Houston Daily

Governor Greg Abbott has announced that four schools in East Texas will receive Jobs and Education for Texans (JET) grants totaling over $911,500. The Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) awarded these grants to support career and technical education training programs. The funding will help the schools purchase and install equipment to train more than 470 students for high-demand occupations such as welders, nurses, and mechanical engineers.

Governor Abbott emphasized the importance of investing in the future workforce of Texas. "As the Texas economy continues to reach greater heights, it is critical that we keep investing in our future workforce," he stated. He added that these job training grants enable young Texans to be competitive in high-demand industries, meeting the needs of a growing state. Governor Abbott also expressed gratitude towards TWC for preparing students for well-paying jobs.

TWC Chairman Bryan Daniel highlighted the benefits of the JET grants: "Thanks to our East Texas education partners, hundreds of young Texans will gain experience in high-demand occupations such as registered nursing, mechanical engineering, and welding." He noted that today's grants would assist schools in acquiring high-quality equipment necessary for student success in the workforce.

The awards were presented earlier today by TWC Commissioner Representing Employers Joe Esparza at a ceremony held at Texas State Technical College’s Marshall campus. The event was attended by state and local officials along with school staff.

The specific allocations include:

- Angelina College receiving $337,026 to train 90 students as welders.

- Bullard Independent School District (ISD) obtaining $89,480 to train 266 students as registered nurses in collaboration with Tyler Junior College.

- Carthage ISD being granted $135,027 to train 50 students as welders alongside Panola College.

- Quitman ISD receiving $350,000 to train 70 students as mechanical engineers with support from Texas State Technical College – Marshall.

These JET grants are funded biennially by the Texas Legislature through TWC. They aim to defray start-up costs associated with developing or expanding career and technical education programs across public community colleges, state colleges, technical colleges, school districts, and open-enrollment charter schools. Equipment purchased through these funds must be used specifically for training students for jobs in high-demand fields.