Date: April 16, 2021

Media Contact: Cisco Gamez Phone: 512-463-8556

AUSTIN ⎯ The Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) has awarded eleven Jobs and Education for Texans (JET) grants to Rio Grande Valley (RGV) area Independent School Districts (ISD). These grants will benefit workers in the Workforce Solutions for South Texas, Workforce Solutions Lower Rio Grande Valley and Workforce Solutions Cameron areas.

“What an event and what a way to celebrate local schools by developing programs that help their students get an early start toward rewarding careers,” said TWC Commissioner Representing Labor Julian Alvarez. “The JET program is one of several initiatives administered by TWC that helps students succeed and our economy grow stronger. Thank you to the RGV Partnership for hosting the event and being a great collaborator in ensuring our local communities have a workforce that is competitive and talented.”

The 11 grants were awarded to:

• Laredo ISD - $266,906
• Pharr-San Juan-Alamo ISD - $269,624
• Rio Hondo ISD - $227,269
• Rio Grande City CISD - $285,049
• Raymondville ISD - $171,855
• Point Isabel ISD - $280,954
• La Joya ISD - $247,126
• Weslaco ISD - $235,570
• La Feria ISD - $238,545
• Mercedes ISD - $192,833
• San Benito CISD - $218,491

The grants will help the districts purchase and install equipment to provide training for over 1,000 local students for careers in welding, health sciences, manufacturing, and other in-demand professions.

“Thanks to TWC’s commitment to the Rio Grande Valley area through these JET grants, local ISD’s have access to the resources they need to foster an educated workforce,” said President/CEO of RGV Partnership Sergio Contreras. "These investments allow our student’s to learn the skills that will set them on the path towards great salaries in high-demand careers.”

The Jobs and Education for Texans grant program allocates funds each biennium to defray start-up costs associated with the development of career and technical education programs to public community and technical colleges, and independent school districts. Equipment funded through JET grants must be used to train students for jobs in high-demand occupations.

Eligible educational institutions can apply for the next phase of JET funding through a competitive grant process. The Request for Applications solicitation provides information and instruction on how to submit a proposal packet. Go to the JET Grant Program webpage to access the Request for Applications solicitation.

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Photos from our events can be downloaded from our Flickr page.

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.