Seven schools in South Texas have been awarded more than $1.6 million in Jobs and Education for Texans (JET) grants, Governor Greg Abbott announced today. The Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) distributed a total of $1,692,417 to support career and technical education training programs across the region.
The grants are intended to help schools purchase and install equipment for training students in high-demand fields such as nursing, electrical work, automotive service, and chemical plant operations. According to state officials, these funds will initially help train 482 students for careers that are currently needed in the workforce.
“Texas continues to support career and technical training programs to ensure young Texans have the tools necessary to be competitive in high-demand industries,” said Governor Abbott. “The over $1.6 million in job training grants will help prepare students in South Texas to go directly from graduation into good-paying careers. I thank the Texas Workforce Commission for their efforts to train Texans for the bigger job and bigger paycheck opportunities that we provide in Texas.”
TWC Chairman Bryan Daniel added: “Today’s JET grants will help more than 480 young Texans build the confidence, skillset, and experience for critically in-demand careers. TWC is investing in a dynamic workforce system that will continue to energize our growing economy by making businesses more competitive.”
The grant awards were presented at Del Mar College’s Oso Creek campus during a ceremony attended by state and local officials as well as school staff.
Recipients of this round of JET funding include Banquete Independent School District (ISD), Calhoun County ISD, Corpus Christi ISD, Del Mar College, George West ISD, San Diego ISD, and Victoria College. These institutions will use the funds to train students as nurses, electricians, automotive service technicians, and chemical plant operators through partnerships with local colleges.
Funding for these grants comes from appropriations made by the Texas Legislature every two years. The JET program helps public community colleges, technical colleges, school districts, and charter schools offset costs related to starting or expanding career-focused education programs.
Equipment purchased with JET grant money must be used specifically for training students for jobs considered high demand within the state.
