Workforce & Talent
Your Chamber is committed to recruiting, retaining, and strengthening the talent pipeline in our area to help businesses grow and prosper. Our workforce and talent team's programs and events connect industry, school districts, institutions of higher learning, and community-based organizations to meet Greater Waco's workforce needs now and into the future.
Find Your Path in Waco
Our Work
Industry Tour Days
Industry Tour Days connect local Career and Technical Education (CTE) students with a company host site to provide students and educators with insight into the education, training, and skills required for high-demand careers in our area.
Up to 10 students
1 day | 1.5 - 2 hours
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.
2 days | maximum of 16 hours
Teachers are paid a stipend through the Waco Chamber Community Development Foundation
Student Internships
Student Internships provide a valuable internship experience for a high school student. High school work-based learning helps students connect classroom learning to the real world, has positive impacts on student engagement and retention, and cultivates a pipeline of talent for businesses.
Summer Internships, 20 hours a week for 1-2 months
School Year Internships, 10-15 hours a week for 9 months
Financial assistance with student stipends is available through the Waco Chamber Community Development Foundation
LEAD Mentorship Program
The LEAD Mentorship Program is a business and education partnership that connects local high school students with industry professionals to build meaningful mentoring relationships. The program aims to introduce students to diverse career paths and educational opportunities within the Greater Waco area.
Mentors: 2-4 students | 3 hours, twice a month for three years
Industry Tours/Programs: Up to 20 students | 1 day | 1.5 - 2 hours
Our Events
inWaco Job Fair
Part of our Workforce & Talent initiative, the inWaco Job Fair will help connect businesses to local job seekers.
Talent Forward Waco
This is an annual gathering to foster collaboration between the education and business communities.
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 Greater Waco Chamber 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.
Support Our Workforce & Talent Initiatives
