Pearland Economic Development Corporation and Pearland Chamber of Commerce (TX) – 2027–2031 Workforce Strategy Action Plan

Challenge

Following the successful execution of their 2022–2025 workforce initiatives, the Pearland Economic Development Corporation (PEDC) and the Pearland Chamber of Commerce (Chamber) sought to enhance their ongoing collaborative momentum and align local talent efforts with the broader 2024 Pearland Prosperity community vision. As a fast-growing suburb in the Houston metropolitan area, leaders recognized that Pearland’s long-term economic competitiveness would depend on maintaining a responsive workforce strategy to enhance offerings for primary employers, strengthen education partnerships, and address barriers to workforce participation across the city.

Response

PEDC and the Chamber engaged TIP in late 2025 to prepare the 2027–2031 Workforce Strategy Action Plan, focusing on support for primary employers through enhanced business retention and expansion programming and aligned local talent pipelines. To inform this approach, TIP paired quantitative analytics with extensive stakeholder outreach. The quantitative analysis—delivered via interactive Tableau visualizations—benchmarked Pearland’s workforce dynamics against nine suburban peer cities and evaluated regional job postings across five target sectors. TIP also prepared its proprietary Job Quality and Accessibility tool and AI Occupational Exposure analysis to measure job quality, cost of living, and automation risk. Synthesizing these data insights with qualitative input from over 70 stakeholders—gathered through roundtables, business tours, interviews, and steering committee workshops with business, education, and community leaders—revealed critical insights. For example, Pearland employers offer above-average median wages and draw from a vast regional labor shed in the Houston metro, yet face intense competition for technical talent, mid-career shortages, and entry-level soft skill gaps. Additionally, employers across a range of sizes have variable talent demand and capacity for workforce engagement. These findings directly shaped the plan’s three strategic pillars: Employer Support (delivering tailored recruitment, retention, and upskilling assistance while strengthening business-education partnerships), Education and Career Exploration (aligning regional training programs and career and technical pathways with industry demand), and Workforce Resources (creating a unified Work in Pearland brand and no-wrong-door digital platform, and expanding the Community Resource Network for residents and early-career talent). Through increased staff time and resources dedicated to strengthening employer relationships, the workforce strategy positions PEDC and the Chamber to serve as effective ecosystem conveners, ensuring the city remains a community of choice for business growth and talent.