Texans expect their taxpayer dollars to address real needs across the state, and state-funded career training pathways are no exception. These pathways consist of educational institutions and training programs that exist to prepare students for jobs in a dynamic labor market. Since both the Texas economy and valuable taxpayer dollars hang in the balance, a system of accountability is needed that ensures state-funded training pathways effectively help students attain high-wage and high-demand jobs.
Key Points
- Accurate longitudinal data linking career education and training programs to workforce outcomes are essential to align taxpayer-funded educational pathways with workforce needs.
- These outcomes data are lacking, but enhancements to UI wage reporting were proposed in HB 3767. Each proposed enhancement addresses a specific deficiency in current data reporting.
- Examples of successful voluntary UI enhancements in other states offer a possible route forward for Texas.
- Anonymized data are currently stored in designated facilities to safeguard privacy, but public access is severely limited.
- HB 3767 also included provisions that would have ensured greater data transparency and accountability measures, but these were removed in the amendment process.