Resources
Explore additional resources to learn more about regional opportunities for getting involved and building high-quality career and education pathways.
Jobs & Education for Texans (JET) Grant Program - Texas Workforce Commission
The JET program provides grants to public junior, state, or technical colleges and to
public school districts in partnership with a public junior, state, or technical college to buy and install equipment for career and technical education (CTE) courses. These courses must lead to a license, certificate, or post-secondary degree in a high-demand occupation.
public school districts in partnership with a public junior, state, or technical college to buy and install equipment for career and technical education (CTE) courses. These courses must lead to a license, certificate, or post-secondary degree in a high-demand occupation.
Newly Certified and New Teacher Hires Dashboards
These TEA dashboards provide an improved understanding of the routes to being hired as a teacher for newly hired educators, as well as the relationship between teacher preparation, certification pathways, and new teacher hires in Texas public schools.
Texas 8th Grade Cohorts
The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) follows cohorts of students who attend 8th grade in a Texas public school for 11 years to determine student outcomes, including four years of high school and six years of higher education.
Texas Reality Check
Do you need a tool that will teach youth about what it takes to afford the lifestyle they want to live? Texas Reality Check is a tool you can use with students to show how much your living expenses will cost, and the amount of money you will need to earn to pay for them.
YES! Expo
The YES! Expo is the region’s premier career exploration event for high school students. Hosted by Workforce Solutions for the Heart of Texas since 2016, this annual event features over 200 employers, organizations, and post-secondary institutions to help high school students in the six-county region learn more about their local career and educational opportunities. The 2025 YES! Expo is set for May 2, 2025. Learn more about last year’s event, and subscribe for news alerts for the 2025 event.
Workforce Innovation Opportunity Act (WIOA)
Workforce Solutions for the Heart of Texas helps eligible adults, youth, and dislocated workers acquire industry-recognized credentials for in-demand jobs through various federally funded employment, training, and support services.
Involvement Opportunities for Heart of Texas Businesses
Workforce Solutions for the Heart of Texas provides several opportunities for businesses to get involved in helping youth gain the knowledge and skills necessary for future workforce success.
Registered Apprenticeship Programs (RAPs)
A Registered Apprenticeship Program (RAP) is an industry-driven, high-quality career pathway where employers can develop and prepare their future workforce, and individuals can obtain paid work experience, classroom instruction, and a nationally-recognized credential. Workforce Solutions for the Heart of Texas partners with local employers to provide several opportunities in our targeted occupations.
Heart of Texas Labor Market Insights
Workforce Solutions Heart of Texas analyzes local and regional labor market data to provide businesses with current, in-depth information. The Heart of Texas Workforce Development Area consists of Bosque, Falls, Freestone, Hill, Limestone, and McLennan counties. Use this web page to review labor market information for this region.
Labor Market and Career Information
The Texas Labor Market Information (LMI) website provides valuable tools and resources for exploring careers and Career and Technical Education (CTE) information statewide and regionally. Users can access labor market data, career planning tools, and occupation profiles to make informed decisions about education and employment pathways. The site is ideal for students, parents, educators, and workforce professionals seeking to align educational pathways with high-demand careers in Texas.
Texas Workforce Development Toolkit
Local labor market dynamics influence post-graduation outcomes for students, whether they are first-time undergraduates or pursuing a certificate or credential. The Brookings Workforce of the Future initiative’s Texas Workforce Development Toolkit provides information on local job quality and demand so that educational experiences can target stable jobs with decent wages and opportunities for mobility. Start by choosing the Heart of Texas workforce area on the left side of the page. Get started now.
Texas 2036
This website provides unique data visualizations, tools, and maps to track statewide progress on critical indicators, including education and workforce, health and human services, infrastructure, demographics, natural resources, justice and safety, government performance, and the economy.
Texas Career Check
Use Texas Career Check to help students search and explore occupations and get a detailed report on occupations of interest. You can also explore education pathways, programs of study, and nationwide post-secondary information.
Central Texas Robotics and Automation Consortium (CTRAC)-Robotics
The Central Texas Robotics and Automation Consortium (CTRAC) was created in late 2021 with the intent of preparing students for careers in the manufacturing, robotics, and automation fields. The first cohort of students started in the pathway in the Fall of 2022. CTRAC is currently part of a larger initiative called the Falls County Rural Collaborative (FCRC), where participating rural schools share resources like staff, facilities, and transportation to offer more college and career pathways than each could do alone.
YES! High School Student Welding Internship Program
The YES! High School Student Welding Internship program is an initiative of Workforce Solutions for the Heart of Texas and Waco ISD’s Greater Waco Advanced Manufacturing Academy (GWAMA). The goal of the program is to provide GWAMA students with a paid internship that provides them with hands-on work experience with local businesses.
O'NET Online
The O*NET Program is the nation’s primary source of occupational information. Valid data are essential to understanding the rapidly changing nature of work and how it impacts the workforce and the U.S. economy. Use this website to find regional labor market and career information.
Teacher Summer Externship
The YES! Teacher Summer Externship is an initiative of Workforce Solutions for the Heart of Texas that provides high school educators with professional development opportunities with local businesses to enrich classroom learning. The five-day externship experience will be held in June 2025, and consist of an orientation, three days of teachers on-site with the businesses, and a final presentation day. Teacher externs must meet eligibility requirements. Dates and additional details for the 2025 externship will be provided when available.
Early Education Apprenticeship (EEA)
The Early Education Apprenticeship (EEA) offers a career pathway for childcare providers and aspiring early educators in Bosque, Falls, Freestone, Hill, Limestone and McLennan counties. EEA offers paid on-the-job-learning, college coursework, and one-on-one coaching in an early childhood classroom. It’s the first of its kind in the Heart of Texas region. The first cohort graduated in May 2024.