Tina Jackson, assistant commissioner for workforce education at the Higher Education Coordinating Board, briefed the advisory committee on multiple workforce education programs and grant competitions the agency is managing.
Jackson said a mid-July workshop for Perkins State Leadership grant recipients drew about 20 participants and showcased projects aimed at removing barriers for students, including child care assistance for student-parents, support for homeless students and mental-health supports.
She described three new Perkins State Leadership grant categories for the coming round: prison education and reentry; emerging and current high-demand short-term credentials; and retraining and recruiting career and technical education instructors in postsecondary settings. Jackson said 19 institutions applied to the newest competition and staff were reviewing the submissions.
Jackson also announced seven planning and design grant awardees in a newer TRUE (transition-ready/unified education) planning competition and named the focus for each recipient:
El Paso Community College — pharmacy technician
Lamar Institute of Technology — gas measurement and instrumentation
Navarro College — industrial maintenance technician
Odessa College — advanced manufacturing
Panola College — construction management
Southwest Texas College — nursing
Texas State Technical College (TSTC) — artificial intelligence
Jackson said the TRUE traditional grant competition opened July 21 with a Sept. 8 application deadline and a July 29 informational webinar.
On curriculum work, Jackson reported the division’s review workshops in May led to evaluation of 269 career and technical education courses over the past 14–18 months; 104 courses were modified and 12 were recommended for archiving.
Jackson also noted the Perkins State Leadership funds are intended for institutions to scale promising practices and to link credentials of value with additional funding streams where appropriate.
The advisory committee did not take formal votes on the grants during the meeting; Jackson invited follow-up questions and offered to share grant links and application details with committee members.