Colleges, nonprofits can apply for new Texas funding to boost qualified worker numbers
EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- Applications for the Texas Workforce Commission's (TWC) Lone Star Workforce of the Future Fund are now open.
Junior colleges, technical colleges, and nonprofit organizations can apply for the grants, which are designed to increase the number of qualified workers in high-demand jobs.
Find the application here.
"Among other qualifications, applicants must demonstrate previous successful, verified training program outcomes," TWC officials explained. "Approved grants will provide up to $7,500 per trainee, with a maximum award of $250,000."
Texas has $5 million for fiscal year 2024-2025 set aside for the program, officials say. The program is new, having recently been signed into law by Texas Governor Greg Abbott. TWC will take applications until the fund is exhausted, state officials say.
“The Lone Star Workforce of the Future Fund provides an innovative path to build a talent pipeline for Texas employers,” said Commissioner Representing Employers Joe Esparza. “At the Texas Workforce Commission, we are not only serving the workforce of today, but also creating opportunities for economic prosperity for the workforce of tomorrow.”
There were more than 1 million middle skills job listings in Texas in 2023, and TWC projects that 6.7 million Texans will work in a middle skills occupation by 2030. That is 43.8% of the total projected number of employed people in Texas in 2030, officials say.
