WSNCT RECEIVES A $200,000 TWC WORKFORCE INNOVATION FUND GRANT

ARLINGTON, Texas – December 9, 2024 – Workforce Solutions for North Central Texas (WSNCT) today announced that it has been awarded a $200,000 Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) Workforce Innovation Fund Grant. WSNCT is one of only five workforce boards in the state selected to receive this grant, which seeks to award new and innovative workforce development projects designed by the state’s Workforce Development Boards. The grants were presented during TWC’s 27th Annual Texas Workforce Conference held December 4th through December 6th in Grapevine. WSNCT, in partnership with global venture capital firm Plug and Play and the Tarleton State University Innovation and Entrepreneurship University Center, will create an Innovation Ecosystem pilot at Tarleton State’s Stephenville campus to spur innovation, new business formation, job creation and economic development in rural areas of WSNCT’s region. 

“Understanding the pulse of entrepreneurial activity is more crucial than ever in today’s economic landscape,” said Phedra Redifer, Executive Director of Workforce Solutions for North Central Texas. “The impact achieved by bringing together industry, education and workforce to collectively prepare the future generation of entrepreneurs has the potential to generate economic growth for years to come.”
According to Tarleton’s Innovation and Entrepreneurship University Center, one of the most telling indicators of economic vitality is the number of business applications filed each year. From 2005-2023, there were 1.7 million new business applications filed in the North Central Texas region, representing 33% of all applications filed in Texas.

The Innovation Ecosystem will include a comprehensive set of components to support business development and startup launches, including Innovation Days, featuring successful entrepreneur speakers and expert panels; Innovation Expos, where students can explore entrepreneurship and other career pathways through conversations with founders and hands-on interaction with new products and services; professional networking events to build industry connections that enhance employability for participants and lead to a more innovative campus environment; pitch sessions that will provide a platform for entrepreneurs to present their business ideas to national and global investors and corporate executives; and access to capital through Plug and Play’s connections to major venture capital firms for those high-growth startups that are backable by VCs.

To receive more information about the Tarleton State University Innovation Ecosystem pilot when available, please email innovation@dfwjobs.com. 

About the Tarleton Innovation and Entrepreneurship University Center
Backed by an Economic Development Administration grant, the Tarleton Innovation and Entrepreneurship University Center aims to build a fully functioning entrepreneurial ecosystem through applied research, technical assistance, mentorship, coaching and workforce development opportunities in North Central Texas. The Center provides cohesive and equitable support for rural and urban entrepreneurship, promotes quality job creation, and enhances economic resilience and prosperity. For more information about Tarleton State University, please visit www.tarleton.edu/tieuc.

About Plug and Play
Plug and Play is a venture capital firm with more than 60 locations across the globe. One of the most active venture capital firms in the world, Plug and Play has a portfolio of more than 2,000 startups that have raised more than $63 billion in capital. Its primary objective is to find and fund exceptional founders developing innovative solutions for the future. Plug and Play has newly established locations in Frisco, focused on Sportstech, and in McKinney, focused on AI and Enterprise, with a joint Fintech initiative to drive the innovation ecosystem in North Central Texas. For more information about Plug and Play, visit www.plugandplaytechcenter.com/locations/frisco-tx.

About Workforce Solutions for North Central Texas
Workforce Solutions for North Central Texas (WSNCT) leads the way in developing today’s workforce and anticipating the occupations and skills needed for tomorrow. Through our programs and services, we ensure that businesses in our region remain competitive and grow jobs, that workers have opportunities to obtain skills and a career that will help them become or remain self-sufficient, and that our communities prosper and are economically resilient. WSNCT serves the 14 counties of Collin, Denton, Ellis, Erath, Hood, Hunt, Johnson, Kaufman, Navarro, Palo Pinto, Parker, Rockwall, Somervell and Wise counties. For more information on WSNCT, please visit www.dfwjobs.com.