AUSTIN ⎯ The Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) has awarded Texas Southmost College a $351,794 Self Sufficiency Fund grant to help provide training to 188 adult Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) recipients in occupations including welder, plumbing technician, insulator, scaffolder, forklift driver and electrician technician. This grant will benefit workers in the Workforce Solutions Cameron area.

“Training in key high-demand, middle skilled job fields helps promote self-sufficiency and changes the lives of Texans, offering a pathway toward upward mobility,” said TWC Chairman Bryan Daniel. “This grant to Texas Southmost College serves as recognition for their commitment to training the workforce of Texas and helps provide employers with skilled labor needed to fill jobs across the state.”

Upon completion of grant-funded training, Texas Southmost College aims to place successful trainees in full-time, permanent employment in the industry in which they were trained in order to become, and remain, independent of financial assistance.

The Self Sufficiency Fund provides funding to eligible training providers including nonprofit 501(c)(3) community-based organizations, Texas public community or technical colleges, or the Texas Engineering Extension Service. The Self Sufficiency Fund pays for curriculum development, instructor fees and certifications, training materials, certain work-related expenses for trainees, and some training equipment for targeted industry clusters. 

A team of experts from TWC’s Outreach and Employer Initiatives Division provides technical assistance at no charge to help streamline Self Sufficiency Fund project development. The Employer Engagement and Community Outreach (EECO) specialists work directly with grant applicants and training providers, Workforce Development Boards and economic development partners throughout the development of the project to ensure that participants receive specific, customized training that is requested for targeted occupations. For more information, contact EECO specialists at 877-463-1777, customizedtraining.solutions@twc.state.tx.us or locate resources on the TWC’s Self Sufficiency Fund webpage.

Texas Southmost College contact: Edgar Chrnko Salas, 956-295-3690, edgar.chrnko@tsc.edu

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The Texas Workforce Commission is a state agency dedicated to helping Texas employers, workers and communities prosper economically. For details on TWC and the services it offers in coordination with its network of local workforce development boards, call 512-463-8942 or visit www.texasworkforce.org. To receive notifications about TWC programs and services subscribe to our email updates.