$90 Million Available to Employers to Train Texas Workers
- By Staff Writer
- Published 08/23/2009
- Economics
- Unrated
AUSTIN— The Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) encourages Texas employers to take advantage of $90 million available to help Texas workers and job seekers gain valuable workplace skills. Appropriated by the Texas Legislature for the 2010-2011 biennium, the Skills Development Fund will provide customized training programs designed through the collaborative efforts of TWC, private sector employers and public community and technical colleges. The $90 million is the most significant increase in funding in the history of the Skills Development Fund program.
Since its inception in 1996, the fund has helped 3,263 employers create 76,191 jobs and upgrade the skills of 208,630 workers. In the 2008 fiscal year, the grants created or upgraded 19,689 jobs which paid an average hourly wage of $24.29. The Skills Development Fund supports the Governor’s Industry Cluster Initiative which focuses on industry clusters that offer the best promise for future job growth.
In a typical Skills Development Fund training program, a business, consortium of businesses or trade union identifies a training need, then partners with a public, community or technical college or the Texas Engineering Extension Service to put together a program to train workers with new skills. All Skills Development Fund grants are administered by the college. The college also provides the training directly or enlists the services of other training providers to meet the customized training needs of the business.
Employers seeking more information may visit the TWC Web site at www.twc.state.tx.us/svcs/funds/sdfintro.html.
Since its inception in 1996, the fund has helped 3,263 employers create 76,191 jobs and upgrade the skills of 208,630 workers. In the 2008 fiscal year, the grants created or upgraded 19,689 jobs which paid an average hourly wage of $24.29. The Skills Development Fund supports the Governor’s Industry Cluster Initiative which focuses on industry clusters that offer the best promise for future job growth.
In a typical Skills Development Fund training program, a business, consortium of businesses or trade union identifies a training need, then partners with a public, community or technical college or the Texas Engineering Extension Service to put together a program to train workers with new skills. All Skills Development Fund grants are administered by the college. The college also provides the training directly or enlists the services of other training providers to meet the customized training needs of the business.
Employers seeking more information may visit the TWC Web site at www.twc.state.tx.us/svcs/funds/sdfintro.html.