Workforce Attainment
The Problem
Students and families in Texas should be able to live here, train here, work here, and thrive here.
Yet, our education and training pipeline fails to prepare our community to meet the requirements for these in-demand jobs.
54% of Texas jobs require a postsecondary credential beyond high school.¹
By 2031, 63% of all jobs in Texas will require at least some postsecondary education beyond high school.²
¹ The Texas Skills Mismatch. National Skills Coalition, 2020.
² After Everything: Projections of Jobs, Education, and Training Requirements through 2031 (State Report). Washington, DC: Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce, 2023.
Data & Trends
One way we see misalignments in our education system is by looking at the number of students who complete a sequence in each of the Career & Technical Education (CTE) clusters.
To complete a coherent sequence, students must complete two or more courses in a pathway that provides three or more credits toward graduation.
In the chart below, we see one example. Only 284 Central Texas seniors in 2022 completed a sequence of manufacturing courses. Compare that to the expected job growth. Over the next five years, our region will need to support 20,000 new jobs in advanced manufacturing alone, a far cry from the mere hundreds who are graduating with qualifying skills.
Ongoing Strategies
This is an entire ecosystem challenge.
The E3 Alliance-led Accelerate ED design team members, as well as industry, institutions of higher education, and funders, propose to build out an aligned, scalable model for an advanced manufacturing workforce.
- Create a detailed plan to enroll 1,750 new students (including re-skilling adults) into advanced manufacturing pathways in the 2024-25 academic year.
- Deliver 10,000+ new qualified employees to Central Texas advanced manufacturing companies within five years.
- Build a new framework for expanding to other critical workforce sectors and other regions across the state.
Expand Workforce, CTE, and Dual Credit Offerings in Texas
Texas recently passed legislation to address the changing needs of the workforce.
House Bill 8 (HB 8):
- Reforms the community college finance system to align policy and funding incentives.
- Positions high school students to take dual credit on pathways toward meaningful credentials.
- Expands opportunities for adult learners.
- Provides additional state funding for community colleges tied to successful student outcomes.
More Initiatives and Organizations to Watch
Here are a few organizations focused on the workforce pipeline, including PK-12 and higher education institutions, nonprofits, and industry.
- Make It Movement
- Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board Building a Talent Strong Texas initiative
- Workforce Solutions
- Austin Regional Manufacturers Association (ARMA)
- My Texas Future
- Forum for Community Solutions
- Ray Marshall Center Studies on Pathways Taken By Opportunity Youth
Resources
Accelerate ED Blueprint Presentation on Expanding P-TECH
Accelerate ED Case Study
