The keynote speaker at the event was Wynn Rosser, commissioner of higher education on the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. Speakers within a panel discussion included Mario Castillo, chancellor of the Lone Star College System; Houston Community College Chancellor Margaret Ford Fisher; and Lee College President Lynda Villanueva.
Two-minute impact
Less than 20% of Houston high school graduates earn a living wage after six years, according to a study by Good Reason Houston. The same study found that 70% of jobs in Texas will require some type of credential beyond a high school diploma by 2036.
“We have a fundamental failure in connecting our people with the jobs where they can find success and economic mobility,” GHP President and CEO Steve Kean said. “We don't lack for programming or for systems and we don't lack for opportunity. What we need is a way of connecting those students, those systems and those employers together.”
Kean said innovation is happening in Houston with school district reform, higher education reform, House Bill 8 and initiatives like the GHP’s Talent and Economic Mobility initiative, which he said could help bridge gaps between students and employers.
“This is not just about educators working harder. Employers need to be part of the solution,” Kean said.
By the numbers
According to the GHP, 438,000 students were enrolled across 33 Houston-area colleges and universities in the fall of 2024.
- 53.7% of students were enrolled in four-year institutions or higher.
- 46.3% were community college students.
What they’re saying
Rosser, along with leaders at three community colleges in Houston, emphasized HB 8, which invested $683 million into the state’s community colleges, Community Impact previously reported.
Rosser said HB 8 switched the focus from how many students are enrolled to how community colleges are preparing students for the workforce. Castillo said HB 8 now drives everything they do at LSCS.
“I'm really proud of not just my institution but all of the community colleges in the state, because it's clear that it's made a remarkable difference in how we do our business,” Castillo said.
Along with HB 8, Fisher said HCC is working on integrating communicative skills and resources for entering the workforce into its curriculum.
“To have that seamless life cycle pathway for our students from the very beginning of pre-K through 12[th grade], to have that career exploration so that they can decide early which of those career opportunities would be best for them, that is our mission, that is our focus,” Fisher said.
