On July 7, 2023, Governor Greg Abbott announced the allocation of eight Jobs and Education for Texans (JET) grants. Six educational institutions in the North Texas area will utilize these grants to bolster career and technical education (CTE) training.
Administered by the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC), the grants amount to a total of $3,511,598. The funds will be used to procure and install necessary equipment that will facilitate the training of 1,164 students for occupations that are in high demand.
TWC utilizes JET grants, funded by the Texas Legislature on a biennial basis, to cover initial expenses associated with establishing career and technical education programs. These grants are made available to public community colleges, state and technical colleges, school districts and charter schools.
"Texas continues to support our next generation of highly-skilled workers and boost our state’s growing economy through career training grants," said Governor Abbott. "These grants will provide schools in North Texas the opportunity to purchase and install equipment that will train over a thousand students for good-paying careers in farm equipment mechanics, nursing, electrical engineering, HVAC, and more.”
The grants include:
- Collin College: $332,365 to purchase and install equipment to initially train 140 students in the heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) program, with additional students to be trained in the future
- Commerce ISD: $301,544 to purchase and install equipment to initially train 126 students in farm equipment mechanics in partnership with Collin County Community College District
- Farmersville ISD:
- $702,240 for equipment to train an initial 132 students as marketing managers in partnership with Collin College
- $746,743 to purchase and install equipment to initially train 230 students in agricultural engineering with Collin College
- Grayson College: $349,999 to purchase and install equipment to initially train 80 students in industrial machinery mechanics
- Lovejoy ISD: $446,763 to purchase and install equipment to initially train 200 students as electronics engineers in partnership with Collin College
- North Central Texas College:
- $331,827 to purchase and install equipment to initially train 130 students in nursing
- $300,117 to purchase and install equipment to initially train 126 students in welding careers
"The Jobs and Education Texas grants provide opportunities for schools across the state to create training for high-demand jobs in their area," said TWC Chairman Bryan Daniel.
