TWC Commissioner Representing Labor Julian Alvarez Presents $262,582 in Grant Funding to Rio Grande Valley-Area
Date: March 29, 2019
Media Contact: Lisa Givens
Phone: 512-463-8556
Separate Grants Awarded to South Texas College partnering with Workforce Solutions Lower Rio Grande Valley, Hidalgo Independent School District (ISD), and Cameron County Education Initiative Inc.
AUSTIN ⎯ The Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) has awarded three individual grants: a $71,520 High Demand Job Training (HDJT) grant to South Texas College with Workforce Solutions Lower Rio Grande Valley; a $95,323 Jobs and Education for Texans (JET) grant to Hidalgo Independent School District (ISD); and a $95,739 Self Sufficiency Fund grant to Cameron County Education Initiative Inc. (CCEI). These grants will benefit workers in the Workforce Solutions areas of Lower Rio Grande Valley and Cameron.
“Today, we are furthering the state’s commitment to educating and training Texans so that our workforce continues to be one of the most talented and skilled in the world,” said TWC Commissioner Representing Labor Julian Alvarez. “Presenting these High Demand Job Training, Jobs and Education for Texans and Self Sufficiency grants reflect the state’s pledge to employee development and helping Texas workers increase their skill sets, which leads to successful and rewarding careers.”
The $71,520 HDJT grant will benefit workers and employers in the Workforce Solutions Lower Rio Grande area by providing tuition for up to 60 students to attend industrial maintenance and automation and robotics training through a partnership with South Texas College and the McAllen Economic Development Corporation.
This HDJT grant is part of a statewide effort by TWC to support collaborations between Workforce Solutions partners and local economic development entities to create job training programs that will improve the skill sets of individuals for jobs in high-demand occupations in Texas communities.
Hidalgo ISD will use the $95,323 JET grant to purchase and install equipment to provide students with training for careers in the healthcare profession. The equipment must be used to train students in high-demand occupations that include healthcare.
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.
In addition, TWC has also awarded CCEI a $95,739 Self Sufficiency Fund training grant to help 47 individuals transition into the workforce. The grant will help provide job training skills for occupations in the automotive repair industry. 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.
The Self Sufficiency Fund provides funding to eligible training providers including nonprofit 501(c)(3) community-based organizations, Texas public community or technical colleges, or the Texas Engineering Extension Service. The Self Sufficiency Fund pays for curriculum development, instructor fees and certifications, training materials, certain work-related expenses for trainees, and some training equipment for targeted industry clusters. In fiscal year 2018, the Self Sufficiency Fund grant program awarded over $1.9 million dollars to train 919 Texans. A team of experts from TWC's Office of Employer Initiatives provides technical assistance at no charge to help streamline Self Sufficiency Fund project development.
Outreach and Project Development Consultants work directly with grant applicants and training providers, Workforce Development Boards and economic development partners throughout the development of the projects to ensure that participants receive specific, customized training that is required for occupations. For more information, contact the Outreach and Project Development Consultants at 877-463-1777, customizedtraining.solutions@twc.texas.gov or locate resources on the TWC's Self Sufficiency Fund webpage.
South Texas College with Workforce Solutions Lower Rio Grande contact: Leslie Howland, office 956-872-6788, lhowland@southtexascolleg.edu
Hidalgo ISD contact: Public Relations Coordinator Hidalgo ISD, Jennifer Villarreal, 956-843-3409 or jenvillarreal@hidalgo-isd.org.
CCEI contact(s): Rita B. Hernandez, 956-455-7989, rhernandez@myccei.org or Pat Hobbs, 956 548-6700, pat.hobbs@wfscameron.org
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.
