Gunter ISD wins $367,490 state grant to train student welders with Grayson College

Gunter ISD will receive $367,490 from the state to equip a welding program, according to a list of career training grants Gov. Greg Abbott's office released Monday.

The money comes from the state's Jobs and Education for Texans grants, which the Texas Workforce Commission awards, and it is meant to train 20 Gunter students as welders. The district's partner on the grant is Grayson College.

Abbott's office announced 84 of the grants on Oct. 12, worth more than $20 million in all. Fifty-seven of them went to school districts and open-enrollment charter schools, and by a count of the state's published list, Gunter's was the biggest of those 57.

Just two awards in the whole round were bigger: $375,000 each to Grayson College and to the Alamo College campus listed as Northwest Vista College.

What the money can buy

The program, known as JET, pays for equipment. According to the governor's office, the money lets schools launch or expand vocational classes aimed at occupations employers need, and it is appropriated by the Legislature. Equipment bought with a JET grant has to be used to train students for those occupations, according to the announcement.

Statewide, the equipment bought in this round is expected to serve upward of 7,400 students during its first year of use.

Commission Chairman Joe Esparza said in the release that a skilled workforce is essential to Texas businesses and that the grants build the talent pipeline employers rely on.

Welding leads the list

Welding was the most common trade in this round. Nineteen of the 84 grants list welders as the job being trained for, including several in districts near Gunter:

• Blue Ridge ISD, $346,185 to train 135 students, with Collin College
• Celeste ISD, $322,736 for 49 students, with Paris Junior College
• Fannindel ISD, $134,714 for 30 students, also with Paris Junior College

Grayson College, Gunter's partner, landed a separate $375,000 grant to train 75 students as heating and air conditioning mechanics and installers.

The release did not say when Gunter's equipment will be bought or when the first students will use it.

Next round

Another round is coming. The commission said it will publish its request for 2027 applications later this fall on its procurement portal. Eligible applicants include school districts, open-enrollment charters, public two-year and state colleges, the state juvenile justice agency and probation departments.

Sources

State of Texas

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