Smithville's Career Tracks reports $2M healthcare grant and expanded culinary training; council hears enrollment gains

At the Jan. 12 council meeting, Career Tracks staff updated the council on two workforce grants and expanding training activity in Smithville and Bastrop County.

Martha Shabbo, project manager for the Bastrop County Healthcare Workforce Collaborative, said the St. David's Foundation funded a $2 million grant over two years that supports training from CNAs to EMTs and will require trainees to work in Bastrop County for at least one year after completion. She reported 84 students in an earlier November report and said enrollment has since risen to 120; county approval has expanded capacity toward 150+ participants over the grant period.

Shabbo said the program raised scholarship caps to about $5,000 per student in response to higher training costs; previously the cap was $3,000. She also outlined local training partnerships, employer connections for job placement and barriers such as transportation and limited local course availability.

Brenda Hernandez described a separate Texas Talent Culinary Grant of roughly $331,000 that funds a 10‑week culinary cohort combining four weeks of culinary instruction and six weeks of on‑the‑job training. Hernandez said the culinary program will place cohorts at participating restaurants, with about 40 participants per cycle and employer‑partner commitments for placements.

Council members and staff praised the program and the recent ribbon‑cutting and training center partnerships. The council did not take formal action but accepted the update for the record.