Texas Schools Gain Career Training Grants

Texas students considering career and technical education programs now have more pathways to reach their future goals. The state has awarded 60 career training grants totaling more than $15 million to its higher education institutions and school districts. The Jobs and Education for Texans (JET) grants, awarded through the Texas Workforce Commission, aim to help public junior, state, and technical colleges; school districts; and open-enrollment charter schools buy equipment for career and technical education programs to enable Texas students to enter high-demand industries. Through those programs, students will earn licenses, certificates, or college degrees.

The state expects the new equipment to train nearly 7,000 students in the first year.

"As the Texas economy grows, so does the demand for a skilled workforce," says Bryan Daniel, chairman of the Texas Workforce Commission, in a press release. "The JET grant program helps meet that demand by providing opportunities for Texans to gain valuable, hands-on experience that will prepare them to step into those high-demand careers."