SAN ANTONIO – Texas is moving to expand apprenticeships, streamline career resources, and boost training for high-demand trades and other critical industries under a new set of directives announced by Gov. Greg Abbott in Austin.
Abbott said the actions are aimed at strengthening workforce development and helping more Texans access “high-demand, high-paying jobs in the trades and other critical industries.” He announced the directives during a press conference at the Governor’s Mansion, saying state agencies will take immediate action to strengthen the workforce development system and prepare Texans to fill a growing number of jobs in high-demand fields.
“The demand for a high-skilled workforce has never been greater,” Abbott said. “I tasked the Texas Jobs Council with developing recommendations that could be implemented immediately through either executive or agency action to make sure we have the best-trained workforce in the United States. Based on those recommendations, I am directing four state agencies to take immediate action.”
Abbott created the Texas Jobs Council in March to develop legislative recommendations and actionable items that can be implemented immediately through executive or agency authority. The council worked with the Texas Workforce Commission, Texas Education Agency, Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, and Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation to develop recommendations.
Under Abbott’s directives, the Texas Workforce Commission is instructed to expand apprenticeship opportunities by identifying new apprenticeable occupations across Texas industries; create a one-stop online hub for state career planning resources; develop unified career pathways for Texans facing barriers to employment, including veterans, foster youth and people with disabilities; and launch digital Learning and Employment Records through the Tri-Agency Workforce Initiative to streamline connections between employers and jobseekers.
The Texas Education Agency is directed to recruit more skilled trades professionals to teach high school Career and Technical Education courses by expanding local teaching permits and issuing guidance for school districts; update the list of approved industry certifications to better align with workforce needs and high-demand jobs; bring hands-on “try the trades” experiences to rural and small school districts through expanded mobile STEM labs; and expand the Texas Regional Pathways Network statewide to increase access to workforce dual credit for high school students.
The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board is instructed to promote careers in the trades and other high-demand fields that do not require a bachelor’s degree through a new “You Go to College for That” campaign on the My Texas Future platform; add self-paced career advising training for K-12 counselors and postsecondary advisors focused on high-demand jobs; and launch new community college dashboards aimed at giving campus leaders better data on credentials of value and high-demand programs to boost student enrollment.
The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation is directed to review age requirements to safely expand opportunities for younger Texans to enter apprenticeships, CTE programs and licensed trades earlier; waive renewal fees and reduce continuing education requirements for more than 20,000 CTE instructors; allow rigorous training experiences to count toward on-the-job experience requirements for faster paths to licensure while maintaining high standards; and expand onsite and remote licensing exam options.
Abbott’s office said the actions are intended to demonstrate Texas’s commitment to opportunity and economic growth and to help ensure Texans succeed in the state’s economy.
Abbott was joined at the announcement by Texas Jobs Council co-chair Megan Mauro, interim president of the Texas Association of Business, and council co-chair Brent Taylor, Southern Region vice president of the Teamsters, along with other business and labor leaders and state officials.
The council is expected to reconvene this fall to develop legislative recommendations for the 90th Legislature. A final report is expected in November 2026.