AUSTIN, Texas — On Tuesday, Gov. Greg Abbott announced more than $5.5 million in funding for grants to 18 workforce skills training and job placement programs across Texas.
The Texas Talent Grants help support education and skills training programs that assist with job placement, increased wages and improved job retention, as well as programs serving workers with special needs, the governor said.
The grants are administered by the Texas Workforce Investment Council in the Governor’s Economic Development and Tourism division.
“Meeting the changing needs of job creators and providing a continuing pipeline of skilled workers is paramount to ensure Texas remains the top state for business expansion,” Abbott said in a press release. “With the more than $5.5 million in Texas Talent Connection grants, we are connecting more employers to work-ready skilled Texans and more Texans to in-demand skills training for higher-paying jobs and career advancement – creating a more prosperous Texas for all.”
The $5,591,012 in grant awards announced include:
- Alvin Community College in Harris County: $346,659 for the New Beginnings re-entry program serving Brazoria County by providing recently released offenders with job placement assistance and workforce training to reduce recidivism.
- American YouthWorks in Travis County: $243,414 for the YouthBuild Manufacturing Pre-Apprenticeship program serving unemployed or underemployed opportunity youth ages 16-24 in Bastrop, Blanco, Burnet, Caldwell, Comal, Hays, Travis and Williamson counties by providing secondary education, job skills and job placement through paid training and certifications in manufacturing.
- The Bay Area Houston Advanced Technology Consortium: $324,029 for the Aerospace/Space/Aviation Technician Readiness Program serving Harris, Austin, Brazoria, Chambers, Fort Bend, Galveston, Liberty, Montgomery and Waller counties by providing unemployed high school graduates, displaced workers and other unemployed participants with job training and job placement as certified electrical and composite technicians in the aerospace, space, and aviation industries.
- Community Learning Centers, Inc.: $300,000 for the Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC-R) program serving veterans, unemployed, underemployed and those with low-income, low-skill backgrounds in Johnson, Parker and Tarrant counties by providing job training and job placement in entry-level residential HVAC-R mechanic and technician positions in the construction industry.
- Front Steps, Inc.: $350,000 for the Front Steps Resources for Employment and Education (FREE) program serving homeless veterans as well as other homeless in Travis County by providing job readiness and job placement services as well as temporary shelter to ensure stability in employment and housing.
- Goodwill Industries of Central Texas: $114,539 for the Goodwill Career and Technical Academy program serving individuals with barriers to employment in Travis County by providing industry-recognized Python training and certification in entry-level computer programming and software development as well as job search and job placement services.
- Houston’s Capital IDEA in Harris County: $300,000 for year two of the Capital IDEA and Career My Way program serving unemployed or underemployed low-income adults ages 18-24 in Harris and Fort Bend counties by providing community college education or short-term vocational training in the health care, energy or professional trades industries.
- North Central Texas College: $349,972 for the Business and Industry Leadership Team to Supply Chain and Logistics Education (BILT to SCALE) program serving North Central Texas College students in Denton, Cooke, Montague and Young counties by providing fast-track, accelerated training in supply chain logistics.
- NPower: $350,000 for the Tech Fundamentals program serving unemployed and underemployed veterans, veteran spouses and reservists in Dallas, Tarrant, Wise, Denton, Collin, Kaufman, Ellis, Hunt, Smith, Grayson, Rockwell and Johnson counties by providing tuition free job training, credentialing and job placement in industry-relevant digital careers.
- Project ARRIBA: $350,000 for the Equitable Opportunities Through Post-Secondary Access program serving low-income, unemployed or underemployed adults in El Paso County by providing post-secondary education, job training, certification and job placement in the health care industry.
- Skillpoint Alliance in Travis County: $250,000 for year two of the Filling the Skill Gap: Expanding Rapid Skill Building in Advanced Manufacturing program serving low-income and unemployed or underemployed in Bastrop, Blanco, Burnet, Caldwell, Fayette, Hays, Lee, Llano, Travis and Williamson counties by using an evidence-based framework focused on rapid skill-building and placement.
- The Tarrant County Workforce Development Board: $326,405 for the 21st Century – Customers Embracing New Technology Upon Release program serving reentering citizens with technology-based training focused on digital literacy to aid in job search, job placement and financial management.
- Texas A&M University – San Antonio: $255,000 for the Texas Two-step for Increasing Women in Technology program serving women in Atascosa, Bandera, Bexar, Comal, Frio, Gillespie, Guadalupe, Karnes, Kendall, Kerr, McMullen, Medina and Wilson counties by providing workforce training and job placement in computer science, information technology and cybersecurity.
- Texas Southmost College in Cameron County: $350,000 for year two of the Texas Shared Prosperity Initiative serving young adults in the Cameron County Pre-Trial Education Diversion Program who are first-time, non-violent offenders by providing training, certification and employment in the construction and marine industry as insulators and marine shipfitters.
- Texas Tech University in Lubbock County: $349,959 for year two of the Critical Infrastructure Security Training for Industry Professionals program serving Bailey, Cochran, Crosby, Dickens, Floyd, Garza, Hale, Hockley, King, Lamb, Lubbock, Lynn, Motely, Terry and Yoakum counties by providing focused training tied to occupational skill acquisition, job placement and career enhancement in the utilities and energy industries for enrolled students and those already employed.
- The Valley Initiative for Development and Advancement (VIDA): $350,000 for the Rio Grande Valley Industry Specialized Training and Workforce Innovation program serving residents in Cameron, Hidalgo, Starr and Willacy counties who are 18 years or older, unemployed or living under the federal poverty guidelines by providing training and certifications for allied health, aerospace and liquid natural gas industry entry-level positions.
- Volunteers of America in Harris County: $350,000 for year two of the Bridges to Career Opportunities program serving Houston and the Harris County area by providing a workforce pipeline for low-income and unemployed or underemployed participants in high-growth, high-wage industries.
- Workforce Solutions of Southeast Texas: $331,035 for the Southeast Texas (SETX) Internship and Externship Training Initiative serving Jefferson, Orange, and Hardin counties by providing opportunity youth ages 18-24 with eight-week, paid internships in their field of study.
The Texas Talent Connection Grants awarded this year are Wagner-Peyser 7(b) grant funds allocated to the Governor’s Office by the U.S. Department of Labor to encourage innovation in workforce training and job placement services.
For more information on the grant program, visit https://gov.texas.gov/organization/twic/wagner_peyser_7b_program.
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