Dr. Ty Cauthen, the new executive director of Work Force Solutions of Deep East Texas, presented a program for the Livingston Lions Club Wednesday, sharing a little about what it is and how it impacts the counties it serves.
“The mission of Work Force Solutions of Deep East Texas is to provide solutions for quality workforce development. Our vision is a regional workforce that is educated, innovative and
highly skilled in areas that match the skill requirement of the region’s employers,” Cauthen said.
“We’re seeing misalignment in Deep East Texas regarding the skills people have versus the jobs available. Our goal is to make sure people are able to have meaningful employment in their hometown,” Cauthen said.
A workforce development board is a regional governmental entity responsible for oversight of its workforce system. There are 28 regional workforce boards in Texas. Deep East Texas Work Force Solutions serves 12 counties – Angelina, Houston, Jasper, Nacogdoches, Newton, Polk, Sabine, San Augustine, San Jacinto, Shelby, Trinity and Tyler counties.
“Since 2023 our population has decreased by 7,010, but is projected to grow by 3% over the next five years. Jobs grew by 2,282 over the last five years and are projected to grow by 6,893 over the next five years,” Cauthen said.
“Career and technical education has a special place for me,” Cauthen said, having begun his career as an agricultural science teacher before becoming a junior high school principal and then a high school principal.
“We need a boost in cyber, so if you know any school board members or serve on a school board yourself, please share the importance of pushing technology fields,” he said, adding that a $1.6 billion investment has been made into Deep East Texas for broadband through the Deep East Texas Council of Governments. “They will be able to work from here remotely for firms globally.”
Cauthen also highlighted the JET grants (Job & Education for Texas), a program that provides grants to eligible educational institutions to help fund the start-up costs associated with developing career and technical education programs. JET grants support the purchase of equipment connected to new or expanding CTE programs which prepare students for employment in local high-demand occupations.
He said for the 2025 JET grant cycle, approximately $15 million of general revenue will be available for applications from all eligible institutions, which include public junior, state, or technical colleges; ISDs, and open-enrollment charter schools entered into a partnership with a public junior, state, or technical college; and the Windham School District. Applicants may request between $40,000-$375,000.
“We just purchased an ambulance simulator for the Texas State University System Polk County Center through JET grants,” Cauthen said.
