Texas Tech Receives Workforce Commission Grant

Texas Tech University has received a $241,449 grant from the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) as part of the Texas Youth in Technology (TYT) Strategic Workforce Development initiative.

Supported with federal Workforce Investment Act Statewide Activity funds, the workforce development strategy supports job-growth opportunities that align with Gov. Rick Perry’s Texas Industry Cluster Initiative.

“Educating our youth in advanced skills is one of the greatest tools we have to continue positioning Texas as a national and global economic leader,” Perry said. “Through support from the Texas Workforce Commission, these initiatives provide the foundation for future high-tech workforce success.”

Through its participation in TYT, Texas Tech has clear-cut goals for supporting the governor’s initiatives and Texas employers. The funds will be used to promote science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) to tomorrow’s workforce.

“Texas Tech already has a strong history of promoting STEM learning to secondary students,” said President Guy Bailey. “This grant will allow us to build the educational pipeline and further engage students into fields that will strengthen the economic future of Texas.”

With Texas Tech’s workforce development initiative, engineering students and movable laboratories will provide outreach to high school students and community colleges, in addition to acting as peer mentors for students in introductory engineering classes. Qualifying distance education engineering students will be awarded scholarships.

TYT and resulting projects will establish programs to increase post-secondary enrollments, retention and graduates in engineering and computer science. Working with the Texas Engineering and Technical Consortium (TETC), the grant program also will increase collaboration among Texas employers, institutions of higher education and collegiate engineering and science departments.

TWC has awarded 11 TYT grants totaling $2,410,764 million. In addition to Texas Tech, recipients include: Prairie View A&M University, Richland College (Dallas County Community College District), Sam Houston State University, San Jacinto College, Southern Methodist University, University of Texas at Arlington, University of Texas at Austin, University of Texas at Dallas, University of Houston and University of North Texas.