As the new school year begins, so does a renewed opportunity to shape our future workforce. By bringing educators and employers together, Workforce Solutions for North Central Texas (WSNCT) creates meaningful pathways that equip students with the skills, experiences, and confidence needed to succeed in tomorrow's economy.

This summer, WSNCT, the Tarrant County and Dallas County Workforce Development Boards and InterLink launched a regional Teacher Externship Program that welcomed 137 educators into workplaces across our region. By learning directly from local employers, teachers gained real insight into the skills, technologies, and career pathways shaping today's workforce. Now just a few weeks into the new school year, they are already carrying those experiences back to their classrooms, helping students connect what they learn today with the opportunities waiting for them tomorrow.

That same spirit of collaboration carried into our first ALIGN Lab last month, where workforce leaders and community college leaders from our 16 counties came together to study regional workforce data, discuss evolving policies including the Workforce Pell Grant, and name the barriers standing between students and meaningful careers. Texas has led the nation in job creation four years in a row, and with more than 165,000 jobs added statewide over the past year, the stakes of that alignment have never been higher. The conversations, connections, and commitments that grew from that gathering are already strengthening partnerships across North Texas, moving us closer to a workforce system that serves students, employers, and communities alike.

What we are building — through every externship, every data conversation, every partnership forged across North Texas — is a workforce system grounded in shared purpose. One that serves students, supports employers, and strengthens our communities, not just for today, but for everything that comes next.

Sincerely,

Phedra Redifer

Executive Director

Workforce Solutions for North Central Texas

See the Teacher Externship Program in action, and the partnerships behind it, by watching our recap video created in partnership with Workforce Solutions of Greater Dallas and InterLink.

We are proud to celebrate our partners at Navarro College and Leggett & Platt for receiving a $212,520 grant from the Texas Workforce Commission to launch a new training program for more than 70 students. Our Workforce Board was honored to provide a letter of support for this initiative, and we are glad to see it move forward.

The program prepares students for high-demand careers across our region, including Maintenance Superintendent, Warehouse/Transportation Manager, Machine Specialist, and other in-demand roles. Each pathway gives students the skills and hands-on experience employers are actively seeking, connecting what they learn in the classroom to real opportunities in the workforce.

Congratulations to Navarro College and Leggett & Platt on this well-deserved award. We look forward to watching these students build meaningful careers. Investments like this one keep our regional workforce growing stronger, more skilled, and better prepared.

Calling All Employers!

Finding qualified talent starts with the right connections. Strengthen your workforce and connect with talent at the upcoming Hiring Red, White & You! statewide hiring events.

Employers are invited to participate in these no-cost hiring events where they will have the opportunity to meet skilled candidates face-to-face while supporting veterans, transitioning service members, military spouses, and the broader North Central Texas workforce. The events will take place Nov. 12 in Cleburne and Nov. 19 in Allen (sponsored by Allen EDC).

Employers can learn more and register at dfwjobs.com/rwy. Job seeker registration will open in mid-September.