Measuring Our Work

In order to support the priorities and activities of the Regional Career Pathways Strategic Plan, Workforce Solutions of West Central Texas delivers or supports various events, initiatives, professional development opportunities, and other activities designed to provide students, parents, educators, employers, and other partners with tools to develop a strong regional talent pipeline. Efforts are designed to align to the labor market and economic needs of the region, primarily targeting career pathways in the Healthcare, Education, Manufacturing, and Construction industries. Below, you will find information and data regarding efforts aligned to the career pathway development strategic goals and priorities.  

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Career Awareness

By building an early knowledge of regional economic demand, training opportunities, work readiness skills, and exposure to industry information, Workforce Solutions of West Central Texas creates a pipeline of students who are educated and empowered to pursue postsecondary success. Examples of connections with middle and high school students during the school year include: 

  • Interactive labor market and high-demand job presentations
  • Virtual reality career simulations
  • Workshops for employability skill-building

Check out the chart to the right to see Career Awareness experiences offered during the Fall 2025 semester. 

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College and Career Advising

Creating a plan for their future is an important step for seniors at high schools across the region. The Youth Success Program embeds Youth Success Advisors to meet students where they are and assist them in developing their plans for after graduation. The career-focused approach to advising ensures that students are prepared to meet the needs of the industry. Working alongside district personnel, advisors provide assistance to students in the form of financial planning, college and career applications, and connections to work-based learning opportunities. In the 2025-2026 school year, more than 1,000 seniors at regional partner high schools are receiving one-on-one advising, working to develop a postsecondary plan designed to meet their career goals while aligning to regional training opportunities and economic demand. The data shown here summarizes the postsecondary plans, application completions, and career exposure opportunities experiences by seniors across the region as they complete the 2025-2026 school year.  

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Work-based Learning

The Work-based Learning model encompasses student experiences aligned to the Tri-agency Work-based Learning Framework. Work-based learning experiences are an essential part of career pathway development and have been established as an overarching measure of success for strategic regional support efforts. In order to support career exploration opportunities, Workforce Solutions of West Central Texas organizes a series of industry tours aligned with regional economic needs. Additionally, job shadowing and internship opportunities in these targeted industries offer juniors and seniors at regional school districts the opportunity to connect with employers, developing technical and employability skills throughout their experiences. The data shown here summarizes student experiences through industry tours for the Fall 2025 semester. Stay tuned for data related to student internships, kicking off in Spring 2025.

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Collaborations

Collaboration between K-12, higher education, employer, economic development, and community partners is an essential part of career pathway development efforts. As the regional convener, Workforce Solutions of West Central Texas leads collaborative efforts to align education, industry, and community stakeholders, fostering a unified strategy to address workforce challenges and opportunities. Meaningful partnerships with and among cross-sector stakeholders are crucial to efforts in developing and sustaining quality education and career pathways. Acting as an intermediary in these efforts and guided by the Pathway Leadership Team, Workforce Solutions of West Central Texas frequently convenes partners from across sectors in an effort to cultivate relationships, align education and career pathway supports, and forge connections across sectors. 

K-12 educators are critical to ensuring that students are equipped with the skills and knowledge required to thrive in a rapidly changing economy. The map to the right shows districts that are involved in College and Career Advising and Work-based Learning efforts organized by Workforce Solutions of West Central Texas for the 2025-2026 school year. 

Industry partners are another critical sector involved in career pathway development work in the region, creating opportunities for students to explore regional industries, understand career expectations, and gain exposure to in-demand skills. Employer partners from the Manufacturing, Healthcare, Construction, Finance, and Education sectors work alongside K-12 and postsecondary partners to grow and support areas of critical need in our region. By connecting employers with education partners from both the secondary and postsecondary levels, Workforce Solutions of West Central Texas prioritizes building talent pipelines grounded in economic demand. 

See the chart to the right for a summary of partners across all sectors plugged in to the work of building and supporting career pathways throughout the 2025-2026 school year.

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Events

Workforce Solutions of West Central Texas strategically tailors various events throughout the year to serve audiences such as educators, students, and early-career adults, with the shared goal of strengthening the regional workforce pipeline. Essential to this work are the strong partnerships with education providers, employers, community partners, and economic development. Each initiative is structured to foster real-world engagement, from classroom relevance to hands-on skill application and direct hiring opportunities. 

Most recently, administrators, teachers, and counselors from K–12 and postsecondary institutions across the region came together for the Fall 2025 Career Pathways Summit. Participants engaged with a variety of topics and resources that connect directly to our work of building and supporting accessible education and training pathways that lead to high-wage, high-demand careers.  From exploring best practices in work-based learning to discovering effective strategies for partnering with employers and community organizations, attendees left with actionable insights to bring back to their campuses, ultimately benefiting students across the West Central Texas region.