Workforce & Talent
Your Chamber is committed to recruiting, retaining and strengthening the talent pipeline to meet Greater Waco's workforce needs now and into the future. By creating a coalition of community partners and developing programming, the Workforce & Talent team will support a regional strategic plan to connect industry, school districts, institutions of higher learning and community-based organizations.
Regional Education to Workforce Collaborative
Greater Waco Regional Education to Workforce Leadership Committee
The Greater Waco Education to Workforce Leadership Committee convenes leaders from nearly 30 industry, education, and community-based organizations to enhance communication and collaboration across sectors, develop and track a strategic action plan and share knowledge.
Regional Education to Workforce Strategic Plan
The Greater Waco Education to Workforce Leadership Committee convenes leaders across sectors through the development of a regional workforce and talent action plan. This action plan aligns shared goals and efforts around increasing skilled talent for current and future jobs in the Greater Waco region. Additionally, a regional data system will be developed to track and measure the impact of the partnership. The action plan identifies two priority areas:
- Promote ongoing connection and communication between industry, education, and workforce training providers around high
demand, high wage potential occupations. - Coordinate and align work-based learning efforts that focus on high demand, high wage potential occupations.
Talent Pipeline Management
The GWC will facilitate a series of ongoing workforce and talent meetings with local industry groups using elements of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Talent Pipeline Management (TPM) framework to analyze, align, and communicate high-demand skills needs to education and training providers. Keeping an industry focus through TPM allows us to leverage our role as a voice for local industry and serve as a bridge between employers and education/training partners.
Programs & Events
The Business to Education initiative comprises the Greater Waco Chamber’s LEAD mentorship and Career Pathway programs that support leadership development and career success for K-12 students and teachers through work-based learning. Whether students choose to obtain micro credentials and enter employment upon graduation or enroll in college, the goal of the initiative is for students to graduate with a postsecondary plan that promotes career success.
Career Pathways - Industry Tour Days
Industry Tour Days connect local high school students with company host sites, to explore targeted industries including advanced manufacturing, logistics/distribution, aerospace/aviation and healthcare in our region and gain valuable insight on the skills and education needed for those high demand, high growth jobs.
Career Pathways - Job Shadow Days
Job Shadow Days connect local high school students and their teachers with company host sites to explore targeted industries including advanced manufacturing, logistics/distribution, aerospace/aviation and healthcare. Through job shadowing, students and teachers gain more in-depth insight into the skills and education needed for those high demand jobs.
Teacher Externships
Teacher Externships provide professional development for educators to explore the various aspects of a business and connect their classroom to the workplace. This summer program pairs teachers with a local host company to learn about industry trends, career pathways, and the skills required for our emerging workforce.
Student Internships
Student Internships connect industry partners with students, many of whom come from low-income backgrounds, for paid summer internships. Whether students choose to obtain micro credentials and enter employment upon graduation or enroll in college, the goal of internships is for students to graduate with a postsecondary plan that promotes career success.
inWaco Job Fair
The inWaco Job Fair is an annual event connecting people with employment and training opportunities.
LEAD Mentorship Program
The LEAD Mentorship Program is a business and education partnership that connects local high school students with business professionals to foster mentoring relationships that educate and expose students to various business fields and educational opportunities in the Greater Waco area.
Support Our Workforce & Talent Initiatives
