McKinney EDC directs staff to develop workforce pilot, seeks partner alignment and state funding

The McKinney Economic Development Corporation board voted June 17 to direct staff to proceed with a draft workforce development plan and to develop a pilot program aimed at closing local hiring and upskilling gaps.

Madison Clark, director of workforce initiatives for the MEDC, told the board the proposal is a draft and the intent is to build a coordinated, partner-led approach that leverages existing programs, state funds and local training partners. “Workforce development is not important — it’s imperative for businesses,” Clark said, summarizing feedback received during regular business retention and expansion visits.

The plan, described by Clark, focuses on alignment across employers, community partners and education providers. It highlights activities already under way in McKinney: employer apprenticeships (including work with Raytheon and Encore Wire), collaboration with Collin College and McKinney ISD, and use of the state Skills Development Fund. Clark said more than $1,100,000 in Skills Development Fund awards flowed to McKinney employers during 2022–2024 and noted private employers — including Brown Fine Foods — have repeatedly used that funding for customized training.

Board members pressed staff for specifics about the pilot’s scope and success measures. Clark said staff is working to establish a baseline labor-market dataset, to convene an ad hoc stakeholder committee (employers, HR leaders, workforce partners and education providers) and to run a small pilot that could start in early 2026. “What we’re looking at right now is how many companies will participate in the program,” she said, and described several options under discussion — for example, offsetting a share of employer training costs or prioritizing McKinney residents for funded seats.

On funding, City Manager Paul Grimes and staff said MEDC has consultant funds available for initial research and a projects reserve that could be applied to a pilot once the board confirms a tool or model. Clark said the aim is to begin a limited pilot by January 2026 and return to the board with more complete pilot details and any requested budget allocations in the fall (staff referenced September–December as target reporting points).

After discussion the board voted to move forward with staff’s plan to develop the workforce program and pilot, task staff to continue stakeholder engagement and consultant procurement, and to return with a proposed pilot design, KPIs and budget recommendations for board consideration.

The board stressed measurement and iterative design. A board member said the EDC should define a clear “trophy” — a concise success outcome — before committing significant funds. Clark and staff agreed, saying KPIs (participating employers, number of trainees, placement/retention outcomes and employer satisfaction) will be proposed as part of the pilot design.

The board also asked staff to examine contributions from the private sector and available state funds so any MEDC allocation would supplement, not duplicate, existing programs.

The matter was put on record as direction to staff; no budget appropriation was approved at the June 17 meeting.

Votes at a glance: The motion to direct staff to proceed with the workforce development plan and to develop a pilot passed by voice vote; individual roll-call tallies were not recorded in the public transcript.

What’s next: Staff will continue data collection and stakeholder outreach, engage consultants for labor-market analysis, convene an ad hoc advisory group of community partners and return to the board with pilot options and recommended budget amounts in the fall, with a goal of launching a limited pilot in early 2026.