Governor Greg Abbott announced the launch of the Texas Industry Cluster Innovative Academies as part of his Tri-Agency Workforce Initiative established in March 2016. Grants for the Innovative Academies will be used to develop program models that can be replicated or scaled across other campuses or different regions of the state. Each Innovative Academy must serve as a partnership between a public high school, an institution of higher education, and a high-demand industry partner. A combined total of $7.2 million in grants from the Texas Workforce Commission, the Texas Education Agency and the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board will be offered for the Innovative Academies.