Improving Career Opportunities for Students and Workers Across Texas

Texas is known for its robust business environment–but companies across the state are struggling to fill nearly one million open jobs, revealing a significant imbalance between the number of skilled job openings and the number of skilled workers available to fill them. 

One solution is supporting state legislation that increases access to skills training programs at community colleges. The JPMorgan Chase PolicyCenter collaborated closely with AIM Hire Texas–a nonpartisan statewide partnership of business and education organizations–to help pass House Bill 8, which was recently signed into law by Texas Governor Greg Abbott. The new law incentivizes community colleges to create programs that are better aligned with workforce needs by establishing performance-based funding for skills training. 

JPMorgan Chase is proud of this collaborative effort to improve career opportunities for students and workers across Texas. Belen Garren, Managing Director, Region Manager Middle Market banking, for JPMorgan Chase discussed how–and why–the bank supported this important legislation in the Dallas Business Journal. 

Read the original placement in the Dallas Business Journal, published on May 26, 2023 here: Viewpoint: The workforce potential behind strengthening community colleges.