Business-Higher Education Forum and Trellis Foundation Announce Major Expansion of Workforce Partnership Initiative in Texas
Media Contact:
Frank Avery | Managing Director
frank.avery@bhef.com | (678) 772-9326
SAN LUIS OBISPO, CA — Today at the final day of the Business-Higher Education Forum’s (BHEF) Spring 2025 Convening, BHEF and Trellis Foundation announced a $500,000 investment to BHEF to expand the Workforce Partnership Initiative: Texas (WPI Texas) to new communities across the state of Texas. Hosted by Cal Poly San Luis Obispo President and BHEF Vice Chair Jeff Armstrong, the convening marked the formal launch of this next phase of work which builds on the ongoing impact of WPI in Texas.
WPI Texas launched in May 2022 in collaboration with the Texas Business Leadership Council and Texas Association of Community Colleges. WPI Texas quickly gained momentum in the state with business executives who continue to report the need for high-performing business-higher education partnerships. At a June 2023 WPI Texas business roundtable hosted by BHEF in San Antonio, 80% of business leaders in attendance reported that it is difficult or very difficult to find and hire new workers in the region. In a similar October 2024 roundtable in Longview, 73% of business leaders reported the same finding. WPI Texas has provided a high-performing collaboration model that has addressed those needs under the leadership of regional business executives. In November 2024, the Business Roundtable highlighted WPI’s early success in Texas in a case study of Ernst & Young LLP (EY US) and Alamo Colleges District, one of a number of new partnerships launched in the initial phase.
Trellis Foundation’s investment comes at an opportune time. Based on 2025 data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Texas faces a significant and growing gap between labor market demands and available qualified workers, with more than 583,000 open jobs and more than 638,000 unemployed individuals.
Trellis Foundation’s new investment will scale WPI Texas activities to new regions, enhancing the capacity of community colleges to offer industry-aligned credentials, further accelerate adoption of best practices under the new performance-based funding models introduced in Texas’ 2023 House Bill 8, and foster robust partnerships with businesses to create clear pathways to meaningful, in-demand careers that meet the needs of local industry. Each region will be tailored for its unique business leadership, community college, and regional workforce needs.
Launched in 2018 as an initiative of the Business Roundtable in collaboration with BHEF, and funded by the J.P. Morgan Chase Foundation, WPI is a national initiative that connects corporate leaders with higher education institutions to co-create pathways into high-demand tech and tech-enabled careers through higher education. To date, WPI has connected 163 businesses with 63 colleges and universities, impacting more than 12,800 workers and learners across 11 states since its launch.
“BHEF’s engagement in Texas, one of the world’s largest economies and most diverse workforces, is a model for how national expertise can accelerate regional success,” said Jennifer Thornton, Senior Vice President and Chief Programs Officer of the Business-Higher Education Forum. “By combining deep employer engagement, data-informed credential development, and the state leadership of partners like the Texas Business Leadership Council and the Texas Association of Community Colleges, we’re ensuring that more learners can access meaningful opportunities in the fastest-growing parts of the Texas economy.”
“Trellis Foundation is proud to support the expansion of WPI Texas to new regions across the state,” said Kristin Boyer, President & CEO of Trellis Foundation. “Our investment is rooted in the belief that strategic collaboration between business and higher education is essential to meeting the evolving needs of both learners and the labor market. By scaling proven models of partnership, we can help more Texans access high-quality credentials and career opportunities that lead to economic mobility and long-term success.”
With this expansion, BHEF and its partners will strengthen the capacity of community colleges across the state to partner with business. BHEF will work with institutions to develop and scale new or modified short-term credentials aligned with regional employer needs and expand high-value work-based learning experiences.
The initiative’s continued momentum is being driven by strong business leadership across the state. “WPI Texas brings business leaders to the table as leaders and contributors—not just as advisors, but as co-designers of solutions,” said Justin Yancy, President of the Texas Business Leadership Council. “Our executives in Dallas, San Antonio, and El Paso have seen a strong return on their investment for their efforts. By expanding this work into more regions, we can ensure Texas businesses remain competitive by directly partnering with one of our state’s top economic assets: community colleges and the talent they help develop.”
“This expansion of WPI Texas is a powerful example of what’s possible when business and community colleges come together to meet regional workforce needs,” said Ray Martinez, President & CEO of the Texas Association of Community Colleges (TACC). “By scaling these partnerships across the state, we’re helping more students gain access to the skills, credentials, and career opportunities that fuel economic mobility. Community colleges are uniquely positioned to drive this kind of impact, and TACC is proud to be a partner in this important work.”
Dane Linn, Senior Vice President of Corporate Initiatives at Business Roundtable, added: “This expansion demonstrates what can happen when national strategy meets local action. WPI’s growth in Texas is proof that sustained corporate engagement and regional collaboration can create real opportunity for students—and deliver real results for business. We’re proud to partner with the Business-Higher Education Forum, Texas Business Leadership Council, and Texas Association of Community Colleges to continue advancing this important work and showing the business community’s commitment to high-quality career pathways with our community college partners.”
The two-year initiative will grow its footprint and network of partners through March 2027. Participating colleges will receive on-going technical assistance, access to a statewide community of practice, new tools and resources to enhance their ability partner with business, and participation in two statewide convenings to scale best practices and showcase the initiatives’ on-going impact. WPI Texas is supported by core partners including Business Roundtable, BHEF, the Texas Business Leadership Council, and the Texas Association of Community Colleges.
About the Business-Higher Education Forum
The Business-Higher Education Forum (BHEF) is a national network that connects pioneering corporate and higher education leaders to co-develop solutions that address talent gaps. BHEF empowers and catalyzes collaborations that deliver accelerated and effective solutions across education and work. Learn more at www.bhef.com.
About Trellis Foundation
Trellis Foundation advances equitable educational opportunities in Texas by supporting postsecondary programs, practices and systems that reduce disparities and lead to success for low-income students and students of color. More information is available at www.trellisfoundation.org.