A changing economy and forces like increased automation technologies – compounded by the COVID-19 pandemic – have necessitated the need for higher education officials in Texas to strengthen the state’s 60x30TX strategic plan for post-secondary education and prominently position Texas higher education as the foundation for long-term prosperity for Texans and Texas.

60x30TX was launched in 2015 as a roadmap to help Texas become one of the highest-achieving states in the country, through higher education. Two core goals of the initiative were for at least 60 percent of Texans between the ages of 25 and 34 to hold a post-secondary certificate or degree by 2030, and by 2030, for all graduates from Texas higher education institutions complete programs with identified marketable skills.

Though college completions have improved, nearly 4 million adult Texans lack a postsecondary credential, and this puts them at greater economic risk than their degree-holding counterparts. Already roughly 85 percent of jobs created in Texas since 2008 required some education and skills beyond high school, but the COVID-19 pandemic has made the employment landscape even worse for adults without: Based on a review of Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data for December 2020, the unemployment rate among Texans with less education than high school was 10.4 percent and was 8.6 percent for those who hold only a high school diploma. These rates were higher than the 7.0 percent rate for those who have completed some post-secondary education or hold an associate degree.  

COVID-19 disproportionately affected Black, Hispanic, rural and low-income Texans, as well. The unemployment rate for Black Texans in December 2020 was 11.1 percent, for Hispanic Texans 8.9 percent and for white Texans 7.9 percent, according to an analysis of BLS data. What’s more, according to Partnership data, locally, just under 9 percent of Black adults over the age of 25 are without a high school diploma; that percentage soars to just less than 36 percent of Hispanic adults. Roughly 28 percent of Black adults and 28 percent of Hispanic adults hold a high school diploma or GED, and about 36 percent of Black adults and about 21 percent of Hispanic adults have an associate degree or completed some college. By contrast, just less than 5 percent of white adults lack a high school diploma, about 20 percent hold a diploma or GED and almost 31 percent have an associate degree or completed some college. These realities cannot be ignored and amplify the urgency for all Texans to have access to high-quality post-secondary education and training opportunities. 

In addition, changes to the nature of work and the skills workers need to work alongside new and emerging technologies threaten to widen the already present disconnect between new jobs being created and the credentials and skills that Texans do have.

With these added pressures in mind, the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) is developing a new 10-year plan in partnership with the Texas Higher Education Foundation, higher education institutions, employers and stakeholders across the state to strengthen the original plan in order to expand the educated and skilled workforce and drive economic prosperity. 

The strengthened plan will:

• Expand the focus to adult learners beyond the 25-to-35 age bracket;
• Leverage and accelerate innovation to drive research, commercialization and economic development;
• Prioritize high-value credentials to align with workforce needs; and
• Ensure all Texans have equal access to tools and resources that promote educational attainment.

Widening the target age range of adult learners can help the state build a more adaptable workforce that better navigate current skills challenges and drive long-term economic growth. (In 2020, the Texas Senate Higher Education Committee examined existing innovative programs that assist non-traditional students in completing a degree or credential, including first-time adult learners, re-enrolling students and working adults, and considered methods the state could use to partner with higher education institutions to expand successful programs. The committee heard testimony from workforce development and education leaders and embarked on a learning tour.)

The workplace will continue to change and adapt to new market and employer needs, and students and workers will have to keep learning over their lifetime. Ensuring that students are earning credentials aligned with these needs and developing marketable skills will be critical to life-long success. Last year, Opportunity America, a Washington, D.C.-based think tank promoting economic mobility, released a report with recommendations for how community colleges can put workforce skills more central in their mission and culture; among them that every credential earned at a community college should be designed to have value in the labor market, including the traditional, academic associate of arts degree. 

The Opportunity America report, "The Indispensable Institution – Reimagining Community College," says all awards should be stackable, and learners should be able to move between career and technical education programs and traditional academic ones with ease. Bridging connections between their credit and non-credit divisions can drive better outcomes for students; doing so would help noncredit students pursue additional education later in life. The report also highlights the need for students to be grounded in foundational skills – such as critical thinking, problem solving and basic research techniques – along with career-focused competencies including workplace communication, time management and data analytics. (Related: Watch an UpSkill Works forum discussion of the report and takeaways for the greater Houston region.)

THECB understands the critical role that higher education plays in developing and fostering a talent pool of individuals from which businesses across Houston can pull to help them grow and thrive. The existing 60x30TX plan remains critically important, but it has become evident — especially this past year — that the map must be adapted to meet the needs and realities of Texans today and into the next decade.   

Greater Houston’s long-term prosperity will depend on the critical role post-secondary skills and education plays in developing and upskilling the high-quality talent pool of individuals who can succeed in Houston’s rapidly changing economy. In order to grow and thrive, Houston businesses need to access workers with skills needed for success in their workplaces. The existing 60x30TX plan remains critically important to Houston, but it has become evident — especially this past year — that we need a more adaptable, agile and business-centric framework that meets the needs and realities of businesses today and into the next decade. With such a plan, Houston can provide opportunity for all. 

Learn about the Partnership's UpSkill Houston initiative.