By Jarrad Toussant, Senior Vice President, Education & Workforce
Average reading time: 3 minutes
The Dallas Regional Chamber was a driving force for significant change in education, talent and workforce in 2025. From expanding access to transformational educational pathways to advocating for policies that benefit both companies and their employees, we’ve remained steadfast in building an education system that ensures a skilled workforce while creating opportunities across our region.
Investing in future-ready students
Investing in tomorrow’s workforce is crucial to the region’s economic growth. Through the Tomorrow Fund, the DRC has supported initiatives that strengthen the region’s educational pipeline from early literacy through career readiness.
We partnered with the Southern Sector Work-Based Learning Alliance to launch a work-based learning pilot connecting high school students in Southern Dallas County with companies to gain hands-on work experience. This initiative placed 12 students from three Southern Dallas County school districts in rigorous work-based learning experiences with four employers.
Recognizing that workforce readiness begins with strong foundational skills, we also provided funds for the Dallas Education Foundation’s Texas Reading Toolkits – a resource designed to help develop early literacy. These multi-sensory learning tools reached 102 K-2nd grade and dual language classrooms across 17 schools in communities where students often read below grade level.
These strategic investments opened pathways for students transitioning into the workforce while strengthening the educational foundation throughout the Dallas Region.
Lab-proven talent strategies
To meet the evolving needs of our employers, our team designed Talent Labs, a program supporting companies looking to develop innovative talent strategies in response to the shifting economic landscape.
The launch marked a significant milestone for the DRC, convening senior HR and talent leaders from 40 regional employers, collectively representing more than 485,000 employees. Together, they developed customized talent strategies tailored to their companies’ unique needs.
The program offered more than actionable insights. After securing dual accreditation from Society for Human Resource Management and the HR Certification Institute, participants earn 12 credit hours toward recertification, reflecting the DRC’s dedication to helping HR professionals maintain their credentials while staying ahead of emerging talent trends.
Historic state funding breakthrough
During the 89th Texas Legislative Session, the DRC’s advocacy assisted in a historic state funding breakthrough, with Texas lawmakers approving more than $10 billion in new state support for education and workforce systems.
Key highlights include $8.8 billion for public schools, the largest single funding increase in Texas history, including $677M for pre-K and early learning, complemented by major investments in teacher compensation, and more than $1 billion to support higher education research and facilities, with more than $150 million in research matching grants for DFW universities.
Progress on child care solutions
We’ve also made significant strides in improving the affordability and accessibility of childcare, addressing a workforce issue that costs Texas over $9 billion each year.
This year, we supported the establishment of the Dallas County Child Care Benefits Program, which offers matching funds to employers who provide child care assistance. We also supported advocacy for $100M in new funding for the state’s child care scholarship program.
These investments are an important step forward in addressing the child care needs of working parents in the Dallas Region and supporting a robust workforce for employers.
Higher education in action
Our team launched the newest version of our DFW Higher Education Review to showcase why North Texas is Texas’ #1 region for higher education.
The digital publication connects companies and lawmakers to the talent, innovation, and partnerships fueling business growth across the region. With more than 40 original stories from 13 higher education institutions, it highlights workforce-aligned initiatives and cross-sector partnerships that strengthen our regional economy.
Looking ahead
As the new year begins, it’s important to recognize the accomplishments that we’ve made together in 2025 while acknowledging the work that still lies ahead. The business community is directly impacted by our public school system, making it critical that we prepare Texas students for post-secondary education and the workforce. To do that, we must continue to invest not only in the individuals that will become our future workforce but also in the companies that hire them.
By doing so, we can strengthen our educational pipeline to adapt to the ever-evolving economy while ensuring that the Dallas Region maintains its competitive edge in higher education, talent development and business investment.
Have questions about how these Education, Talent & Workforce wins impact your company? I’d love to hear from you. Send me an email anytime at education@dallaschamber.org.