The tools to tackle Texas’ labor shortage

I recently sat down with policy leaders from across the country at a meeting hosted by Business Roundtable in Washington, D.C. As you can imagine, the economy and workforce were top of mind for all of us.

Employers statewide are having varying levels of difficulty finding skilled workers. While there’s no one tool that can alleviate this nationwide challenge, there is a toolbox.

Take the Texas Reskilling and Upskilling through Education (TRUE) initiative, for example. This tool was passed by the Texas Legislature in 2021 and focuses on bringing industry and education together to launch or upgrade industry-aligned, high-demand career programs that can be completed in six months or less. Under TRUE, Texas has already directed $26 million to skills training at 46 colleges and multi-college collaboratives across the state, with $15 million more recently announced. TRUE also aligns with Texas’ Building a Talent Strong Texas strategic plan, which seeks to ensure that, by 2030, 60% of Texans have a postsecondary credential of value, whether that credential is a degree, certificate, or industry-based certification.

Click here to read the full article via Austin American-Statesman