon hopes that the initiative will benefit its long-term investments in expanded petrochemical manufacturing.