Since its launch in 2014, the Greater Houston Partnership’s UpSkill Houston initiative has become a cornerstone of regional workforce development, uniting leaders from over 200 businesses, educational institutions, and community organizations to create a skilled and resilient workforce for the Houston and Texas Gulf Coast region. Celebrating 10 years of impact, UpSkill Houston has focused on building talent pipelines essential to the growth and global competitiveness of local industries. UpSkill Houston's regional impact: 150 employers engaged in four industry sector collaboratives focused on building talent pipelines. Over 70 education, community and workforce organizations committed to collaborating with employers. More than 200,000 students impacted, showcasing how deeply intertwined UpSkill’s work is with both the business community and our educational institutions.  Fostering Industry and Education Partnerships One of UpSkill Houston’s key strengths lies in the partnerships it has fostered between industry and education. Through collaborations with Greater Houston Partnership members and partners, these efforts have spurred the development of workforce programs that not only meet the needs of local employers but also provide students with direct paths to sustainable careers. Examples include: San Jacinto College’s Center for Petrochemical Energy and Technology Alvin Community College and Lonza collaboration Industrial Craft Competition at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo   A Catalyst for Economic Mobility  “UpSkill Houston plays an important role in the Partnership’s ‘Opportunity for All’ pillar, which aims to increase economic prosperity and mobility for residents while ensuring industries have the skilled workers needed to grow the region’s economy and strengthen its global competitiveness,” Katie Pryor, the Partnership’s executive vice president and chief operating officer, said during the 10th anniversary conference.   In 2023, the Burning Glass Institute (BGI) selected the Greater Houston and Texas Gulf Coast region to be its partner site for its Jobs That Mobilize (JTM) initiative. The initiative is testing and deploying a new data-driven approach that uses skills adjacencies to help workers achieve greater mobility in the Houston region. BGI’s research has uncovered several key insights: On average, skills-based transitions provide a 15 percent wage increase between origin roles and JTM roles.  JTM roles provide long-term mobility for workers.  Roles often expand talent pools for employers by twice or three times more. According to BGI, 37 percent of the skills requirements for a given occupation have changed over the past five years. BGI President Matt Sigelman provided three things the Houston region must do to ensure growth and economic opportunity: Know what talent you will need and where the gaps lie.   Develop a strategy for targeted upskilling and reskilling.  Grow the pie by tapping hidden talent pools and playing your whole team.   Preparing for Houston’s Future Workforce As the regional economy transitions from industrial into a knowledge-based, technology-enabled economy, UpSkill Houston will continue its leadership in driving a skills-first approach that meets the changing demands of employers. “Our human capital is the Houston region’s single greatest asset,” Peter Beard, Sr. Vice President of regional workforce development, said. “Our workforce, whether we cultivate and develop it here in the region or attract it from other parts of the country or world, our workers are the backbone, brainpower, innovation, and ultimately, they are the power that drives and grows our economy.” As UpSkill Houston enters its second decade, the initiative remains committed to ensuring that Houston’s workforce is equipped with the skills needed to thrive in the region’s evolving economy, while continuing to drive inclusive economic growth for all residents. See how UpSkill Houston's decade of collaboration continues to shape the future of workforce mobility and drive economic growth for our region. Learn more about how you can get engaged in UpSkill.

An innovative collaboration between a Swiss multinational biotechnology manufacturing company and a local educational institution has already seen initial success. The partnership between Lonza and Alvin Community College (ACC) is a leading example of how industry and colleges can work together to meet the growing demand for talent and help catalyze the future of biotech in the Houston region.  Lonza Establishes Operations in Pearland  In 2018, Lonza established a 300,000-square-foot life science facility in Pearland, dedicated to cell and gene therapy manufacturing. The company has since seen great success and recently expanded its Houston footprint with an additional 15,000 square feet of lab space. This growth has created a need for more skilled workers to fill entry-level positions at the facility. While Houston boasts a diverse and educated talent pool, Lonza identified a skills gap during its hiring process – eligible candidates with a bachelor’s degree lacked the basic, hands-on skills needed to complete onboarding. So, they forged a partnership with a local educational partner – ACC.   Houston’s Biotech Industry  Biotechnology is a field that involves the use of living organisms, cells and biological systems to develop products and technologies that improve the quality of life and the health of the planet. In Houston, home to the renowned Texas Medical Center, biotechnology is critical for advancing medical treatments, diagnostics and pharmaceuticals. The region is expected to see an 18 percent increase in job growth over the next 10 years with a third of those positions being in pharmaceutical and medical manufacturing, per a news release from ACC.  Lonza and ACC Partnership  Last fall, ACC launched the new biotechnology program to create a direct pipeline of entry-level technicians for Lonza. ACC worked closely with Lonza to develop a curriculum for two six-week courses designed to equip students with essential biotechnology safety procedures, such as gowning and de-gowning for clean rooms and using bio-safety cabinets. The program targets high school graduates and professionals seeking a career change, offering certifications as Biotech Material Handlers or Biotech Core Technicians. Since its inception, the program has produced 12 graduates, with one direct hire at Lonza, ACC told the Partnership.   “The biotech program at ACC was very affordable [and] very quick as well,” said Crystal Aguilar, ACC biotech program graduate and Core Technician I, Lonza, in a testimonial video. “They did teach us how to use the equipment, so the pipette aids, the serological pipettes, how to transfer the cells [and] how to get the job done. At Lonza, we had an onboarding training where I felt very advanced and confident in what I was doing. I was able to finish that training in half the time where other coworkers who had attended a four-year degree institution had taken longer.”  Following the first cohort, Lonza eliminated its bachelor's degree requirement for potential candidates, ensuring that individuals with certificates or entry-level skills are considered. Additionally, ACC has extended the program from 12 to 15 weeks to ensure career readiness by adding interview prep sessions, virtual reality training and increased time for students to practice gowning and de-gowning.   “Our goal is to not only create customized trainings to meet the immediate workforce needs, but also create stackable pathways so that students can continue to enhance their skills and career [possibilities],” said Stacy Ebert, Vice President of Workforce & Strategic Initiatives at ACC, at the Partnership’s Upskill: Life Sciences Forum.   ACC’s Commitment to Advancing Biotech Careers  To further enhance the program’s capabilities, the Texas New Mexico Power Fund provided an $8,000 grant to purchase a biosafety cabinet for the Biotechnology training certificate courses. The cabinet will enable students to become familiar with the equipment they will use in the workforce. Additionally, ACC signed a five-year lease agreement for a 14,500-square-foot facility in Manvel, which will house a new biotech lab, providing space for students to engage in hands-on learning.  The new facility underscores ACC’s commitment to supporting the region’s workforce needs, offering a diverse array of training and certificate programs tailored for local employers.   Learn more about Houston’s growing biotech industry and the Partnership’s Upskill Houston initiative.