The Texas Workforce Commission has awarded Valley Initiative for Development and Advancement a $350,000 grant to provide career training education for 420 students in high demand occupations such as allied health, STEM, information technology, advanced manufacturing, engineering, and specialized trades.
Julian Alvarez, the Texas Workforce Commissioner representing labor, presented the grant to VIDA representatives in Mercedes on Friday.
“We are very excited for the opportunity to collaborate with TWC through the Texas Talent Connection grant program,” VIDA executive director Priscilla Dinn Alvarez stated in a news release.
“It is our vision to support innovation in workforce development through initiatives that support rising career training programs aligned to the RGV’s economic climate. With the help of this award and our institutional partnerships, we will seek to create an environment where South Texas workers have the possibilities for professional growth within a career pathway to ensure job placement, increased wages, and job retention.”
According to a 2020 economic study conducted for the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley by American Data and Information Systems, for every $1 invested in VIDA’s model, there is a return of $14.74 to the communities VIDA serves, the release stated.
