Harris County plans to build a $1.82 million vocational training center at 9120 Katy Hockley Road in Katy. The facility, next to the county's Leadership Academy, would offer youth in the juvenile justice system hands-on career training in trades like welding and culinary arts.

The 3,609-square-foot facility will house four multifunctional classrooms and covered outdoor areas, according to Community Impact, which first reported the project. A state construction filing pegs the estimated cost at $1.82 million, as My Neighborhood News reported in July. Matt Shelton, the Harris County Juvenile Probation Department's assistant executive director, told Community Impact he could not confirm the final cost because the project is still in procurement.

Funding comes from the Harris County Capital Improvements Program.

The department surveyed youth at the academy on what vocational programs they wanted. Welding was the top choice. Other potential offerings include construction trades, culinary programs, barbershop courses, mechanics and multimedia. Shelton said courses will not be finalized until the department reaches an agreement with a vocational partner within the next year. The department is in talks with TXRX and WorkTexas, two organizations it already works with at other facilities.

"If you look at kids that are leaving the juvenile justice system and matriculating into young adulthood, one of the best protective factors that you can provide those kids are jobs," Shelton told Community Impact. "It provides structure, it provides economic security, it helps them move on and keep out of the adult system."

The Leadership Academy is a secure residential facility that provides therapy, schooling and structured activities for serious juvenile offenders. Its QUEST program is a 24-bed, 36-week treatment track for teenage boys. Shelton said the academy does not have enough room for all the services it wants to offer, and the department conceived the vocational center idea about three years ago.

According to the state construction filing, construction was slated to begin Sept. 24, with completion targeted for Dec. 30, 2027. In early September, Shelton said the department was weeks away from going out for bids, with construction expected to wrap in about a year. The pre-engineered metal building will provide flexible teaching space for the QUEST program.

Shelton said bid and construction details will follow once procurement wraps up.