Tarrant County College has been tied to $817,954 in newly announced workforce and career-training grants in four days, including $462,352 unveiled Friday to train workers for two Fort Worth-area employers.
Gov. Greg Abbott announced October 16 that two Texas Workforce Commission Skills Development Fund grants will support training for 164 workers at DrinkPAK II LLC and GEV Wind Power US LLC. The awards follow separate state grants announced earlier this week involving Tarrant County College District.
$462,352 Targets Manufacturing And Wind-Energy Training
The larger of Friday’s two grants, $282,392, will support training for 104 DrinkPAK II workers as batching technicians, electro-mechanical technicians, forklift drivers, and packaging technicians.
Another $179,960 will train 60 workers at GEV Wind Power US LLC as composite repair technicians, according to the governor’s office.
“Today’s investment prepares Texans for the high-demand jobs that drive our state’s economy,” Abbott said in the October 16 announcement. “These grants will train 164 workers for high-pay occupations to meet industry needs and strengthen the Texas workforce pipeline.”
Texas Workforce Commission Chairman Joe Esparza presented the grants Friday at Tarrant County College South Campus to representatives from the college, DrinkPAK II, GEV Wind Power, and other local partners.
“The long-term strength of our workforce depends on partnerships between education and industry,” Esparza said. “These Skills Development Fund grants will allow Tarrant County College to provide specialized, hands-on training that supports regional industries and prepares Texans for high-growth occupations.”
The Skills Development Fund supports customized training for new or incumbent employees, meaning the 164 workers identified in Friday’s announcement should not be interpreted as 164 newly created jobs.
DrinkPAK Expands Fort Worth Manufacturing Operation
DrinkPAK operates a 1.4 million-square-foot beverage manufacturing facility at 7777 Oak Grove Rd. in Fort Worth.
The company’s website lists four high-acid production lines for the facility, including one scheduled to come online in October and another listed as coming soon. Production can reach speeds of up to 3,000 cans per minute, according to DrinkPAK.
The plant manufactures alcoholic, non-alcoholic, and protein beverages and uses automated packaging and warehouse systems.
DrinkPAK describes the Fort Worth operation as the largest aluminum-can beverage manufacturing facility in the world.
The positions covered by Friday’s grant include production, maintenance, packaging, and material-handling roles tied directly to that operation.
GEV Wind Power Operates U.S. Headquarters In Fort Worth
GEV Wind Power US LLC maintains its U.S. headquarters at 2751 Northern Cross Blvd. in Fort Worth, according to the company’s website.
The company provides wind-turbine blade inspection and repair services and says it operates the largest dedicated rotor-blade inspection and repair workforce in the United States.
Friday’s $179,960 award will fund composite repair technician training for 60 GEV workers.
Three Grant Announcements Total $817,954
Friday’s announcement follows two other workforce and career-education awards involving Tarrant County College this week.
On Monday, Tarrant County College District received a $55,673 Jobs and Education for Texans grant to purchase and install equipment used to train 140 welding students.
The Dallas Express previously reported that the Tarrant County award was part of 84 JET grants totaling more than $20 million statewide. The equipment is expected to support training for more than 7,400 Texas students during the first year.
The JET program helps eligible colleges, school districts, and charter schools purchase equipment for career and technical education programs tied to high-demand occupations.
On Tuesday, Abbott announced another $299,929 for Tarrant County College District through the 2026-2027 Perkins Leadership Grant program.
The Dallas Express reported that Tarrant County College was one of 13 Texas public two-year institutions sharing approximately $3.7 million through the program.
Tarrant County College’s award falls under the Emerging and Current High-Demand Credentials category.
Together, the $55,673 JET award, $299,929 Perkins award, and Friday’s $462,352 in Skills Development Fund grants total $817,954.
The grants come from separate programs and serve different purposes. JET funding supports training equipment, Perkins Leadership grants support career and technical education development, and Skills Development Fund grants provide customized training in partnership with employers.
North Texas Workforce Spending Continues
The latest awards come as public and private organizations expand skilled-worker training throughout Dallas-Fort Worth.
The Dallas Express reported Thursday that the GE Aerospace Foundation plans to provide $1 million to four Dallas-Fort Worth organizations in 2027 for aviation maintenance, manufacturing, and other technical training.
Tarrant County College is among the organizations involved and plans to expand aviation maintenance laboratory capacity to accommodate another 25 students per semester.
The Skills Development Fund has worked with more than 5,000 employers and supported the creation or upgrading of more than 446,000 jobs statewide since the program began in 1996, according to Friday’s announcement.
