Tri-Agency Workforce Initiative Submits Report to Governor Abbott

Nov. 18, 2020, Austin, TX – The Tri-Agency Workforce Initiative, a joint endeavor among the Commissioners of the Texas Education Agency (TEA), the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB), and the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC), today released its latest report to Gov. Greg Abbott.

The mission of the Tri-Agency Workforce Initiative is to build a strong Texas workforce and ensure that Texans are prepared for jobs in the industries that power the state’s economy today and tomorrow.

Earlier this year, Gov. Abbott asked the agencies to marshal their combined resources to address long-term education and employment needs across the state. “It is imperative that we build upon the resources of House Bill 3 and accompanying legislation to ensure today’s students and tomorrow’s workforce are prepared to meet Texas’ long-term workforce needs in a comprehensive and efficient manner,” Gov. Abbott said in his Feb. 13 announcement

The report, titled “Linking Education and Workforce: Spurring Economic Growth Across Texas,” focuses on three statewide priorities:

• Supporting efficient and flexible pathways to earning high-value credentials that are linked to high-wage, in-demand jobs.
• Ensuring students receive the necessary support to succeed at all stages of their educations and in their transitions to the workforce.
• Creating a robust infrastructure for agency collaboration around common goals, data, and processes to ensure improved student outcomes.

“The work of the Tri-Agency Initiative is an important reinforcement of TEA’s commitment to ensure that every child is prepared for college, career, or the military. It takes a dedicated, collaborative effort to ensure all students in K-12 are prepared to pursue any career that they should choose,” said Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath.

“The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, along with our Tri-Agency partners, is committed to advancing meaningful, effective strategies to address the state’s education and workforce needs,” said Commissioner of Higher Education Harrison Keller. “Jobs increasingly follow skills, and by achieving the Tri-Agency Workforce Initiative’s priorities, we will help future generations of Texans achieve academic and workforce success.”

The Tri-Agency’s vision is that Texans of all ages have access to high-quality education and workforce training that empowers them to achieve their full potential.Gov. Abbott established the group in 2016 to assess local economic activity, examine workforce challenges and opportunities, and consider innovative approaches to meeting the state’s workforce goals. The aim is to collaborate and develop strong links between education and industry to help Texas grow in economic prosperity.

“Maintaining a strong, skilled and growing Texas workforce requires planning and commitment. This report is not the final product, but the continuation of sustained statewide collaborations,” said TWC Chairman Bryan Daniel.“ My fellow TWC Commissioners, Aaron Demerson and Julian Alvarez, and I are prepared to implement strategic initiatives to expand opportunities for current and future Texas workers to meet the needs of Texas’ diverse industries.

More information, including progress on the priorities, will be regularly posted on the Tri-Agency Initiative Website.

Kelly Carper Polden
Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board
Kelly.Polden@highered.texas.gov

Frank Ward or Jacob Kobersky
Texas Education Agency
Frank.Ward@tea.texas.gov Jacob.Kobersky@tea.texas.gov

James Bernsen
Texas Workforce Commission
james.bernsen@twc.state.tx.us