Texas business expansion involves more than finding the right property. Manufacturers, distribution companies, and other growing businesses need access to skilled employees, specialized training, and workforce development resources.
From customized employee training to partnerships with technical colleges, Texas communities offer workforce development resources that can help businesses prepare for their next phase of growth.
Across Texas, workforce development organizations, technical colleges, and local economic development professionals work to connect employers with training and recruitment resources.
For business owners evaluating a move or expansion to Texas, these partnerships deserve a place alongside property availability, transportation, infrastructure, and operating costs in the site-selection process.
Why Is Workforce Development Important When Choosing a Texas Location?
An available industrial building may meet a company’s physical requirements, but the surrounding workforce must also support its operations.
Companies considering a Texas location should evaluate whether they can recruit employees, provide specialized technical training, and develop the skills needed as their businesses grow.
Texas communities have access to a variety of workforce development resources, including community colleges, technical schools, regional workforce boards, and employer training programs.
The specific resources and partnerships vary by community, making workforce research an important part of comparing potential locations.
How Can Texas Technical Colleges Help Expanding Businesses?
For companies planning Texas business expansion, technical colleges can be valuable partners in preparing employees for new operations.
One example is Texas State Technical College (TSTC), which works with employers to identify technical workforce needs and develop training opportunities.
In an episode of the Gone to Texas podcast, Kori Bowen, Vice President of Industrial Relations at TSTC, discussed how the college connects businesses with workforce-ready technicians and supports employers through industry partnerships.
The conversation highlighted several ways workforce development can benefit companies considering Texas:
- Customized training: Developing technical skills around specific equipment, processes, and employer requirements.
- Workforce recruitment: Connecting employers with students and graduates preparing for technical careers.
- Employee development: Helping existing employees build new skills as operations and technology change.
- Industry partnerships: Creating relationships between employers and educational institutions to address workforce needs.
- Training resources: Helping businesses explore applicable workforce development programs and funding opportunities.
These services illustrate why technical education can be an important resource for businesses planning an expansion.
Listen to the Gone to Texas conversation with Kori Bowen of TSTC.
Can Texas Workforce Training Programs Be Customized for Your Business?
Not every company needs the same workforce.
A manufacturer may require employees trained in industrial maintenance, welding, or precision machining. Another business may need technicians familiar with automation, electrical systems, or specialized production equipment.
Customized workforce training allows employers to work with educational institutions to develop instruction around those requirements.
For example, TSTC has partnered with Texas employers on specialized training programs.
In Waco, TSTC worked with Mars Wrigley to provide industrial maintenance training for existing employees. The program was designed to develop technical capabilities within the company’s workforce.
TSTC also partnered with Graphic Packaging International to train newly hired manufacturing technicians as the company prepared its Waco facility.
These examples demonstrate how workforce training partnerships can support both established operations and new business investments.
For companies considering other Texas locations, the opportunity is to investigate which technical colleges, community colleges, and workforce organizations serve the communities under consideration.
Sources: TSTC and Mars Wrigley and TSTC and Graphic Packaging International.
How Do Texas Communities Support Business Recruitment and Workforce Development?
Local economic development organizations can play an important role in helping companies understand the workforce resources available in a region.
When a business begins evaluating a Texas community, economic development professionals may help connect company representatives with educational institutions, workforce boards, and training providers.
These relationships can help companies investigate several important questions:
- Are workers with the required skills available within the region?
- Which educational institutions offer relevant technical programs?
- Can customized training be developed for the company’s operations?
- Are there opportunities to recruit graduates or participate in internships?
- What state or regional workforce training assistance may be available?
The answers will vary depending on the community, industry, and size of the proposed investment.
That is why speaking directly with local economic development professionals can be a valuable early step in the site-selection process.
Can Workforce Partnerships Help Companies Prepare for Future Growth?
Workforce development is not limited to filling current job openings.
Businesses planning new facilities, introducing equipment, or expanding production may need to prepare employees for positions that do not yet exist.
Technical colleges and other training providers can help employers explore programs for developing those capabilities.
TSTC’s employer partnerships illustrate how businesses can begin workforce planning before a new operation is fully established.
Companies considering Texas can use that example to ask prospective communities about their own workforce development partnerships and available training resources.
What Should Businesses Look for in a Texas Community?
Every expansion project has different requirements.
A manufacturing operation may prioritize access to skilled technicians and industrial infrastructure. A distribution company may place greater emphasis on transportation networks, available facilities, and labor availability.
Businesses evaluating Texas communities should consider five factors:
- Workforce: Regional labor availability, relevant skills, and training resources.
- Properties: Industrial buildings, commercial space, and development-ready land.
- Infrastructure: Utilities, transportation access, and operational requirements.
- Business support: Local economic development organizations and employer partnerships.
- Future growth: Opportunities to expand facilities, train employees, and develop long-term operations.
Considering these factors together provides a more complete picture of whether a community can support a company’s business objectives.
Your Next Texas Expansion Starts With the Right Community
Texas offers a diverse range of communities, each with its own business advantages, available properties, workforce characteristics, and regional resources.
The work of Texas State Technical College demonstrates how industry-focused education and employer partnerships can contribute to business growth.
For companies exploring Texas, the next step is to identify communities whose workforce resources, infrastructure, and available properties align with their operational needs.
TexasEDConnection helps businesses explore Texas communities, discover available properties, and connect with economic development professionals who can provide local information to support site-selection decisions.
Successful Texas business expansion starts with choosing a community whose workforce, infrastructure, and business resources align with your company’s needs.
Explore Texas business opportunities at TexasEDConnection.com.
From the Gone to Texas Podcast
How can technical education help businesses develop the workforce they need?
In this episode, “Super” Dave Quinn speaks with Kori Bowen of Texas State Technical College about workforce matchmaking, employer partnerships, customized training, and opportunities for businesses across Texas.
Listen to Workforce Matchmaking and Texas Growth with Kori Bowen.
