High Demand Job Training (HDJT) Program

High Demand Job Training

Supports matched workforce grants for local development boards and their partners hiring in high-demand fields.

⚠ This may reflect a past cycle — verify the current call on the funder's site.

The Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) High Demand Job Training (HDJT) program provides dollar-for-dollar matching grants to Local Workforce Development Boards (LWDBs) in partnership with Type A or Type B Economic Development Corporations (EDCs) to fund job training in high-demand occupations. TWC matches up to $150,000 per project; the EDC must commit an equal amount drawn from its sales-tax receipts — private cash or in-kind match is not accepted. The FY26 application deadline was September 26, 2025 at 5:00 PM, meaning the FY26 cycle is now closed and FY27 will constitute the next available opportunity.

Eligible applicants are LWDBs; for-profit companies, nonprofits acting independently, and individual colleges cannot apply directly. The LWDB must partner with a Type A or B EDC, and training activities must focus on occupations designated by the Governor as high-demand or approved by the local Workforce Board. Typical uses include purchasing equipment and supplies for high-school CTE programs and community-college training courses, though the program does not restrict to a single sector. The TWC match of up to $150,000 represents the state contribution; the EDC's equal match must come from economic-development sales-tax revenues specifically.

Winning proposals demonstrate a documented labor-market gap in a qualifying high-demand occupation within the board's service region, a committed EDC partner with verified sales-tax match capacity, and a training plan tied to measurable credential or employment outcomes. Because the match requirement is strict regarding the source of EDC funds, applicants should confirm the EDC's statutory authority to spend sales-tax receipts on training activities before submitting. Boards that have successfully administered prior TWC grants and can show trainee placement rates are typically viewed most favorably.