Press Release

U.S. Department of Commerce Invests $1 Million in CARES Act Recovery Assistance to Support Aerospace Technician Training Program in Houston, Texas

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo announced that the Department’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) is awarding a $1 million CARES Act Recovery Assistance grant to San Jacinto Community College District (SJCCD), Houston, Texas, to renovate and equip the EDGE Center at the Houston Spaceport to create an aerospace technician training program. This EDA grant, to be matched with $250,000 in local investment, is expected to save 216 jobs.

“President Biden is committed to creating new workforce opportunities for regions as they build back stronger from the coronavirus pandemic,” said Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo. “This EDA investment in the EDGE Center at San Jacinto College will create an aerospace technician training program, as well as include training capabilities for additional occupations in the aerospace industry, creating a more resilient regional economy.”

“The Economic Development Administration plays an important role in supporting locally developed workforce strategies and to helping communities develop new opportunities as they recover from the coronavirus pandemic,” said Dennis Alvord, Acting Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development. “This project will renovate the first floor of the SJCCD EDGE Center, as well as provide training equipment for the aerospace technician training program, creating new training opportunities to support the expanding aerospace industry in Houston.”

“While Texans persevere as COVID-19 wreaks havoc on our state, we must take steps to ensure that our communities are equipped to weather the storm,” said Senator John Cornyn. “I applaud this announcement and will continue to do everything I can to make economic growth in Houston a high priority.”

This project is funded under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act (Public Law 116-136 PDF), which provided EDA with $1.5 billion for economic assistance programs to help communities prevent, prepare for, and respond to coronavirus. EDA CARES Act Recovery Assistance, which is being administered under the authority of the bureau’s flexible Economic Adjustment Assistance (EAA) (PDF) program, provides a wide-range of financial assistance to eligible communities and regions as they respond to and recover from the impacts of the coronavirus pandemic.

About the U.S. Economic Development Administration (www.eda.gov)
The mission of the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) is to lead the federal economic development agenda by promoting competitiveness and preparing the nation's regions for growth and success in the worldwide economy. An agency within the U.S. Department of Commerce, EDA makes investments in economically distressed communities in order to create jobs for U.S. workers, promote American innovation, and accelerate long-term sustainable economic growth.