Giving Texas Students the Skills to Succeed

In Tarrant County, Texas, which includes the city of Fort Worth, only 39 percent of adults have an associate degree or higher. That’s significantly lower than the 71 percent of jobs in Texas that will require a postsecondary credential by 2036.

As the Texas economy increasingly depends on a highly educated workforce, the Tarrant To & Through Partnership (T3) is equipping students with the tools they need to secure good jobs.

T3 is a coalition of educators, leaders and advocates who support Tarrant County students from middle school through college. The “To & Through” portion of the group’s name reflects T3’s mission of not just getting students into postsecondary programs, but helping them complete their education, too.

To do this, T3 provides scholarships, hands-on learning opportunities, and one-on-one college and career advising to prepare students with the skills to succeed.

Over the last four years, JPMorganChase has invested $3.75 million to support T3’s mission to expand opportunities for more Texas students. This investment is part of the bank’s $75 million commitment to prepare young people around the world for the future of work.

In the four years since the initial investment from JPMorganChase, college application submissions from Tarrant County students have nearly doubled, and more than 4,000 T3 Scholars have enrolled at one of the program’s eight partner colleges and universities.

A New Tool for Career and Financial Journeys

For many students, figuring out what they want to pursue professionally can be as daunting as figuring out how they are going to make it happen. That’s why T3 is launching its Pathways to Careers digital platform with support from JPMorganChase.

In 2023, the bank made a $750,000 investment to fund the platform. It also sent its Force for Good team of technologists to help T3 enhance navigation and add bilingual content in Spanish.

The platform allows students to explore different career paths and see their potential earnings. With more exposure to career opportunities, students will be better informed as they create their own pathways to industry-based credentials, degrees and certifications that can lead to good jobs. The new platform is helpful for parents, too, especially those who are unfamiliar with all of the career options available to their children.  

“When the T3 Pathways to Careers platform launches in the fall, we expect it will expand our reach to roughly 40,000 students and families annually,” says Natalie Young-Williams, Executive Director of T3. “Imagine the impact on the community when these T3 scholars receive the boost they deserve to thrive in today’s workforce.”

Investing In Their Future

Without support from programs like T3, students could be leaving significant career earnings on the table. According to some estimates, adults without a credential earn $1 million less over their lifetimes. In other words, for every Tarrant County graduating class, there is up to $12.8 billion in lost lifetime earnings.

“It is critical that we invest in our students to ensure they have the tools they need to be successful,” says Phillip Wiginton, Market Executive for JPMorganChase in Tarrant County and a T3 board member. “T3 is preparing our students for the workforce of tomorrow by developing essential skills for in-demand careers.”

Learn more about how JPMorganChase is expanding economic opportunity and helping to build a stronger workforce in Texas and beyond.

JPMorganChase & Co and its affiliates are not responsible for, nor provide or endorse third party products, services or other content.  The company featured is not affiliated with JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A.