Skills Development Fund

Skilled worker

Skills Development Fund

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The Skills Development Fund is Texas’ premier job-training program providing local customized training opportunities for Texas businesses and workers to increase skill levels and wages of the Texas workforce. The Texas Workforce Commission administers funding for the program. Success is achieved through collaboration among businesses, public community and technical colleges, Workforce Development Boards and economic development partners.

Becoming a Partner

As a Texas employer, you are the focus of the Skills Development Fund. You provide two things — a desire to collaborate with the other partners involved with the project and the commitment to see the project through to completion.

To be considered for a Skills Development Fund grant, the private business, business consortium or trade union must:

  • Partner with an eligible grant applicant, which is a public community or technical college, the Texas Engineering Extension Service, or a private, nonprofit community-based organization in partnership with one of those institutions.
  • Be actively involved in the planning and design of the customized training project.
  • Pay wages to the employees who successfully complete the training program that are equal to or greater than the prevailing wage for the occupation in the local labor market.
  • Disclose any other state or federal grant funds sought or awarded for the proposed training project.
  • Sign an agreement with the grant applicant outlining each entity’s roles and responsibilities in the training project, including reporting requirements related to trainee participation.
  • Provide equal employment opportunity documentation as well as information on the occupations for training, employment benefits, wages and social security numbers for trainees.
  • Use WorkinTexas.com to post openings for new workers trained under the project.

More information HERE.

Find out how Texas’ premier job training program can help your business upgrade the skills of your workforce HERE.


Demand Job Training

High Demand Job Training Program

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The Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) has dedicated one million dollars to support collaborations between Workforce Development Boards (Boards) and Economic Development Corporations (EDCs) to provide high-demand occupational job training in local workforce areas. Funds will be available through August 30, 2020.

The High Demand Job Training Program is intended to support Boards in partnering with local EDCs that use their local economic development sales taxes for high-demand job training. To achieve that purpose, TWC wants to enable Boards to collaborate with local EDCs and match their local economic development sales tax funds to jointly support the provision of such training. Funds are available to the Boards on a first come first serve basis or until funds are exhausted.

Boards may use Agency grant funding to support Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA)-allowable, high demand job training activities and related direct costs, including individual participant recruitment; skills assessment; job search skills improvement, job search, job referral; equipment; and minor renovation of facilities used for Program-related job training.

For more information on this program, click HERE.

Or contact  [email protected].


Advanced technology

Texas Industry Partnership Program

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The Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) has dedicated $1 million to address skills gaps and ensure a talent pipeline is available to address regional industry needs.  Private employers or corporate foundations can collaborate with Workforce Solutions to apply for funding for Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) activities that support workforce development for six designated industry clusters.

About the Program

The Texas Industry Partnership (TIP) program supports collaborations between local workforce development boards and industry partners through the leveraging of matching contributions of cash or qualifying expenditures for occupational job training. Match funds must support certain WIOA activities and focus on six designated industry clusters:

  • Advanced Technologies and Manufacturing
  • Aerospace and Defense
  • Biotechnology and Life Sciences
  • Information technology
  • Petroleum Refining and Chemical Products
  • Energy

Allowable WIOA activities include:

  • training
  • mentoring
  • support services
  • skills assessments
  • cluster analysis

Funds are available through August 30, 2020. For more information click HERE. May also contact [email protected].


Energy

Self Sufficiency Fund for Training

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The Self Sufficiency Fund provides training grants to community and technical colleges and community-based organizations 501(c )(3) who delivers occupational training that must lead to an acceptable industry recognized certification for adult recipients of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) or individuals who are At-Risk of becoming dependent on public assistance, who are: Individuals who are a members of a SNAP household with dependent children; TANF applicants referred to a Workforce Board contractor by the Department of Human Services, or are parents including a non-custodial parent, who make less than $37,000 annually. Texas Work Force Commission (TWC) accepts project proposal submissions throughout the year for training programs that typically last for 12 months.

How the Self Sufficiency Fund Works

Eligible training providers applying for a grant may include nonprofit 501(c)(3) community-based organizations, Texas public community or technical colleges, or the Texas Engineering Extension Service (TEEX). Training providers must:

  • Gain letters of support from local businesses indicating support of job skills training to be offered in project
  • Work closely with the local Workforce Development Board to assist with identifying eligible participants
  • Complete and submits grant application to TWC
  • Coordinate and deliver training
  • Administer the grant

The Self-Sufficiency Fund pays for curriculum development, instructor fees and certifications, training materials, certain work-related expenses for trainees and some training equipment. Applicants may receive up to $500,000 per proposal.

Training must be provided in one of the following industry clusters. Training may be for core, ancillary or support occupations that establishes a career path toward higher-level occupations.

Target Industry Clusters are:

  • Advanced Technologies and Manufacturing
  • Aerospace and Defense
  • Biotechnology and Life Sciences
  • Construction
  • Logistics
  • Transportation
  • Energy
  • Information and Computer Technology
  • Petroleum Refining and Chemical Products

Training can be delivered through a variety of methods including classroom, simulations, online instruction, and on-the-job instruction.

Business partners can be private, for-profit business, nonprofit hospital, or trade union.

TWC accepts project proposal submissions throughout the year for training programs that typically last for 12 months.

Collaboration between training providers, businesses, and Workforce Development Boards is required. Efforts may include:

  • Letters of support from the local business indicating the number of job openings and support of job skills training being offered in the project
  • Endorsement of the project from the Workforce Development Board
  • Contributions from other resources that are committed to the project

Program Benefits

The Self Sufficiency Fund provides access to training dollars that will lead to permanent employment opportunities.

  • Businesses fill entry to mid-level positions with candidates trained to fill high demand occupations and businesses become more competitive resulting in a strengthened Texas economy
  • Participants attain an occupational skill for high demand occupations and receive an industry recognized certification that will result in becoming independent of public assistance
  • College partners that participate in the Self Sufficiency Fund training are economic development leaders in their communities

For more information, click HERE.

Contact [email protected] or call 1-877-463-1777 with questions.


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