Incoming LHS Freshman prepare to be part of the 2023-2024 Marchin’ Cats!
Governor Greg Abbott announced over $6.5 million in Texas Talent Connection grants awarded to 21 workforce skills training and job placement programs in communities across the state.
“Thanks to our young, skilled, diverse, and growing workforce, Texas is the best state for business,” said Governor Abbott. “Meeting the needs of Texas employers by providing a continuing pipeline of workers with indemand skills is paramount to ensure expanding economic opportunity in communities across the state. I am proud that Texas continues to connect more employers to work-ready skilled Texans and more Texans to indemand skills training for higher-paying careers and career advancement— creating a brighter Texas of tomorrow for all.”
Administered by the Texas Workforce Investment Council in the Governor’s Office of Texas Economic Development and Tourism, the competitive grants support innovative education and workforce skills training programs that lead to successful job placement, increased wages, and improved job retention, as well as serve workforce populations with special needs.
The $6,564,080 in Texas Talent Connection grant awards announced include several colleges, universities and service groups. Texas Tech was included in this list:
Texas Tech University: $350,000 for year one of the Data Science Training Program for Industry, University and High School Students; serving Bailey, Cochran, Crosby, Dickens, Floyd, Garza, Hale, Hockley, King, Lamb, Lubbock, Lynn, Motely, Terry, and Yoakum counties; providing for the development of a new, region- specific, data science training program tied to occupational skills acquisition, job placement, and career enhancement for current and future industry professionals in the electric power, wind, agriculture, and petroleum industries.
The Texas Workforce Investment Council in the Governor’s Office of Economic Development and Tourism assists the Governor and the Texas Legislature with strategic planning for and evaluation of the Texas workforce system to promote the development of a well-educated, highly skilled workforce for Texas. The Council’s appointed members represent workforce system partners and stakeholders, including business and industry, organized labor, education, and communitybased organizations. Ex officio members include the Texas Workforce Commission, Texas Education Agency, Texas Health and Human Services Commission, Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, and the Governor’s Office of Texas Economic Development and Tourism. The more than $6.5 million in Texas Talent Connection grants awarded this year by Governor Abbott are Wagner-Peyser 7( b) grant funds allocated to the Office of the Governor by the U.S. Department of Labor to encourage innovation in workforce training and job placement services.