PHARR — Today, the Pharr-San Juan-Alamo (PSJA) ISD was awarded $211,213 in grant funds from the Texas Workforce Commission's Jobs & Education for Texas (JET) Program to buy equipment for students and support their early college programs. The JET program allocates $10 million each biennium to defray startup costs associated with the development for career and technical education programs to public community and technical colleges, and independent school districts statewide.

This is the first time high schools have been eligible for JET program funds. Senator Juan "Chuy" Hinojosa authored and passed Senate Bill 1351 last session that transferred the JET program from the Texas Comptroller to the Texas Workforce Commission to ensure the program is a priority and to bolster TWC's capacity-building mission and prepare Texans for jobs.

As Vice Chair of the Senate Finance Committee, Senator Hinojosa was key in the legislature's decision to appropriate the $10 million for the JET program as an investment in our students and our future workforce.

Senator Hinojosa made the following comments:

"It is great news that the Texas Workforce Commission granted PSJA ISD $211,213 to help our students get the skills they need to succeed.

I was proud to author SB 1351 last session to transfer the JET program to the Texas Workforce Commission and prioritize grants to teach our students essential technical skills and help put Texans back in the workforce. As the demand increases for middle-skilled jobs that require more than a high school diploma, high schools working together with community colleges fill a critical role in the effort to prepare Texans with the work skills they need to compete for higher paying jobs."

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