Texas Workforce Commission Supports Adult Education and Literacy with $4,250,000 in Grants
Date: August 05, 2021
Media Contact: Cisco Gamez
Phone: 512-463-8556
Providing Comprehensive Services to Texans through Statewide Professional Development Centers
AUSTIN-- The Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) awarded three grants in support of Adult Education and Literacy totaling $4,250,000. Texas A&M was awarded an Adult Education and Literacy Statewide Professional Development Center Grant in the amount of $2,500,000. The purpose of the grant is to deliver professional development strategies and technical assistance to all Texas Adult Education and Literacy (AEL) Providers and stakeholders so they may provide comprehensive service delivery to AEL participants. Students in AEL programs receive the benefit of a dynamic system of services that support individuals as they advance their English literacy and numeracy skills, increase employment and career readiness skills, attain high school equivalency certificates, and obtain recognized postsecondary credentials.
“Maintaining a strong adult education system in Texas is an important component in closing the middle-skills gap,” said TWC Chairman Bryan Daniel. “AEL programs are a first step in upskilling to successful careers that can lead Texans and their families to economic prosperity.”
The Statewide Professional Development Center will serve as lead to two other professional development centers: the Career Pathways Professional Development Center and the Distance Education Professional Development Center. TWC awarded a $750,000 grant to Region 6 Education Service Center to provide research-based professional development to AEL Grantees and stakeholders on AEL Career Pathway models. Additionally, a $1,000,000 grant was awarded to Texas A&M to create a statewide Distance Education Professional Development Center to support and build remote learning and distance education opportunities across the state. The three professional development centers will work in coordination to ensure seamless service delivery to workforce stakeholders and AEL students.
“Texas is hiring, and it’s never too late to develop skills that can lead to a rewarding career,” said TWC Commissioner Representing Labor Julian Alvarez. “The Adult Education and Literacy Professional Development Center Grants are one of many ways that the Texas Workforce Commission is committed to helping job seekers with customized training to get the skills they need that ultimately lead to an incredibly skilled workforce.”
The Statewide Professional Development Center at Texas A&M will be responsible for the administration of statewide professional development activities, including delivery of professional development sessions, facilitation of curriculum development activities, distribution of resources for remote and in-person learning, and management of an information hotline and the Texas AEL Professional Development learning management system. The services, products and resources will be available to Texas AEL stakeholders, including employers, developmental education providers, Texas Workforce Boards, AEL providers, Windham School District, and collaborating AEL entities. In state fiscal year 2020, AEL served 67,275 AEL customers, and 11,318 of those were enrolled in career pathways programs, which include Integrated Education and Training, Re-entry for Justice Involved Individuals, Services for Internationally Trained Professionals, and Workplace Literacy programs.
“We are focused on connecting Texans and communities to the great careers provided by our Texas employers throughout the Lone Star State. The Adult Education and Literacy Statewide Professional Development Center Grant is just one example of how we are helping reduce some major barriers to employment,” said TWC Commissioner Representing Employers Aaron Demerson. “The secret sauce to our success is when you bring together the worlds of workforce, economic development and education, which is being demonstrated through these three grants.”
Employers, schools and Texans interested in learning more about Adult Education and Literacy programs are encouraged to call the Texas Adult Education & Literacy hotline at 800-441-READ (7232) or to find a local AEL Provider on the Texas Center for the Advancement of Literacy and Learning at Texas A&M University website at tcall.tamu.edu. You can also find more information at any of the 28 Texas Workforce Boards and 180 Workforce Solutions offices throughout the state of Texas, or visit us online at TexasWorkforce.org.
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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.
