Grant powers up Granger ISD welding program District received more than $300,000 from state for career training
GRANGER — More than $300,000 in grant funding from the Texas Workforce Commission for career training is giving a boost to welding programs at the Granger Independent School District, educators said.
Targeting Central Texas, the state agency handed out a total of $405,000 last week in Jobs and Education for Texans grants to help cover costs to start or develop career and technical education programs in public schools and community colleges.
Austin Community College received almost $65,000 of the grant money with the remaining $340,000 going to Granger ISD.
“This is a huge deal, especially for a small rural community like ours, to receive this blessing and this opportunity…We just can’t thank the TWC enough for choosing us,” said Granger ISD Superintendent Stephen Brosch.
Amber Thorsen, Granger ISD chief academic officer, first applied for the highly competitive JET grant during the 2022-23 school year, but the district was not selected.
Thorsen successfully reapplied the following year.
“The grant application is a detailed process that involves outlining how the funds will be used to support highdemand career training,” Thorsen said.
According to the TWC website, equipment funded through JET grants must be used to train students for jobs in vocations such as welding.
“The funding allowed us to purchase state-of-the-art equipment that has truly transformed our welding program,” Thorsen said. “These tools now give students hands-on experience using the same technologies found in industry settings.”
While the Regional JET Grant Presentation was held Sept. 3, Granger ISD received a portion of the funds in January and purchased a plasma cutting system, a virtual welding simulator, a milling machine, portable welders, a self-cleaning fume extractor and more.
Since then, student interest in Granger’s CTE welding pathway has grown significantly, instructors said.
The district had 75 students enrolled in the program when Thorsen first applied for the funding. For the 2024-25 school year, 99 students from grades eight-12 participated in the welding and agricultural mechanics courses with 22 of those students earning certifications in sheet-metal welding.
“This grant has not only elevated our welding program but has also created real-world opportunities for our students,” Thorsen said.
Brosch added small, rural school districts often get forgotten, “especially when it comes to amenities and types of things that a much larger school district can offer. Now, our CTE and agriculture departments have these tools at their fingertips and it’s just remarkable.”
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“The funding allowed us to purchase state-ofthe- art equipment.”
— Amber Thorsen, Granger Independent School District
