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SMITHVILLE — A state-funded workforce grant will support a new culinary and hospitality training program based in Smithville this year.
The Smithville Workforce Training Center was awarded $331,744 as part of the Texas Talent Connection grant program, aimed at connecting rural residents in Bastrop County to job skills and certification, Gov. Greg Abbott’s office announced last week. Officials said the grant will fund the center’s Career Tracks Culinary Works in Rural Texas pilot program, integrating apprenticeship, employment and certification in culinary and hospitality fields.
“Texas leads the nation in job creation thanks to the best business climate in America and our skilled, growing workforce,” Abbott said in the announcement. “Together with our community partners and entrepreneurs, we will build an even stronger Texas workforce of tomorrow.”
The Smithville hub was among 22 recipients across the state sharing more than $7.3 million in grant funding. According to the governor’s office, the competitive grants are awarded annually to support innovative workforce training and job placement programs that improve employment outcomes, job retention and wage growth — particularly among underserved populations.
Programs funded through the Texas Talent Connection grants often serve individuals facing barriers to employment, including youth not in school or work, and focus on high-need industries across the state, officials said. The funds are provided by the U.S. Department of Labor and administered through the Office of the Governor.
The Smithville grant is the only award in this cycle serving Bastrop County directly, though the Rural Capital Area Workforce Development Board also received nearly $300,000 to support pre-nursing education across Central Texas, including Bastrop County.
