Watch a symposium on the future of the Texas workforce
By Texas Tribune Events Staff, The Texas Tribune
July 2, 2026
The jobs Texas will need to fill in 10 years are being defined today, and the state’s education and workforce systems are racing to catch up.
Join The Texas Tribune and The Waco Bridge on Wednesday, Aug. 12 at Texas State Technical College Construction Technologies Center in Waco and online for a daylong symposium on how Texas is building the systems, partnerships and programs to develop its workforce for the economy ahead, bringing together higher education leaders, employers, industry partners and workforce and civic stakeholders.
Two years into the implementation of House Bill 8, we assess what’s working, where gaps remain and where leadership is needed.
AGENDA
• 8:30 a.m. — Breakfast and networking
• 9 a.m. — Welcome remarks
• 9:15 a.m. — Keynote presentation on State of the Texas workforce
Roberto Coronado, senior vice president and senior economist at the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas
• 9:45 a.m. — What Texas employers actually need
A conversation between employers and education leaders on skills gaps, AI’s impact on job requirements and what industry actually needs from its academic partners.
• 11 a.m.— Building the pipeline: K-12 through credential
A look at the policy and practice behind dual enrollment, career academies and short-term credentials — and how HB 8 is reshaping the K-12-to-workforce pipeline across the state.
• 12:30 p.m. — The workforce in Waco — Hosted by the Waco Bridge
A spotlight on the partnerships, programs and models driving workforce outcomes in Central Texas, and what other communities can learn from them.
• 1:30 p.m. — Interactive session on what’s working in Texas
An interactive conversation with attendees on what’s working, what’s missing and what Texas needs to build a stronger workforce.
• 2 p.m. — Policy, investment and what comes next
A forward-looking conversation on the policy changes, funding tools and leadership required to make Texas’s workforce vision a reality, and what success looks like in five years.
• 3 p.m. — Closing remarks
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This article first appeared on The Texas Tribune.