Building Bridges to Create Real Change
With the support of the business and education communities, the Tyler Area Chamber of Commerce and City of Tyler established the Tyler Area Business Education Council in 2012 as a 510c3 non-profit. Since our inception, we have worked with partners in all sectors to elevate education as one of the region’s most critical issues.
Vision
A better educated community to support business and economic development in the Tyler Area.
Mission
To engage the business community in driving measurable improvement in educational outcomes and economic success in the Tyler Area.
Who We Are
The Tyler Area Business Education Council is made up of employers, local government, educational institutions, and foundations committed to ensuring that East Texas students have the resources they need to find and succeed in a career. We serve as an organizer of stakeholders and as a partner to businesses, schools, colleges, and universities in developing new programs, facilities, and events to assist area students and families. Additionally, the Tyler Area Business Education Council works to ensure that area educational and skills training programs are properly aligned to local workforce needs.
What We Do
Tyler Area Regional Career Pathways Network (TARCPN)
In 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023 the Tyler Area Career Pathways Network (TARCPN) received the Texas Regional Pathways Network Grant. TARCPN has been a member of the Texas Regional Pathways Network since 2019. The Texas Regional Pathways Network is a growing network of regions across the state working to develop, refine, and scale high quality career and education pathways. TARCPN works to leverage resources and streamline efforts to implement high-quality career and education pathways aligned to health care and manufacturing industries that meets East Texas labor market demand.
East Texas faces a significant challenge in helping students achieve college and career readiness, earn postsecondary degrees and credentials, and enter careers aligned with current and future workforce needs. TARCPN engages cross-sector stakeholders in developing high-quality career and education pathways and is a critically important strategy for addressing this challenge. These pathways provide opportunities for students to acquire dual credit, earn industry-based certifications, post-secondary credentials, complete work-based learning opportunities aligned to targeted industries, and receive effective advising support to successfully navigate pathways.
The Tyler Area Regional Career Pathways Network consists of specific partner organizations, including:
- Tyler Area Business Education Council, a regional convener who convenes all stakeholders and leads the implementation of regional grant activities
- Tyler Independent School District, grant administrator who serves as the fiscal agent
- UT Health East Texas
- CHRISTUS Trinity Mother Frances Health System
- Hood Packaging
- Trane Technologies
- Tyler Independent School District
- Chapel Hill Independent School District
- Hawkins Independent School District
- Whitehouse Independent School District
- Winona Independent School District
- Tyler Junior College
East Texas Tri-Agency Initiative
Governor Greg Abbott established the Tri-Agency Workforce Initiative in March 2016. The Tri-Agency Workforce Initiative tasks the Commissioners and designated staff of the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB), the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC), and the Texas Education Agency (TEA) to work together to develop strong links between education and industry. The Tri-Agency aims to provide all Texans with access to high-quality education and workforce training that empowers them to achieve their full potential and help Texas grow in economic prosperity.
In April 2023, the Tri-Agency launched a $12 million dollar grant program focused on identifying, training, and designating a Tri-Agency Regional Convener in each of the state’s 28 workforce development areas (WDAs) to develop a regional pathways system that will support the Tri-Agency mission, priorities, goals, and strategies. The Tri-Agency leveraged existing structures, such as regional workforce development boards, education service centers, institutions of higher education, and nonprofits with a regional scope of work to serve as a regional convener. Conveners are tasked with building infrastructure and demonstrating their proficiency across four leadership domains for the region that include alignment, data, communications, and work-based learning.
The Tyler Area Business Education Council (TABEC) serves as the regional convener for the East Texas Workforce Development Area. The TABEC Board of Directors serves as the Pathways Leadership Team. The team is comprised of leaders and subject-matter experts from the Chamber of Commerce, Economic Development Council, employers, institutions of higher education, school districts, Education Service Center, Workforce Development Board, and community-based organizations to ensure regional pathways are comprehensive and meet the needs of all stakeholders. With the support of the Tri-Agency Regional Conveners Grant resources, the Council has been able to develop and expand infrastructure to support pathways work.
The East Texas Tri-Agency Initiative (ETTAI) supports the states Tri-Agency mission to build a strong Texas workforce and ensure that East Texans are prepared for jobs in the industries that power the state’s economy today and tomorrow. In addition to sharing the states’ vision that East Texans of all ages should have access to high-quality education, ETTAI also supports workforce training that empowers them to achieve their full potential. Texas Tri-Agency’s key priorities to advance economic growth and prosperity are:
- Pathways - Support efficient and flexible pathways to earning degrees, certificates, and other credentials linked to high-wage, in-demand jobs.
- Support - Ensure students receive the support necessary to succeed at all stages of their academic journey and transition to the workforce.
- Infrastructure - Create a robust infrastructure for interagency collaboration around common goals, data, and processes to ensure improved student outcomes that meet employers' needs.
Tyler Area Partnership 4 Education
In 2015 in recognition of Tyler’s established work and investment to improve education outcomes for the Tyler Area, the Tyler Area Business Education Council was awarded the Lumina Foundation’s Community Partnership for Attainment Grant. With support and oversight from the Council, a cross-sector group of community members worked with Lumina to develop and execute strategies that will increase the percentage of residents that possess a postsecondary credential. Tyler was one of the final 20 cities in Lumina’s 75-city community-based attainment network. “The selection of Tyler as one of 75 cities to work with Lumina and other national thought leaders shows that the work in this community is being recognized on a national level”, said former Tyler Mayor Martin Heines.
The Tyler Area Partnership 4 Education strives to promote student achievement in Smith County, from cradle to career, by leveraging data, community expertise, and collaboration. These pillars comprise what is commonly known as “Collective Impact.”
The Tyler Area Partnership 4 Education (TAP4E) was established in 2015 as an initiative of the Tyler Area Business Education Council. TAP4E was formed to work on educational outcomes from cradle to career in an effort to ensure that Smith County’s young people and adults are better prepared for the demands of the global economy.
TAP4E consists of a Leadership Council, Data Support Council, and Three Community Action Networks:
- Kindergarten Readiness
- Middle School to High School Transition
- Postsecondary Readiness, Access, and Success
- Workforce Readiness
