Report On Texas Education And Workforce Integration

As part of Governor Greg Abbott’s Tri-Agency Workforce Initiative, the Texas Education Agency, Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board and Texas Workforce Commission has issued a joint report offering recommendations on how to better prepare the Texas workforce to compete in the 21st century economy.

Governor Abbott established the Tri-Agency Workforce Initiative in March and charged the commissioners of the TEA, THECB and the TWC with assessing local economic activity, examining workforce challenges and opportunities, and considering innovative approaches to meet the state’s workforce goals.

“Texans have always been hard working, driven, innovative and fiercely ambitious to achieve things tomorrow that don’t exist today,” said Governor Abbott. “Our goal is to ensure that the next generation builds on that legacy and perpetuates the Texas brand of exceptionalism. I applaud the work of Commissioner Alcantar, Commissioner Morath and Commissioner Paredes on their efforts and look forward to working with them to address Texas’ unique workforce needs.”

After meeting with local and regional stakeholders, industry leaders and representatives from higher education institutions, the commissioners recommended four prime recommendations to ensure the future economic competitiveness of Texas:

Identify statewide initiatives for the next generation that will make Texas the clear leader in targeted fields and position the state for economic pre-eminence.

Strengthen prekindergarten through high school academic instruction to establish students’ foundational skills in Math, Science, Language Arts, and Social Studies so that students graduate career and college ready and are prepared for lifetime learning.

Build a proactive, ongoing partnership among the TEA, THECB, TWC, and other stakeholders to align the educational goals of Texas with the state’s higher education plan of 60x30TX, which aims for 60 percent of 25- to 34-year-olds to hold either a certificate or degree by 2030, with the goal of growing the state’s workforce, industry, and the economy.

Identify services for Texas veterans and advance strategies to enhance their education and employment opportunities, and develop solutions to ensure a seamless and accelerated transition back into the Texas workforce.