Skip to main content

Workforce Development

With a labor force more than 3 million workers strong, the Houston area offers a wide variety of talent at all skill levels. But there is also a regional focus on developing tomorrow's workforce through educating young people on emerging industries and re-training mid-career professionals for high-demand careers. Houston has developed a strong bridge between the talent needs of various industries and the educational programs being offered through colleges, universities and technical programs. 

#5

Houston ranks #5 in the U.S. in Fortune 1000 headquarters

33.3 percent

One-third of Houstonians 25 years and older is a college graduate

747,998

Houstonians with a science, engineering or related degree

Higher Education

The Houston region is home to more than 20 universities and colleges, including three Tier 1 universities. Houston-area colleges and universities educate nearly 230,000 students annually and graduated more than 56,000 students. In addition, another estimated 200,000 students are enrolled annually in local community and technical colleges. 

Local Universities

Institution

Texas A&M University-College Station

Undergraduate enrollment: 50,707

University of Houston

Undergraduate enrollment: 36,092

Sam Houston State University

Undergraduate enrollment: 18,416

University of Houston-Downtown

Undergraduate enrollment: 12,079

Lamar University

Undergraduate enrollment: 9,129

Prairie View A&M University

Undergraduate enrollment: 7,974

Texas Southern University

Undergraduate enrollment: 7,967

University of Houston-Clear Lake

Undergraduate enrollment: 5,798

UT Health Science Center-Houston

Graduate enrollment: 4,533

Rice University

Undergraduate enrollment: 3,970

Houston Christian University

Undergraduate enrollment: 2,823

University of Houston-Victoria, Katy Campus

Undergraduate enrollment: 2,823

UT Medical Branch-Galveston

Graduate enrollment: 2,569

Texas A&M Health Science Center

Graduate enrollment: 2,295

University of Phoenix-Texas

Undergraduate enrollment: 2,256

University of St. Thomas

Undergraduate enrollment: 1,864

Texas A&M University at Galveston

Undergraduate enrollment: 1,848

UT M.D. Anderson Cancer Center

Undergraduate enrollment: 1,577

Baylor College of Medicine

Graduate enrollment: 1,577

Art Institute of Houston

Undergraduate enrollment: 1,364

South Texas College of Law Houston

Graduate enrollment: 980

Community Colleges

Institution

Lone Star College System

Undergraduate enrollment: 69,452

Houston Community College

Undergraduate enrollment: 49,782

San Jacinto Community College District

Undergraduate enrollment: 35,455

Blinn College District

Undergraduate enrollment: 18,465

Lee College

Undergraduate enrollment: 7,717

Wharton County Junior College

Undergraduate enrollment: 7,050

Alvin Community College

Undergraduate enrollment: 5,709

College of the Mainland Community College District

Undergraduate enrollment: 4,328

Brazosport College

Undergraduate enrollment: 4,229

Lamar Institute of Technology

Undergraduate enrollment: 2,983

Galveston College

Undergraduate enrollment: 2,197

Texas State Technical College-Fort Bend

Undergraduate enrollment: 412

Gulf Coast Workforce Solutions

The Gulf Coast Workforce Board and its operating affiliate Workforce Solutions are the public workforce system in the 13-county Houston-Galveston region of Texas. Workforce Solutions helps employers meet their human resource needs and individuals build careers, so both can compete in the global economy. In 2017, the organization served more than 426,000 individuals across the region.

Closing the Skills Gap with UpSkill

The Greater Houston Partnership developed UpSkill Houston, a comprehensive, industry-led approach to bridge the gap and fill jobs in “middle-skills” occupations, advanced technical and craft careers that require education and skills development beyond high school but less than a four-year college degree. UpSkill Houston is an innovative blueprint for leaders from the business community, educational institutions and social service organizations to utilize as we lead this effort to build a quality workforce.

Skill Development Fund

The Skills Development Fund is Texas' premier job-training program providing local customized training opportunities for Texas businesses and workers to increase skill levels and wages of the Texas workforce. The Texas Workforce Commission administers funding for the program. Success is achieved through collaboration among businesses, public community and technical colleges, Workforce Development Boards and economic development partners.

Related News

Economic Development

Houston Remains Top Player in Attracting New Companies

3/22/23
The Houston region continues to attract new companies, proving it remains a top destination for companies looking to relocate, expand or establish new operations. According to a Partnership analysis, the new business category accounted for more than 50% of new business announcements in 2022. Site Selection Magazine reported the Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land MSA won 255 projects in 2022, ranking third among large U.S. metros. The Chicago metro ranked first with 448 projects, while Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington ranked second with 426 projects. The Partnership reported 199 new business announcements in the Houston area in 2022, a lower number than Site Selection Magazine due to differences in reporting structure and data retrieval methods. Manufacturing was the most common sector, representing 29% of all announcements, according to the Partnership analysis. A few noteworthy Partnership-supported projects include: Orsted - a leading offshore wind developer from Denmark is expanding its presence in Texas by establishing a new office in the Woodlands. The move is expected to create up to 100 jobs in the region. Syzygy Plasmonics - a Houston-based energy 2.0 company is expanding its operations to Pearland. The new location will serve as HQ, R&D, and manufacturing for its deep-decarbonization platform, creating up to 120 jobs. Alfred Talke Logistic Services - a German logistics firm is establishing a new facility in the region, serving as its U.S. headquarters. This project represents a $25 million investment and will create 240 jobs. Texas as a whole remains the top destination in the nation for new companies. Site Selection Magazine awarded Texas its 11th consecutive, and 19th total, Governor's Cup for the most total capital investment projects in the nation for 2022 with 1,028 projects. This was more than twice the number of projects that second-place Illinois attracted. In order for a project to be counted toward the Governor’s Cup race, projects must meet one or more of these criteria: a minimum investment of $1 million, the creation of 20 or more new jobs, or 20,000 square feet or more of new construction. Despite a slight dip from the 2021 project count of 1,123, Governor Greg Abbott told Site Selection Magazine he remains optimistic about Texas’ future, congratulating the “exceptional economic development teams at the local, regional, and state level who work so diligently to attract and retain these growing businesses and the jobs they create in communities across Texas.” Texas remains number one in the United States for the most Fortune 500 headquarters, with Houston being number one in Texas. Twenty-four of Texas’ 53 Fortune 500 headquarters are located in Houston.   Governor Abbott also touted the state’s lack of an individual income tax, its business-friendly regulatory environment, workforce, and recent investments in infrastructure as reasons why more and more businesses are choosing to relocate or expand in Texas. Referring to Texas as the “economic engine of the nation,” Governor Abbott stressed that in order for the state to remain a leader on the national and global levels, it would need to continue to “lead with major capital investments in critical industries such as advanced manufacturing and energy production” and to “work collaboratively with local economic development organizations and business communities and maintain strategic economic development tools.” Maintaining these competitive advantages is a key issue state legislators are addressing during the current legislative session. House Bill 5, which the Partnership supports, aims to establish a new economic development incentive program to attract new businesses. Learn more about why companies choose Houston.  
Read More
Aerospace & Aviation

Houston House Returns to SXSW to Spotlight Tech and Innovation

3/17/23
Houston House returned to Austin for the South by Southwest Conference for its third year, bringing a new group of panelists and industry experts together to deliver a full day of thought-provoking content for over 750 attendees. Houston-based industry leaders and innovators discussed the startup journey, how they’re challenging the status quo in their respective industries to improve products or services, and more. If you were unable to join the Partnership at SXSW, check out our recap of the conversations below.    Demystifying the Startup Journey  Houston House kicked off its day of programming by dispelling the mystique surrounding the startup journey and answering questions about hiring, funding, and finding the right product-market fit. Panelists discussed in-depth how to find and attract the right talent, including cost-effective strategies and solutions for cash-strapped founders, and what they wished they had done differently during their various rounds of funding.  Panelists:  Ted Gutierrez, Co-Founder and CEO, SecurityGate.io  Gaurav Khandelwal, Founder and CEO, Velostics  Simone May, Co-Founder and CTO, Clutch  Moderator: Natalie Harms, Editor, Innovation Map    The Future is Female: Triumphs of Women in Tech  It’s no secret that female founders face a unique set of challenges compared to their male counterparts, especially when funding their next business venture. The panel discussed funding challenges, how they challenge stereotypes in male-dominated industries, and overcoming the feelings of guilt and inadequacy that plague women in business.  “The insecurity women feel that ‘we're not good enough' needs to go. Men don't experience that.” - Lydia Davies, Founder & CEO of TEAMATES  Panelists:  Lydia Davies, Founder and CEO, TEAMATES  Taci Pereira, CEO, Systemic Bio  Janice Tran, Co-Founder and CEO, Kanin Energy  Moderator: Carrie Colbert, Founding and General Partner, Curate Capital    Building a Tech Unicorn  Every tech startup hopes to become the next unicorn, but not everyone makes the cut. Featuring an in-depth conversation with Solugen’s co-founder and CEO, Gaurab Chakrabarti, the panel covered his background growing up in Houston, the surprising marketing campaign that put Solugen on the map, and the journey leading to it becoming a tech unicorn.  Gaurab Chakrabarti, Co-Founder and CEO, Solugen  Moderator: Payal Patel, Principal, Softeq Ventures and Director, Softeq Venture Studio    Click to expand People packed the room at Houston House to hear from Solugen CEO Gaurab Chakrabarti.   Unlocking the Power of AI: Insights & Innovations  Technology and innovation converged in this panel discussing recent developments in artificial intelligence and what the future of business will look like as it becomes more widespread and advanced, including the policies and legislation that may become necessary as AI becomes more intelligent. From song lyrics written in the style of Taylor Swift to how the health care industry is utilizing this technology to better serve its patients, it is clear that we are just beginning to scratch the surface of AI’s capabilities.  “The Ion [in Houston] is going to bring innovation, elevate clean tech energy, and push health care to the next level. That’s why we want to be involved and that’s why you should too.” - Murat Uralkan, Director of Innovation at Houston Methodist Panelists:  Sidd Gupta, Co-Founder and CEO, Nesh  Rob Meadows, Founder and CEO, AI Foundation  Murat Uralkan, Director of Innovation, Houston Methodist  Moderator: Dave Mathews, Principal Venture Capitalist and CTO Advisor, Softeq    Connecting Industries, Empowering Innovation  Ever wondered what it looks like when the brightest minds in different industries come together? The nexus of innovation and collaboration across industries in Houston took center stage in this discussion of how industry leaders can continue to break down traditional barriers and create advancements in everything from biotech to the energy transition.  Panelists:  Barbara Belvisi, Founder and CEO, Interstellar Lab  Moji Karimi, Co-Founder and CEO, Cemvita Factory  Nic Radford, Founder, President, and CEO, Nauticus Robotics  Moderator: Brad Rossacci, Creative Director, Accenture  The Houston House program at SXSW 2023 will be available to stream on-demand soon.  Learn more about Houston’s innovation ecosystem. 
Read More

Related Events

Demography

Houston DiverseCity Summit

The Greater Houston Partnership proudly presents the Houston DiverseCity Summit, an inspiring one-day convening to advance equity and inclusion in the greater Houston region. This gathering of leading professionals…

Learn More
Learn More

Take the Next Step

Living in Houston

Houston offers a low cost of living while maintaining an incredibly rich quality of life with the amenities you expect to find in a world-class city.

Talent

Houston offers a highly educated and ever-growing workforce skilled in both traditional and emerging industries.

Research

The Partnership's Research team are experts on the region's economy and key demographic trends.

Need more information about Houston? Your dedicated team member can help:

 
Facilitate and foster key introductions
 
Assist in evaluating and applying for incentives
 
Identify potential business facilities
Susan Davenport
Senior Vice President & Chief Economic Development Officer
Economic Development
E
sdavenport@houston.org
P
713-844-3612
Looking for the rest of our team?
Partnership Staff
Have someone from our Economic Development Team contact you:
Executive Partners