Winnsboro Independent School District has been awarded a Jobs and Education for Texans (JET) grant in the amount of $206,432 by the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC). This grant will be used to purchase equipment to expand our career and technical education programs for our Winnsboro High School Students.
The district will use the grant to purchase welders, cutters, solderers and brazers for Winnsboro High School. The equipment is expected to arrive in February and students will begin being trained immediately. The equipment will allow students to earn certifications in welding and various machinery through Northeast Texas Community College. These certifications will encourage employability for the students after high school.
WISD applied for the grant in the summer of 2022. The extensive application process allowed for WISD to partner with community and local workforce commission members to support the district’s efforts to earn the grant. Several letters of support were written by local community members and business owners.
Prior to applying for the grant, WISD had to choose a high demand occupation and determine an opportunity to bring training for the occupation to WISD students. It was determined that providing training for a career in welding and machinery would be beneficial for our students. WISD is excited about the opportunity that this grant will provide our students.
The JET grant is funded by the Texas Legislature and approved by the governor each biennium. The TWC uses the JET grants to fund start-up costs of developing career and technical education programs for public state and community technical colleges, school districts and open charter schools in the state of Texas.