Gov. Greg Abbott awarded over $7.3 million in Texas Talent Connections grants to 22 workforce skills training and job placement programs across the state July 1, according to a July 1 news release.

Six of those programs—Alliance of Community Assistance Ministries, Brazosport College, Houston's Capital IDEA, Per Scholas, The Women’s Resource of Greater Houston and Volunteers of America-Houston—are in the Greater Houston area and were awarded over $2 million.

What to know

Alliance of Community Assistance Ministries, Inc. received $350,000 for year one of the Health Care Careers Initiative in the Greater Houston area, according to the release. This program helps individuals secure employment as medical, dental or nursing assistants.

Brazosport College was awarded $349,432 for the first year of the Opportunity Connect: Re-Engaging Opportunity Youth project in Brazoria County. It aims to re-engage youth through education and skills training for occupations in health care and construction trades, according to the release.


Houston’s Capital IDEA, Inc. was awarded $350,000 for year three of the Future-Focused Texas Workforce Pathways in Nursing and Technology project. The grant provides education and training in nursing and technology fields for unemployed or underemployed low-income adults, according to the release.

Per Scholas, Inc. was awarded $350,000 for year two of the Creating Economic Mobility and Robust Futures through IT Training project. It provides tuition-free technical skill training for analysts, technicians and engineers, according to the release.

The YourLife Careers program by the Women’s Resource of Greater Houston was awarded $347,929 for its first year. It is a 12-month program that provides 100 low-income women with training and opportunities in high-paying jobs in trades, health care industries and nondestructive testing, according to the release.

Volunteers of America-Houston received $350,000 for the first year of the IGNITE: Empowering Youth through Technology project, according to the release. The program will serve 250 youth from ages 17-25 and provide training in health care, information technology trades, digital media and entrepreneurship.


Quote of note

“To continue to meet workforce demands in an expanding economy, Texas is connecting more Texans to the skills training needed for the better job and bigger paycheck opportunities we provide,” Abbott said via news release. “Together with our community partners and entrepreneurs, we will build an even stronger Texas workforce of tomorrow.”