As technology advances, a skills gap has emerged between students’ education and employers’ needs, threatening future workforce readiness. Work-based learning programs, which integrate real-world experiences and employer insights into education, offer a viable solution. This blog post explores three examples of programs that help students acquire essential skills and better prepare for high-demand jobs, addressing talent shortages in major sectors.
Earlier this year, the Texas Higher Education Foundation engaged TIP and Research Bridge Partners to bring a cross-section of stakeholders together and create a statewide plan focused on technology transfer, commercialization, and innovation. We invited the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board’s Senior Director for Strategic Initiatives and Engagement, Jaclyn Le, to talk about the strategic planning process underway.
Field Notes: Fostering Innovation at Texas Universities Read More
Faced with tight labor markets and ongoing skills-based shortages, talent attraction efforts benefit from creative approaches. Examples include tailoring talent recruitment initiatives to a specific audience or market; offering prospective residents meaningful information, services, and opportunities; and leveraging community expertise.
Triptychs: Attracting Talent in a Tight Labor Market Read More
Texas has more than 650 registered apprenticeship programs in a wide range of industries including construction, manufacturing, health care, information technology, energy, transportation, and education. As part of our Triptychs series, we feature three registered apprenticeship programs in the state that have had success preparing the next generation of workers.
Triptychs: Registered Apprenticeships Help Prepare Texas’s Next Generation of Workers Read More
The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the critical role of childcare in improving access to quality jobs and promoting economic mobility. Targeting incentives to address childcare shortages, upskilling existing early childhood educators, and helping providers expand their offerings are three strategies for expanding the supply of quality childcare.
Cluster strategies are top of mind as a way to strengthen the competitive advantages of a region. An examination of the business-led approach used by the Central Indiana Corporate Partnership (CICP) for more than two decades reveals the keys to CICP’s success. A holistic and collaborative approach to ecosystem building can lay the foundation for sustainable long-term economic growth.
Transforming Cluster Strategies: The Central Indiana Corporate Partnership Read More
The comprehensive economic development strategy (CEDS) is a cornerstone of the US Economic Development Administration’s (EDA) grant program. TIP’s four-part series will dive into topics related to creating a successful CEDS, including EDA requirements, community engagement, equity, and resiliency. The first installment examines the CEDS as an important tool for helping communities prioritize economic development opportunities.
Before the COVID-19 pandemic, only one in four young adults in Dallas earned a living wage. Unfortunately, the pandemic only exacerbated the situation, particularly for minority communities. In response, local leaders came together to launch Dallas Thrives, a community vision focused on doubling living-wage attainment in a single generation.
Field Notes: Investing in Disconnected Young People Read More
When economic developers think about the intersection of workforce development and education, their focus is usually on post-secondary training and higher education. Recently, however, some communities are making an effort to prepare students for the modern workforce much earlier.
Taking the Long View: Workforce Development in K-12 Education Read More
Disconnected young people, often referred to as opportunity youth, are the future of our economies and our workforce. We spoke to Anna Crockett, Community Development Analyst at the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, to better understand the challenges facing opportunity youth, their importance to our communities, and potential investment strategies for community leaders.
Field Notes: Investing in Disconnected Young People Read More
