The Gift of Grants

DiegoNobody can have too many skills. Building or updating your skill-sets may be exactly what’s needed to make you more attractive to employers.

Gaining credentials and/or certifications can be expensive and daunting, but don’t let this discourage you from furthering your knowledge and honing specific skills. To help with the cost of continuing education, consider applying for grants. As opposed to loans, you don’t have to pay back the grants you’re awarded.

Let’s review one grant that’s currently available in our region called the Gulf Coast Ready To Work Initiative. According to the project’s summary:

  • What: The Gulf Coast Ready to Work Initiative targets the petrochemical sector/industry to provide training to in-demand middle skills workers in the industry.
  • Populations Served: Long-term unemployed, veterans, other unemployed and incumbent workers.
  • Targeted Industry(s) / Occupations: Engineers (of various types) employed in the petrochemical industry. Process operators, Instrument technicians, First-level supervisors in petrochemical facilities, and other middle skills STEM occupations that use H-1B visas.

Take a look at the screenshots below from San Jacinto College to see if any of the certifications or professional development trainings listed might help you become more employable.

If you find that one of these trainings might benefit you, and if you meet the qualifications/requirements, contact a participating college near you to learn more.

If you’re in a different occupation or industry, check out the resources below to search for available grants in your field.

Josie Toth is a Regional Facilitator for Workforce Solutions. She facilitates job search skills and career exploration classes in the 13-county Houston-Galveston area. She has a Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Studies and enjoys encouraging others in their pursuit of meaningful work.

Diego Trevino is a Regional Facilitator for Workforce Solutions in the Houston – Galveston area. Before joining the regional team, he served as a greeter, employment counselor and staffing specialist. Earlier in his career he traveled to South Korea where he taught students English. He uses past teaching experiences and present workforce knowledge to conduct job skills seminars throughout the 13 county Gulf Coast Region.

Author: Blogforce

Workforce Solutions provides comprehensive human resource services for businesses and residents of the 13-county Houston-Galveston Gulf Coast region. Workforce Solutions helps employers solve workforce-related business problems and area residents build careers, so that both can better compete in the changing worldwide economy. Our Employer Service Division provides personalized service to help employers find qualified applicants for their jobs, build the skills and expertise of their new and current employees, and address human resource needs. We operate multiple community-based career offices in 13 Texas Gulf Coast counties to help residents get a job, keep a job or get a better job – offering placement, career counseling and financial aid services. We partner with the region’s businesses, educational institutions, civic organizations and community leaders to find solutions to current and future labor needs of industries that are vital to the region and its economy.

2 thoughts on “The Gift of Grants”

  1. I really appreciate the many resources you document here. This will be a huge help! Thank you both!

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