Del Mar College hosts Texas Workforce Commission’s JET grant presentation for six South Texas schools on May 29

Over $1.8 million combined in Jobs & Education for Texans grant funding awarded to DMC, Victoria College and Freer, Pettus, Sinton and Skidmore-Tynan ISDs for career and technical education training; Del Mar addressing shortage of dental hygienists

Article by Melinda Eddleman

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The demand for dental hygienists is on the rise with employers generally part of the private sector in Texas. According to November 2024 data from the Health Professions Resource Center with the Texas Department of State Health Services, projections indicate that between 2022 and 2036 supply of dental hygienists is expected to grow by nearly 19% to 16,930 professionals in the field with a demand of over 19,640, leading to a shortage of more than 2,710 dental hygienists statewide.

Thanks to a grant awarded to the Del Mar College (DMC) Dental Hygiene Program, that workforce shortage is being addressed.

On Friday, May 29, DMC hosted the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) during a check presentation event recognizing Jobs & Education for Texans (JET) grant recipients to support career and technical education (CTE) training for South Texas high school students and occupational career training for college-level students. Among the two community colleges and four independent school districts (ISDs) that received oversized checks representing a combined $$1,819,053 were Del Mar College, Victoria College and Freer, Pettus, Sinton and Skidmore-Tynan ISDs (read Office of the Texas Governor release).

The Dental Hygiene Program, which is with the college’s Dental & Imaging Technology Department, received a $306,834 JET grant check to provide training with optimal equipment.

Special Guests_TWC JET Grant Check Presentation Event_052926

The college also partners with three of the four ISDs that received the TWC’s grant, providing collaborative training to their students in licensed practical and licensed vocational nursing (Freer and Skidmore-Tynan) and in electrical and electronic engineering technologists and technicians (Sinton).

The oversized check awards from the commission were signed and then presented to each school by TWC Chairman and Commissioner Representing Employers Joe Esparza. Additionally, some special guests attended the event, including Office of the Governor South Texas Director Juan Lopez; Community Outreach Director Cindie Gonzalez for Texas Legislative Senator Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa (Senate District 20); MK Walling, Northern District Director for Texas Legislative Senator Adam Hinojosa (Senate District 27); Texas Legislative Representative Todd Hunter (House District 32); TWC Chairman and Commissioner Representing Employers Joe Esparza; and Albert Martinez, Northern District Director for U.S. Congressman Vicente Gonzalez (House of Representatives, District 34).

Del Mar College_TWC JET Grant Presentation 052926

During the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) Jobs & Education for Texans (JET) grant presentation on May 29 at Del Mar Colleges Oso Creek Campus, (from left) Texas Legislative Representative Todd Hunter (House District 32) joins DMC Dental Programs Director Eva Sepulveda, Dental & Imaging Technology Department Chair Trey Alvarez, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Dr. Gerald Napoles, DMC Dean of Workforce Programs and Corporate Services Dan Korus and TWC Chairman and Commissioner Representing Employers Joe Esparza as they pose with the signed oversized $306,834 check supporting the purchase of new equipment for the college’s Dental Hygiene Program. (Credit: DMC College Relations)

Victoria College_TWC JET Grant Presentation 052926

s part of a check presentation for the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) Jobs & Education for Texans (JET) grant to fund career training for South Texas high school and college students, Victoria College representatives Amy Mundy (left), Executive Director of Advancement and the Victoria College Foundation, and Dean of Allied Health Darla Strother pose with an oversized check for $280,345 after its signing by TWC Chairman and Commissioner Representing Employers Joe Esparza (right). The JET grant will support the training of 283 Victoria College students to become registered nurses. (Credit: DMC College Relations)

Freer ISD_TWC JET Grant Presentation 052926

Freer Independent School District Superintendent Conrad Cantu (left) and Mary Alice Cantu, Freer ISD’s Next Generation Medical Academy Director, pose with an oversized $226,518 check signed by Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) Chairman and Commissioner Representing Employers Joe Esparza (right) that represents the Jobs & Education for Texans (JET) grant the school district received to train 162 students to become listened practical and licensed vocational nurses through a partnership with Del Mar College. The TWC held the check presentation event May 29, 2026, on DMC’s Oso Creek Campus. (Credit: DMC College Relations)

Pettus ISD_TWC JET Grant Presentation 052926

From left, Melisio Garcia, College, Career and Military Ready (CCMR) and Career &Technical Education (CTE) Coordinator with Pettus Independent School District, Partnering Professional Lori Peterson and Pettus High School incoming junior Kaylynn Johnson pose with Texas Workforce Commission Chairman and Commissioner Representing Employers Joe Esparza with the oversized $331,792 check representing the Jobs & Education for Texans (JET_ grant that the school district received to train 20 students to become registered nurses through a partnership with Coastal Bend College. Six recipient South Texas schools in the Coastal Bend region––including Del Mar College, Victoria College and Freer, Pettus, Sinton and Skidmore-Tynan ISDs––were recognized for their work in preparing college and high school students for high demand careers through the JET grant by the TWC during a May 29 presentation event on DMC’s Oso Creek Campus. (Credit: DMC College Relations)

Sinton ISD_TWC JET Grtant Presentation 052926

Among the six recipients recognized for receiving a Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) Jobs & Education for Texans (JET) grant was the Sinton Independent School District during a check presentation event on Del Mar College’s Oso Creek Campus May 29. Sinton High School Principal Dr. Rey Saenz (left), P-TECH Director Mary Lankford, Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum & Instruction Dr. Camille Kieschnick and Gina Guajardo, Director of Federal/Special Programs, pose with TWC Chairman and Commissioner Representing Employers Joe Esparza next to a signed oversized check for $328,296 that represents the funding support to train 12 students to become electrical and electronic engineering technologists and technicians through a partnership with Del Mar College. (Credit: DMC College Relations)

Skidmore-Tynan ISD_TWC JET Grant Presentation 052926

During the Jobs & Education for Texans (JET) grant awards presentation held by the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) on May 29, Skidmore-Tynan Independent School District was among six recipients from the Coastal Bend area to receive an oversized check representing funds used to support career training in high demand fields. The school district’s JET grant provides for the training of 65 students to become licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses through a partnership with Del Mar College. Representatives present to accept the $345,268 check signed by TWC Chairman and Commissioner Representing Employers Joe Esparza (far right) are Skidmore-Tynan High School Assistant Principal Ophelia De Los Santos, Skidmore-Tynan Board of Trustees member John Cirone, Skidmore-Tynan High School Principal Stella Resio and Dr. Stephanie Ashworth, Skidmore-Tynan ISD Assistant Superintendent. (Credit: DMC College Relations)

DMC’s Dental Hygiene Program has used the funds to purchase new equipment that provides majors with the most contemporary equipment and tools used in current workforce settings. Purchases included 12 each of the following:

Ergonomic Dental Chairs – replaced outdated chairs originally purchased in 2006 to improve student performance and reduce risks associated with older high-maintenance equipment,
Traditional Radius Delivery Systems – mounted to each dental chair to hold instruments required as part of dental hygiene treatment on patients,
Assistant Instrumentation – mounted to each dental chair as set of controls for efficient patient care management, chair adjustments, instrument handling and more while ensuring safety during procedures,
A-Dec Monitor Mount – computer mount at each chair for faculty/student monitoring procedures to prevent cross-contamination of biohazardous waste and accidents, and
A-Dec 574L LED Dental Light, Central Cabin – overhead light that reduces maintenance costs and enhances patient and student experience,.

Additionally, the equipment vendor donated 12 Doctor’s Stools to the Clinical Laboratory used by the DMC Dental Programs, which also includes the Dental Assisting Program. To date, 43 students have been impacted by the purchase with successful use of the equipment as part of their training to become professionals in the dental field.

DMC Dental Hygiene students also directly serve the community through several initiatives, including:

Mission of Mercy Presentations – second-year majors offer researched-based information to patients about the link between diabetes and oral health,
School Outreach Programs – student-led interactive educational session and take-home hygiene kits for CCISD third and fourth graders, and
Coastal Bend Wellness Foundation Collaboration – student-developed and led presentations connecting systemic and oral health as part of foundation’s support of Mission of Mercy patients.

Incoming Pettus ISD High School Junior Kaylynn Johnson and DMC Dr Natalie Chapa_TWC JET Grant 052926

Kaylynn Johnson, an incoming Pettus High School junior, speaks to an audience attending the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) Jobs & Education for Texans (JET) grant check presentation event on Del Mar College’s Oso Creek Campus May 29. The TWC presented oversized checks to six Sluth Texas schools in the Coastal Bend totaling over $1.7 million combined for career training at both the high school and college levels. Johnson is training to become a registered nurse through Pettus ISD’s partnership with Coastal Bend College and related how the JET grant is allowing her to obtain several certifications as she prepares to enter the health care industry. Also pictured is Dr. Natalie Chapa, DMC Associate Vice President for External & Government Affairs and Strategic Planning, who emceed the event. (Credit: DMC College Relations)

Unsigned Oversized DMC Check on Easel_TWC JET Grant 052926

An oversized check made out to Del Mar College in the amount of $306,834 sits on an easel waiting to be signed by Texas Workforce Commission Chairman and Commissioner Representing Employers Joe Esparza as part of the commission’s Jobs & Education for Texans (JET) grant awards presentation at the college’s Oso Creek Campus May 29. The check represents funding support for the DMC Dental Hygiene Program for modernized equipment to train students for current and future demands for this field as Texas faces a shortage of dental hygienists statewide. The college was one of six recipients receiving a JET grant supporting career training for high school- and college-level students. (Credit: DMC College Relations)

Making iIt Official_TWC Chairperson Joe Esparza Signing DMC JET Grant Check

Del Mar College (DMC) Dental & Imaging Technology Department Chair Trey Alvarez (left) and DMC Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Dr. Gerald Napoles watch as Texas Workforce Commission Chairman and Commissioner Representing Employers Joe Esparza signs an oversized check representing the $306,834 Jobs & Education for Texans (JET) grant the Dental Hygiene Program received to modernize training equipment to prepare students for this high demand field. On May 29, the TWC presented over $1.8 million in JET grant awards combined to six recipient schools in the Coastal Bend region, including Del Mar College, Victoria College and Freer, Pettus, Sinton and Skidmore-Tynan Independent School Districts. (Credit: DMC College Relations)

As part of DMC Dental Hygiene majors’ required hands-on training, the program offers fall and spring semester Dental Hygiene clinics in the Windward Campus facility with FREE services covering sealants, fluoride applications, scaling and root planing, dental imaging and cleanings. These services equate annually to about $500,000 worth of dental hygiene work and prepare DMC students for employment that awaits them.

The program graduates 21 students annually. And according to Career Coach platform data for local dental hygienists, new processionals can start around $73,467 per year while the median salary at $91,456. Highly experienced dental hygienists can earn up to about $105,360 per year.

Del Mar College’s Dental & Imaging Technology Department offers an Associate in Applied Science degree in Dental Hygiene, along with a Level II Certificate and Associate in Applied Science degree in Dental Assisting.

Known for its excellence, the college’s Dental Hygiene Program currently maintains a three-year average for the following:

86% Completion Rate
100% State Licensure Examination Pass Rate
90% National Board Examination Pass Rate

Details about the Dental Hygiene Program are available online at www.delmar.edu/degrees/dental-hygiene/index.html. Interested future dental hygienists can also contact the department at 36- 698-2858or dit@delmar.edu.

About Del Mar College

Del Mar College empowers students to achieve their dreams. We offer quality programs, individual attention, outstanding instruction through faculty with real-world experience and affordable costs to credit and noncredit students in Corpus Christi and the South Texas Coastal Bend area. Nationally recognized while locally focused, we’re ranked in the top two percent of community colleges in the country granting associate degrees to Hispanic students (Community College Week). Del Mar College focuses on offering our students programs that match current or emerging career opportunities. Whether students are interested in the fine arts, sciences, business, occupational or technical areas, students get the education they need for the future they want at Del Mar College.