(The Center Square) – Thanks to additional funding by the Texas legislature, career and technical educational opportunities are expanding in public schools statewide.
The programs are introducing trained graduates into the workforce, contributing to Texas continuing to lead in job creation every month and every year, Gov. Greg Abbott argues. Texas again led the U.S. in job creation, again breaking three of its employment records, according to new labor data, The Center Square reported.
Students are taking advantage of new opportunities through several programs, including, Early College, Career and Technical Education (CTE), Pathways in Technology Early College High School (P-TECH), Rural Pathways Excellence Partnership (R-PEP) and the Jobs & Education for Texans Grant Program, among others.
In his 2025 State of the State Address in February, Abbott made expanding career training an emergency item for the legislature to address to support Texas’ workforce, The Center Square reported. Not soon after, the legislature passed two bills that he signed into law, House Bill 20 and House Bill 120.
“Career training is a game-changer for our students, for our state, and for our employers,” Abbott said earlier this year when signing them into law. “A four-year college degree is not the right pathway for every student. It may be a smarter pathway for a student to get career training. In just the past two years, the State of Texas has invested more than $7 billion in career training programs across Texas. Career training and technical education is bigger and better than it has ever been with the signing of these two laws.”
HB 20 established the Applied Sciences Pathway Program for 11th and 12th grade students to earn high school diplomas while completing certificate programs at higher education institutions. Through the program, students may substitute graduation requirements with CTE credits.
HB 120 expanded access to high-quality CTE programs by ensuring counselors use up-to-date workforce data. HB 120 also provided funding for military training programs, raised the cap on new instructional facility allotments to $150 million, increased the funds to cover CTE exam costs, and increased the per-student P-TECH allotment, among other measures.
The state legislature also allocated more funding for JET training grants. Abbott recently announced more than $14 million in grant funding for 16 public junior, technical, and state colleges and 36 independent school districts. The funds support CTE programs to purchase new equipment and initially train more than 6,500 students, enabling them to earn licenses, certificates or college degrees.
Abbott also announced an additional $1 million in grants to help six ISDs purchase, repair, or replace equipment for CTE programs that train students to obtain jobs in high-skill industries while earning a degree or certificate. The programs give students “a significant advantage in the job market, which can open pathways to higher salaries and faster career progression in high-demand occupations such as nurses, welders, and automotive technicians,” Texas Workforce Commission Chairman Joe Esparza said.
Public high schools are participating in the Texas Education Agency’s Early College High School initiative. The open-enrollment program blends college and high school coursework, enabling students to earn up to two years of college credit (60 hours), tuition-free, TEA explains. Its goal is to “support historically underserved and at-risk students, providing an access ramp to postsecondary education for those most in need,” TEA says.
Successful ECHS examples include Tyler ISD, “renowned for its commitment to student success, with an impressive 99% graduation rate for students earning an associate degree,” TEA said. PSJA Thomas Jefferson T-STEM Early College High School students are actively involved in NASA initiatives, pursuing associates degrees and assuming leadership roles, TEA said.
In the Houston area, several districts are expanding their CTE programs.
Houston ISD’s college readiness program includes 40 schools that offer dual credit through Houston Community College or its University of Texas OnRamps program. Earlier this month, it announced it is expanding its program to another five high schools next year.
Fort Bend ISD announced its expanding its CTE program, adding new biomedical science classes and a new drone program. Its CTE classes span agriculture science to business marketing to law and public service to engineering, as well as career readiness as early as middle school.
Next year, Katy ISD is adding 12 “high demand” workforce CTE classes including in finance, business, real estate, architecture, construction and others. Its CTE program is extensive, including transportation, distribution and logistics, science, technology, engineering, mathematics, manufacturing, art, health sciences, hospitality, agriculture, among others. Its Raines Academy launched a Water Operations Licensing Program, a two-semester CTE partnership with Inframark, a water infrastructure and management services company.
Its Miller Career Training Center has a cybersecurity program starting in junior high, emergency medical technician training and law enforcement and public service CTE courses for upper high school students, among many other advanced technological and manufacturing programs.
