Texas Workforce Commission Awards $661,560 in Jobs and Education for Texans Grant Funding to Support Career Training in Cameron County
Date: May 6, 2022
Media Contact: Angela Woellner
Phone: 512-463-8556
AUSTIN - The Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) awarded two Jobs and Education for Texans (JET) grants to support career training in the Cameron County area. TWC awarded Harlingen CISD $332,500 to help the school purchase and install a fire training simulator to initially train 130 students for careers in firefighting. The agency awarded Brownsville ISD $329,060 to buy welding equipment to initially train 130 students for careers in welding. The equipment funded through these grants will be used to train more students in the future.
“The training programs, like the ones at Harlingen ISD and Brownsville ISD, are helping students with opportunities to step into a high demand career,” said TWC Commissioner Representing Labor Julian Alvarez. “The school districts can now train students with the same type of equipment that they will use in future careers, better equipping them to be job ready for a growing number of employers in the area.”
Through funding provided by the Legislature each biennium, eligible recipients use TWC's JET grants to defray the start-up costs to develop career and technical education programs for the public community, state and technical colleges, and school districts. The 87th Texas Legislature added open-enrollment charter schools and the Windham School District as eligible applicants. Equipment funded through JET grants must be used to train students for jobs in high-demand occupations.
Eligible educational institutions can apply for the next phase of JET funding through a competitive grant process or Request for Applications (RFA). The RFA solicitation provides information and instruction on how to submit a proposal packet. Go to the JET Grant Program webpage to access current and future RFAs or learn more about the program. Interested parties can also email jetgrants@twc.texas.gov for more information.
Harlingen CISD contact: Brianna Vela, Brianna.vela@hcisd.org
Brownsville ISD contact: Jason Moody, jemoody@bisd.us
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The Texas Workforce Commission is a state agency dedicated to helping Texas employers, workers and communities prosper economically. For details on TWC and the services it offers in coordination with its network of local workforce development boards, call 512-463-8942 or visit www.texasworkforce.org. To receive notifications about TWC programs and services subscribe to our email updates.
