Governor Greg Abbott has announced that 52 Jobs and Education for Texans (JET) training grants totaling over $14 million have been distributed to higher education institutions and independent school districts across Texas. The grants, awarded through the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC), are intended to help public junior, state, and technical colleges as well as school districts and open-enrollment charter schools purchase equipment for career and technical education programs. These initiatives aim to prepare students for jobs in high-demand industries.
“As our economy grows, Texas will continue to invest in the future of our workforce,” said Governor Abbott. “This over $14 million in career training grants will help more than 6,500 Texas students gain the tools and skills they need to go from graduation directly into good-paying jobs. I thank the Texas Workforce Commission and our education partners for training the next generation of hardworking Texans to be part of the better job and bigger paycheck opportunities that we provide in our great state.”
The JET grants are expected to provide students with access to licenses, certificates, or college degrees leading to employment in fields where workers are needed most. New equipment purchased through these funds is projected to benefit more than 6,500 students initially.
“Through initiatives like the JET grant program, we are preparing our workforce to pioneer innovations and thrive on the cutting edge of industry,” said TWC Chairman Joe Esparza. “These grants strategically target high-growth industries, ensuring workers can find meaningful career opportunities while strengthening Texas’ reputation as the best state for doing business.”
Applications for the 2026 JET grant program are now open. Eligible applicants include public junior, state, and technical colleges; school districts; and open-enrollment charter schools. The application packet can be downloaded from the TWC Procurement Portal website. For additional information or questions about this opportunity, inquiries can be directed via email at RFAGrants@twc.texas.gov.
For 2025, JET grant recipients among public junior, technical, and state colleges include Austin Community College ($331,387), Brazosport College ($356,250), Cisco College ($305,614), Dallas College ($164,350), Del Mar College ($306,834), Grayson College ($362,896), Kilgore College ($354,491), Lamar Institute of Technology ($354,853), Laredo College ($109,083), Northeast Texas Community College ($275,416), Paris Junior College ($366,917), Ranger College ($355,063), San Jacinto Community College ($189,987), Texas State Technical College ($354,099), Tyler Junior College ($325,293), and Victoria College ($280,345). These grants will support programs ranging from nursing and automotive service technology to welding and veterinary technology.
School districts receiving funding include Anna ISD ($118,368), Central Heights ISD ($219,849), Donna ISD ($337,820), Duncanville ISD ($354,915), Frankston ISD ($321,458) among others. The grants will be used for equipment purchases supporting student training in medical assisting; welding; nursing; construction management; electrical engineering technology; automotive service; emergency medical technician work; phlebotomy; mechatronics technology; aircraft maintenance; heavy truck driving; veterinary technology; information security analysis; heating/refrigeration mechanics; dental hygiene; licensed vocational nursing; aircraft mechanics/technicians—and more.
The funding provided by the Texas Legislature each biennium allows TWC to use JET grants as a way to offset start-up costs associated with developing new career-focused educational programs at eligible institutions. All equipment purchased through these grants must be used specifically for training students entering high-demand occupations.
More information about TWC’s JET grant program can be found on their website.
