As North Texas attracts hundreds of new residents daily, a stark reality threatens the region’s economic promise: Nearly half of the working-age population lacks a postsecondary education.
“About 45% of the adult working-age population in this region doesn’t have a postsecondary credential,” said Dallas College Chancellor Justin Lonon. The region must equip residents with hirable skills — or the gap between the haves and the have-nots will widen, Lonon said.
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Preparing North Texas’ future workforce was the focus of the YMCA of Metropolitan Dallas’ recent YMCA Key Leaders Luncheon. The event connected education officials with business leaders at the Omni Hotel Dallas.
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YMCA of Metropolitan Dallas CEO and President Curt Hazelbaker described the organization’s mission as standing in the gaps created by economic pressures. The YMCA serves over 241,000 people in North Texas through programs ranging from career readiness and child care to mental health initiatives, he said.
Dallas College serves 130,000 students, including 30,000 high school students participating in dual credit and early college programs, Lonon said. The college tuition covers textbook costs. The school offers support for transportation and child care, and the institution operates a teacher residency program for students to earn money while teaching, he said.
But that’s only one part of what’s needed to serve students, according to the workforce development advocates.
Christy Pambianchi (left), chief human resources officer of Caterpillar Inc., speaks as Justin Lonon, chancellor of Dallas College, listens during a YMCA Key Leaders Luncheon on Thursday, Oct. 2, 2025, in Dallas.
Shafkat Anowar / Staff Photographer
The region needs to help students discover their career paths at an earlier age, said Christy Pambianchi, chief human resources officer of Caterpillar Inc., an Irving-based, world-leading equipment manufacturer for construction, mining and energy. Caterpillar recently committed $100 million to workforce development over the next five years, Pambianchi said.
“Students lose interest in STEM in sixth grade,” Pambianchi said. “I’ve tried to create events where people can come into plants to see what manufacturing is.”
Frisco ISD Superintendent Mike Waldrip said students can earn industry-level certifications through career and technical education courses and through a partnership with Collin College.
Still, ongoing collaboration among schools, businesses, community colleges and legislators is necessary to establish an effective workforce development strategy, Waldrip said.
“I don’t think we can all work in silos,” Waldrip said. “We can’t coordinate and do things together if we’re not in the same room together.”
Mike Waldrip (left), superintendent of Frisco ISD, speaks as Christy Pambianchi, chief human resources officer of Caterpillar Inc., listens during a YMCA Key Leaders Luncheon on Thursday, Oct. 2, 2025, in Dallas.
Shafkat Anowar / Staff Photographer
This reporting is part of the Future of North Texas, a community-funded journalism initiative supported by the Commit Partnership, Communities Foundation of Texas, The Dallas Foundation, the Dallas Mavericks, the Dallas Regional Chamber, Deedie Rose, Lisa and Charles Siegel, the McCune-Losinger Family Fund, The Meadows Foundation, the Perot Foundation, the United Way of Metropolitan Dallas and the University of Texas at Dallas. The News retains full editorial control of this coverage.