Why workers and employers needed a Good Jobs Executive Order
On Sept. 6 in Ann Arbor, Michigan, Acting Secretary Julie Su joined President Biden as he signed the Investing in America and Investing in Americans Executive Order. Or as we call it, the Good Jobs Executive Order.

TWC Kicks Off 13th Annual Statewide Hiring Initiative for Veterans and Their Families
From November 1-22, the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) is hosting the 13th annual Hiring Red, White & You! event series. This statewide event connects employers with veterans, transitioning military members, and military spouses.

Texas Civilian Labor Force Exceeds 15.4 Million, Over 29,000 Jobs Added
Texas’ labor market achieved new record highs in September in terms of the job count and number of people in the civilian labor force.

Nearly half of Texas high school students who earn college credits are Hispanic, study says
Despite the group’s strong participation, Hispanic students graduate college at a lower rate than peers in the program, according to a report.

When Texas students don’t show up to class, it hurts learning – and funding
Attendance hasn’t fully rebounded since the pandemic, costing public schools millions.

Texas’ abortion laws are straining the OB/GYN workforce, new study shows
More doctors are considering leaving or retiring early, while fewer medical students are applying to obstetrics and gynecology residencies in Texas.

$20M Available for Out-of-School Time Organizations to Increase Access to Good Jobs
The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) announced the availability of up to $20 million in grants for national out-of-school time organizations to expand local work-based learning opportunities, job training, and career pathways for underserved youth after school and during the summer.

Here and There‑‑(Mostly Here)!
A number of studies indicate that many of the folks coming to Texas are in prime working age ranges, with a substantial number of them possessing in-demand skills and training.

Texas Job Growth Surges with 78,000 Jobs Added in August
Texas’ annual nonfarm growth rate currently sits at 2.2 percent, outpacing the U.S. growth rate by 0.7 percentage points.

Weekly applications for US jobless benefits fall to the lowest level in 4 months
The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits fell to their lowest level in four months last week.

TWC Awards $350,000 Grant to My Possibilities for Workforce Training
My Possibilities will use the TTC grant in partnership with Workforce Solutions for North Central Texas and other local partners to support the Employment Innovations School (EIS), which provides hands-on training to adults with intellectual or developmental disabilities, so they can develop practical work skills.

Texans Old and New
The larger proportion of young people will help Texas meet future workforce needs, and, assuming they are well-educated, provide a decided competitive advantage.

TWC Awards Over $83 Million in Grants for Expansion of Adult Education and Literacy Programs
Funded by the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education, these grants will continue educational opportunities for 70,000 adult learners served by TWC’s Adult Education and Literacy (AEL) programs.

Skills Based Hiring: Why states & employers must act now to build a stronger more diverse workforce
When state governments and employers implement a full suite of policies that remove barriers and promote inclusion in credentialing, hiring, and career advancement, there's opportunity for skills-based hiring to build a diverse talent pipeline and meet industry demand.

Generative A.I. Can Transform Workforce Development: The Future of Corporate Training
By replacing human intelligence with chatbots in training initiatives that rely on real-time data analysis and feedback, companies can more objectively and efficiently measure performance.

White House launches cybersecurity hiring sprint to help fill 500,000 job openings
National Cyber Director Harry Coker Jr. unveiled the program as part of an effort to fill a continued gap in cyber, technology and AI positions.

Texas schools are hiring more teachers without traditional training. They hope the state will pay to prepare them.
Schools are hiring instructors with different types of backgrounds to deal with critical staff shortages.

TWC Youth Robotics Grants Encourage High School Students to Pursue Careers in STEM
Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) awarded $1.4 million in grants for Youth Robotics programs that will enable more than 8,200 Texas high school students to participate in Youth Robotics competitions.

WSTC Executive Director Announces Retirement
Workforce Solutions for Tarrant County (WSTC), today announced the retirement of its Executive Director, Judy McDonald, effective January 2025. McDonald has led the organization for 28 years, during which time WSTC has grown to become an award-winning, respected leader in the public workforce development arena at both the state and national levels.

Here's why Texas is among the leaders in clean energy jobs
Texas is seeing some of the highest growth in clean energy jobs in the country, according to a new report by the Department of Energy.

NSC Blog: AI in the labor market: A Jump Ball Moment for the Middle Class
We are at a jump ball moment when it comes to AI’s impact on the labor market. We can either use AI to foster economic opportunity for people without a bachelor’s degree and grow the middle class, or we can let it widen existing inequalities and leave workers sitting on the bench.

College costs weigh heavily on Texas students as they wait on late financial aid offers
Delays in the new FAFSA led students to take out debt, enroll in community college over their top-choice universities or opt out of going to college.

More than 28% of Americans are searching for new jobs — the highest rate in a decade
People’s fears of losing their jobs are at the highest point in a New York Fed survey’s 10-year history, even as the unemployment rate remains low.

Opinion: Texas must invest in early reading for long-term success
Accountability for public schools requires urgency. It is time for bold actions.

Texas’ jobless rate inched up in July amid nationwide slowdown
The unemployment rate was higher in 13 states from June to July, and lower in just Connecticut.

Why do we expect teachers to spend $800 stocking up their classroom? | Opinion
Across the nation, more than 90% of teachers report having to dip into their own funds to cover the costs of school supplies, according to federal data.

Texas' Civilian Labor Force Records Seventh Consecutive Month of Growth
Texas’ seasonally adjusted civilian labor force achieved a new record-high of 15,353,700 after adding 41,900 people over the month in July. This marks a seventh consecutive month of growth for Texas’ civilian labor force. Over the year, Texas’ civilian labor force has added 248,900 people.

After six years of low scores for students learning English, Texas educators say it’s the test’s fault
Students’ scores in a test that gauges their English skills have been low since a redesign introduced computer scoring.

BLOG: Why Texas School Districts are Filing Deficit Budgets
As the 2024-25 school year approaches, Texas school districts are bracing for significant financial challenges. Superintendents and school boards across the state face the daunting task of creating school budgets amid historic inflation, the end of COVID-19 federal funding, and a lack of additional state funding since 2019. Many school districts across the state are adopting deficit budgets and cutting programs, while Texas has $21.2 billion available.

Texas schools got billions in federal pandemic relief. It is coming to an end as the school year starts.
Educators say they’ll struggle to keep the programs they created with those funds, highlighting their precarious situation without more state help.

Senate Releases FY 2025 Education Funding Bill
Senate appropriators on Aug. 1 released and passed the fiscal year (FY) 2025 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies funding bill. The bill would provide $80 billion in discretionary funding for the Department of Education, representing a little more than a 1% increase for the Department of Education, which is in sharp contrast to the 14% cut the House Appropriations Committee approved last month.

Workforce Solutions Southeast Texas wins TEDC Award
Workforce Solutions Southeast Texas, Orange County along with Golden Triangle Polymers were amongst the winners for their collaborative efforts on the Local First project in Orange County. This initiative focuses on hiring local skilled labor workers first, showcasing a strong commitment to supporting the local workforce.

North Texas colleges want to make transferring between schools easier, saving saving students time and money
Thousands of Texas transfer students each year don’t get credit for some community college courses. The partnership seeks to address that.

Recent wave of illegal immigration could net the federal government nearly $1 trillion, study says
The CBO estimates the immigration surge will create $1.2 trillion in federal revenue over the next decade, mostly from income taxes and spending by the estimated 8.7 million migrants living in the U.S. during that time. Those same migrants would cost the federal government just $300 billion in health care and other costs, according to the estimate, bringing the net benefit to $900 billion.

The US economy is pulling off something historic
Economic growth in the first half of the year was solid, with the economy expanding a robust 2.8% annualized rate in the second quarter, according to fresh Commerce Department figures released Thursday, which are adjusted for inflation and seasonal swings.

A small Texas school district feels inflation squeeze with base state funding stagnant
Sunnyvale ISD watched costs rise but the amount of state money per-student stays the same.

TWC Receives $8.8 Million Award from U.S. Department of Labor for Apprenticeship Expansion
The DOL Apprenticeship Expansion funding will increase the number of apprentices by creating new and expanding existing Registered Apprenticeship programs.

Why Gen Z and millennial workers are motivated differently
A productivity expert argues that businesses can’t use a one-size-fits-all approach to keeping young employees engaged.

A Hopeful First Year for New Texas Funding Model
Texas embraced a new, performance-based funding model for community colleges. A year later, campus leaders believe they are starting to see the rewards.

TWC Awarded $4.6 Million Grant to Expand Reentry Workforce Services
The funding, which comes from the U.S. Department of Labor in partnership with the U.S. Department of Justice, will be used to extend employment services to individuals who are incarcerated or released from federal prisons.

60% of newly arrived migrants find jobs
Study by Dallas Fed says immigration ‘wave’ of past few years is boosting U.S. economy
7/10

Paid or unpaid, child care is vital to the economy. This program recognizes that.
There's increased urgency from federal and state policymakers and businesses to ensure communities have access to affordable, high-quality child care, paving the way for parents — especially women — to work, an essential element of a robust and well-functioning economy.

Texas Achieves 10 Consecutive Months of Record High Jobs with 41,800 Added in May
Texas’ annual nonfarm employment expanded by 2.3 percent which outpaced the nation by half a point, as the state added 316,700 jobs since May 2023.

After decades of lobbying by Christian conservative donors, school voucher legislation may finally have the votes
Gov. Greg Abbott succeeded in his campaign against Republicans who defied him on school vouchers. Now he may finally get the votes he needs to pass a bill.

With too few mental health providers, more patients turn to primary care
While primary care is experiencing its own workforce shortage, the profession is shouldering more mental health screenings to help bridge the behavioral health provider gap.

HELP Committee Holds Hearing on WIOA Reauthorization
On June 12, the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee held a hearing about reauthorizing the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA).

TWC Awards $149,364 Training Grant to Workforce Solutions Lower Rio Grande Valley and Local Partners
Workforce Solutions Lower Rio Grande Valley will use the grant in partnership with Pharr Economic Development Corporation and Rio Grande Valley College to help train 50 individuals for high-demand occupations as life scientists, occupational health and safety technicians, medical assistants, phlebotomists, and more.

Disaster Unemployment Assistance Available in Eight Additional Counties Due to Impacts of Recent Severe Weather
The amended Presidential Disaster Declaration now includes Austin, Bell, Calhoun, Collin, Cooke, Coryell, Ellis, Dallas, Denton, Eastland, Falls, Guadalupe, Hardin, Harris, Henderson, Hockley, Jasper, Jones, Kaufman, Lamar, Leon, Liberty, Montague, Montgomery, Navarro, Newton, Polk, San Jacinto, Smith, Terrell, Trinity, Tyler, Van Zandt, Walker, and Waller Counties.

TWC Awards $122,013 Training Grant to Workforce Solutions Texoma and Local Partners
Workforce Solutions Texoma will use the grant in partnership with Denison Independent School District, Grayson College, and Texas Industries to purchase equipment that will help prepare 36 individuals for high-demand occupations in the semiconductor manufacturing industry.

Child Care Challenges
One of the most significant problems facing working parents is finding high-quality, affordable child care. It's an issue not only for the families involved, but also for the workforce, the economy, society, and long-term prosperity.

TWC Launches New Grant Program to Invest in Texas’ Future Workforce
The Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) is now accepting applications for the Lone Star Workforce of the Future Fund, a program designed to increase qualified workers in high-demand occupations. The program was created by the 88th Texas Legislature through the passage of HB 1755, then signed into law by Governor Greg Abbott.

An Alabama manufacturer shows how to retain working moms: child care
When the joint-venture auto plant went into full production in 2022, its leaders considered what was needed to lure a modern-day workforce. Child care was near the top.

High school students’ math scores are still lagging, STAAR results show
Algebra scores have not recovered since the pandemic, raising worries about students’ readiness for STEM-related jobs.