The Council’s Work
The Texas Workforce Investment Council's (Council) products include a strategic plan for the workforce development system, evaluation reports and resource publications, papers and reports on critical emerging issues, and recommendations to the Governor.
The Council's Annual Report [385KB PDF] summarizes the Council's activities and products from the previous fiscal year.
Workforce System Strategic Plan
The Council's Mandate
In State law, one of the primary responsibilities of the Texas Workforce Investment Council is to develop and recommend to the Governor a single strategic plan that identifies the tasks, timelines and responsible partners for each long-term objective. The Council has developed four plans in collaboration with workforce system partners since the Council's creation in 1993.
The Texas Workforce System Strategic Plan, FY2010-FY2015
ADVANCING TEXAS: Strategic Plan for the Texas Workforce System (FY2010-FY2015) [862KB PDF]
Approved by the Governor of Texas: October 23, 2009
NEW 2012 Update to Advancing Texas [313KB PDF] The 2012 Update includes current versions of all action plans and associated agency-specific project plans.
Plan Highlights [42KB PDF] This two page document provides an overview of the plan development, update and implementation process, as well as a summary of key plan components.
Fourth Quarter 2011 Implementation Update [126KB PDF] The Council's System Integration Technical Advisory Committee (SITAC) oversees implementation of the workforce system strategic plan. This quarterly report details recent activities by system partners.
Council Publications
The Council publishes a range of annual, biannual and occasional reports, papers, evaluations and articles that examine workforce-related program areas, initiatives and outcomes. Included in these publications are reports required by state law that the Council prepares annually for submission to the Governor and the Legislature.
Profiles in Success
Profiles in Success is a series of reports on various education, training and workforce programs and in particular, the participants in these programs. By spotlighting individual success stories, Profiles provides insight into the way the Texas workforce system positively impacts people's lives.
- Profile #1 [351KB PDF] Apprenticeship at Temple College with the Texas Bioscience Institute and Scott & White Memorial Hospital (July 2009)
- Profile #2 [350KB PDF] Tech-Connect at Texas State Technical College in Waco (September 2009)
- Profile #3 [378KB PDF] Alamo Area Academies in San Antonio (November 2009)
- Profile #4 [248KB PDF] Texas Department of Assistive and Rehabilitative Services (February 2010)
- Profile #5 [333KB PDF] Workforce Investment Act (WIA) Summer Youth Programs 2009 (April 2010)
- Profile #6 [684KB PDF] Workforce Investment Act (WIA) Dislocated Worker Programs (July 2010)
- Profile #7 [1.4MB PDF] Perkins-Funded Workforce Education at the Community College Level (September 2010)
- Profile #8 [536KB PDF] Veterans Employment Services, Texas Veterans Commission (November 2010)
- Profile #9 [1.28MB PDF] Senior Community Service Employment Program (February 2011)
- Profile #10 [661KB PDF] Temporary Assistance for Needy Families through Choices (April 2011)
- Profile #11 [815KB PDF] Adult Education (July 2011)
Texas Workforce System Program Directory
The Texas Workforce System Program Directory 2012 [680KB PDF] (Directory) provides basic information about the workforce education and training programs that comprise the Texas workforce system. These programs, administered by eight state agencies, prepare Texas' current and future workers for success in today’s global economy.
Evaluation Report – Accomplishments and Outcomes of the Texas Workforce System
The Evaluation 2011 [1.05MB PDF] report is the Council's annual evaluation report for Texas' workforce system strategic plan, Advancing Texas - documenting accomplishment by system partners during the second year of the plan's implementation. Included in this report are the five system elements that State statutes require that the Council evaluate:
- Formal and Less Formal Performance measures
- Implementation of the system strategic plan, Advancing Texas
- Adult education action and achievements
- Local workforce board activities and alignment
- Work development programs that focus on welfare to work initiatives
The report is a unique compilation and analysis of system performance and achievements. Through the delivery of over 20 workforce education and training programs, state and local system partners served almost 5.3 million individuals in the last reporting year. Over 478,000 completed a degree, certificate or other measure of educational achievement, while almost 1.3 million individuals entered employment and over one million retained jobs.
Two-page summary of Evaluation 2011 [190KB PDF]
Adult Education
A Primer on Adult Education in Texas [987KB PDF] (Primer) continues the initial research began in A First Look at Critical Issues Surrounding Adult Education and Literacy in Texas. The Primer's scope is focused primarily on adult education programs funded by Title II of the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (WIA). The report discusses governing and relevant legislation, funding, the current delivery system, the present and future populations in need of adult education services, and current program accountability and outcomes. (January 2010)
- Identifying the Current and Future Population in Need of Adult Education [1.04MB PDF] is the first companion paper to the Primer. Prepared in coordination with the Office of the State Demographer, it contains updated data and more defined methodologies that detail the current and future need for adult education in Texas. (March 2010)
- Highlights of Adult Education in Texas [400KB PDF] provides an overview of the Council's most recent publications on Adult Education; A Primer on Adult Education in Texas and its first companion paper Identifying the Current and Future Population in Need of Adult Education.
- Adult Education Providers: Instructional Approaches and Service Delivery Methods [668KB PDF] is the second companion paper to the Primer. Using data collected from 27 adult education providers throughout Texas, the different types of adult education providers and programs are discussed and their approaches and methods are compared. The Council also offers four observations and suggested actions to improve the adult education system in Texas. (June 2010)
- Highlights of Adult Education Providers [182KB PDF] provides an overview of the Council's second companion paper focused on adult education providers in Texas.
A First Look at Critical Issues Surrounding Adult Education and Literacy in Texas [4.7MB PDF], is a report mandated by the 78th Texas Legislature, requiring the Council to evaluate adult education and literacy programs administered by the Texas Education Agency and the Texas Workforce Commission by December 31, 2003. In its research, the Council focused on three aspects of adult education and literacy: (1) Funding; (2) Outcomes; and (3) Service Delivery. The Council makes two recommendations for improving the status of adult education and literacy in Texas and suggests strategies to support both recommendations. (December 2003)
Other Reports and Papers
The Council's Federal Legislative Update [621KB PDF] informs readers about emerging federal legislation and policy as these areas relate to the Texas workforce system. Emphasis will be on Workforce Investment Act reauthorization and federal appropriations as they affect workforce programs.
Policy News Highlights, April 2012 [47.7KB PDF], is a quarterly review of selected reports relevant to the policy and research functions of the Texas Workforce Investment Council. Through abbreviated summaries of recent publications, the newsletter provides a quick overview of current topics, trends and issues affecting the workforce and the workforce system.
Apprenticeship in Texas [304KB PDF] is an informational brochure about registered apprenticeship, published biennially by the Texas Workforce Investment Council's Apprenticeship and Training Advisory Committee.
Potential Regional Economic Boundaries in Texas: An Analysis in Light of Current Patterns and Linkages in Business Activity [4MB PDF] is a December 2007 report prepared for the Council by The Perryman Group. The purpose of this report is to provide an updated analysis of the State and its economic regions to inform the discussions of state and local leaders as they seek to position Texas’ regions to compete successfully in a global economy.
- Report Highlights [413KB PDF] - This two page document provides an overview of the 2007 report that examines current regional economies in Texas and how they might change in the future based on demographic and economic trends.
Employer Services Briefing Paper - February 2011 [237KB PDF] - The Council and system partners recognize employers as a primary customer of Texas' workforce system programs and services. In association with the Council's System Integration Technical Advisory Committee, several partner agencies have worked since 2007 to increase their efforts to become more familiar with employers' awareness and perception of existing services. In addition, system partners have worked independently and collaboratively to modify delivery strategies to more effectively meet the evolving needs of both employers and program participants. The Employer Services briefing paper provides information on employer-based workforce activities provided by partner agencies and the local workforce boards.