Texas Public Schools Are a Workforce Pipeline 

Texas public schools are an essential component of the Texas workforce pipeline. The 89^th Legislature supported workforce priorities this year with several bills that will bolster school districts’ efforts across the state to prepare their students for bright futures. 

Stronger Together 

One of those initiatives is House Bill 120, which expands the Rural Pathway Excellence Partnership Program (R-PEP), as well as makes changes to college, career, and military readiness definitions. CCMR plays an important role in both the curriculum districts offer and in accountability ratings from the Texas Education Agency.  

R-PEP allows districts to pool their resources and offer more courses and opportunities to their students. These programs offer real-world applications to students with preparation for college and training with certifications in a wide range of career fields. The leader in this type of partnership was the Rural Schools Innovation Zone in South Texas, which was featured in Texas Lone Star in June 2023. 

Programs Across Texas 

Career and technical education initiatives in Texas school districts are fulfilling workforce needs across the state, from South Texas welders trained through RSIZ to additional R-PEP programs that have started in the Permian Basin in the west and Falls County in the east. These programs not only promote industry partnerships to meet regional employment needs, but they also ignite student passions and fuel career aspirations.

Check out the latest Texas Lone Star with stories from all over Texas that showcase the incredible things happening in public education, including a one-of-a-kind cattle company ran by students in the Panhandle. 

Stay tuned for more CTE information and resources on school district programs, dual credit opportunities, Texas workforce initiatives, grant funding, and teacher certification requirements.