WACO, Texas (FOX44) – The Texas Workforce Commission and its local Workforce Solutions partners have named Ascension Providence as Texas’ Large Employer of the Year.

The announcement was made at the 25th annual Texas Workforce Conference going on this week in Dallas.

Ascension Providence was nominated by Workforce Solutions for the Heart of Texas, and is a founding member of the Greater Waco Advance Health Care Academy. The Academy, which provides high school students a pathway to the healthcare industry, upgraded the skills of 187 employees with a Skills Development Fund grant and participated in Workforce Solutions job fairs – hiring nearly 600 people in the past year.

“Business innovation is one of the key factors that make Texas the best state for business, and these awards highlight the achievements of employers and other Texas partners contributing to the vitality of the Texas labor market,” said TWC Chairman Bryan Daniel. “Working together, we keep Texas the national workforce leader.”

The theme of this year’s conference was “25 years of Conducting Innovation.”