Over 150 taxpayer-funded grants totaling $54 million will be disbursed to educational institutions across Texas.
These 152 Jobs and Education for Texans (JET) grants were announced by Gov. Greg Abbott on December 28. They will be distributed by the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC).
Grants will go to Texas school districts, charter schools, and state, community, and public colleges in order to expand career opportunities.
Bryan Daniel, the TWC chairman, stated that allocating resources is the best way to expand Texas careers.
“It’s important to identify high-demand jobs, but it’s critical to proactively commit resources to ensure Texans are ready to meet those workforce needs,” Daniel said. “JET grants represent an important investment by TWC to provide training opportunities for the high-demand jobs of both the present and future.”
Post-secondary careers that will benefit from the grants, according to the press release, are dentistry, nursing, automotive repair, and welding.
Abbott said investments like these allow the state to continue growing its workforce.
“Texas continues to cultivate a highly-skilled, diverse workforce through major investments in career and technical education training programs for our students,” he shared in the press release. “Through this over $54 million in job training grants, more Texans will have the opportunity to pursue good-paying jobs in high-demand careers across the state.
“Texas is the land of economic opportunity, and I thank the Texas Workforce Commission for their ongoing efforts to ensure that our students can grow and thrive in our state’s booming economy,” Abbott added.
Funding is designated every two years by the Texas Legislature, according to the press release. It must then be approved by the governor. JET grants go toward the start-up costs of technical and career education programs. Any equipment purchased must be used for the purpose of training students.
“Through the action of the 87th Legislature and in partnership with the Texas Education Agency, TWC was allocated an additional $50 million to provide grants to eligible applicants in FY 2022,” according to the press release.
The JET Advisory Board helps TWC distribute taxpayer-funded grants.
Public technical, state and junior colleges that will receive grants include Amarillo College, Grayson College, North Central Texas College, South Texas College, and Texas Southmost College.
School districts, charter schools, and open enrollment schools receiving grants include Arlington ISD, Corpus Christi ISD, Galveston ISD, Keller ISD, and Windham School District. Additional school districts receiving grants are Alice ISD, Bloomington ISD, Brooks County ISD, Coldspring-Oakhurst CISD, and Hamlin Collegiate ISD.
Other colleges benefiting from the recently approved grants are Alvin Community College, the Collin County Community College District, Laredo College, and Texarkana College, the press release shares.
Texarkana College will use $305,191 to serve 80 students, while Alvin Community College will serve 52 students with $346,046.