Texas Wesleyan University is developing a partnership with Autobahn that would help students continue from TCC toward a bachelor\u2019s degree in applied arts and sciences, President Emily Messer said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is truly the full life cycle for one partnership,\u201d Messer said.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/3R6A5759-1024x676.jpg\")
Attendees listen to Emily Messer, Texas Wesleyan University president, speak during the State of Higher Education Forum at The Fort Worth Club, Oct. 6, 2026. (Elvis Martinez-Cartagena | Fort Worth Report)<\/p>\n
Preparing workers also means teaching the skills that employers need. About a year earlier, Montgomery brought employers and college educators together to discuss curriculum. One employer asked them to stop teaching a practice the industry abandoned.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWe quit using that four years ago,\u201d Montgomery recalled the employer saying, adding that new hires would have to spend more time unlearning the outdated protocols.\u00a0<\/p>\n
TCC\u2019s business advisory committees review courses and recommend changes, Chancellor Elva LeBlanc said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Employers want teamwork and empathy \u2014 skills that workers need to adapt as artificial intelligence changes their fields, LeBlanc said. Colleges need regular conversations with businesses to understand those changes.<\/p>\n
For schools looking for teachers, those connections can start in high school. Wesleyan\u2019s work with Everman ISD allows aspiring teachers to earn 12 hours of education credit and get a head start on college as the institutions prepare more teachers, Messer said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Texas Wesleyan is building career preparation into all undergraduate degree programs, starting with exploring job options in students\u2019 first year. Plans include a sophomore career readiness course, job shadowing and junior-year internships.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Waiting until senior year is too late, Messer said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIt will be built into their degree program from day one,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
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James Hurley, Tarleton State University president, speaks to attendees Oct. 6, 2026, during the State of Higher Education Forum at The Fort Worth Club. (Elvis Martinez-Cartagena | Fort Worth Report)<\/p>\n
Montgomery encouraged employers to invite students into their workplaces early. A hospital visit, for example, could introduce a student to accounting work they had never associated with healthcare.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Those introductions could give graduates reasons to stay in Fort Worth, Montgomery said, adding he has met students who enjoyed college within the region but planned to work elsewhere.\u00a0<\/p>\n
LeBlanc said about 85% of TCC graduates remain in Tarrant County. But a path to work depends on students being able to finish school.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Many TCC students balance classes with jobs, extending the time it takes to graduate, LeBlanc said. Scholarships and apprenticeships can help them graduate sooner. The college\u2019s partnership with Trinity Metro provides free rides for eligible students.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Monica Martin, Fort Worth Police Department deputy chief, had befriended a young woman in TCC\u2019s criminal justice program through its public safety partnership.<\/p>\n
When the student needed help, she reached out. Martin connected her with resources. The goal reaches beyond preparing future police officers, Martin said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen we are building trust with them, trust me, they do reach out to us in that time of need,\u201d Martin said.<\/p>\n
At TCC\u2019s Northwest and South campuses, a partnership with Tarrant County and Child Care Associates brought childcare centers with Head Start and Early Head Start options<\/a>.<\/p>\n Preparing Fort Worth\u2019s workforce, LeBlanc said, can mean helping a parent get to class while giving a child a place to start.<\/p>\n \u201cSo you\u2019re gaining two generations as you break that barrier,\u201d she said.\u00a0<\/p>\n Dang Le is the higher education reporter for the Fort Worth Report. Contact him at dang.le@fortworthreport.org<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n The Fort Worth Report partners with Open Campus on higher education coverage.<\/p>\n The Report\u2019s higher education coverage is supported in part by major higher education institutions in Tarrant County, including Tarleton State University, Tarrant County College, Texas A&M-Fort Worth Christian University, Texas Wesleyan University, the University of Texas at Arlington and UNT Health Fort Worth.\u00a0<\/p>\n