TWC Commissioner Alvarez Presents Nearly $2,000,000 in Grant Funding to Rio Grande Valley-Area
Date: August 2, 2019
Media Contact: Cisco Gamez
Phone: 512-463-8556
Separate grants awarded to South Texas College in partnership with RGV Med LLC, Mission CISD, Monte Alto ISD and Weslaco ISD
AUSTIN ⎯ The Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) has awarded six individual grants: a $1,057,620 Skills Development Fund grant to South Texas College in collaboration with RGV Med LLC; a $140,860 Self Sufficiency Fund training grant to South Texas College; four Jobs and Education for Texans (JET) grants totaling $663,506 to South Texas College, Mission Consolidated Independent School District, Monte Alto Independent School District and Weslaco Independent School District. These grants will benefit workers in the Workforce Solutions area of Lower Rio Grande Valley.
"What a day for the workforce of South Texas and the great state of Texas a whole,” said TWC Commissioner Representing Labor Julian Alvarez. “I’m proud to be a part of nearly $2,000,000 in grant funding being dedicated to employee development and helping Texas workers find rewarding, high-paying careers. Presenting these Skills Development Fund, Self Sufficiency Fund and Jobs and Education for Texans grants reflects the state’s ongoing commitment to ensuring our local community has a workforce that is competitive and talented."
The $1,057,620 Skills Development Fund grant will benefit workers in the Workforce Solutions Lower Rio Grande Valley area by providing custom training to 3,999 new and incumbent workers within the healthcare field. Upon completion of training, the workers will receive an average hourly wage of $22.34.
Since its inception in 1996, the Skills Development Fund grants have created or upgraded more than 356,744 jobs throughout Texas. The grants have assisted 4,356 employers with their customized training needs. The Legislature allocated $48 million to the Skills Development Fund for the 2018-19 biennium. Employers seeking more information about the Skills Development Fund may visit the TWC website at www.texasworkforce.org/skills.
South Texas College will use the $140,860 Self Sufficiency Fund training grant to help 70 individuals transition into the workforce. The grant will help provide job training skills for occupations in the Biotechnology, Life Sciences and Welding fields. Grant funding from the Self Sufficiency Fund will assist in developing the technical education and learning environment that will lead to industry recognized certificates and credentials.
In addition, TWC also awarded four Jobs and Education for Texans grants: $75,807 to South Texas College, $206,584 to Mission Consolidated Independent School District, $112,614 to Monte Alto Independent School District and $268,501 to Weslaco Independent School District. The grants will help the area purchase and install equipment to provide students with training in careers such as healthcare and welding.
The JET program provides funding for equipment to eligible educational institutions for the purpose of developing career and technical education courses and may include courses offering dual-credit and technical education programs.
South Texas College contact: Joey Gomez, jgomez_3436@southtexascollege.edu, office 956-872-8358, cell 956-330-3913
Photos from the event can be downloaded from TWC's Flickr page.
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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.
