TWC approves child-care workforce strategic plan, adopts industry credential inventory and signs off on 2025 growth-occupations report
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Summary
The Texas Workforce Commission approved submission of a child care workforce strategic plan to state leaders, adopted a 2025 inventory of industry-recognized certifications to distribute to TEA and school districts, and approved its 2025 annual report on growth occupations after staff briefing and minor-edit authority.
The Texas Workforce Commission approved multiple workforce items aimed at K–12 career pathways and child-care workforce support.
Commissioners voted to approve a child care workforce strategic plan for submission to the governor, lieutenant governor and speaker of the Texas House after staff recommended the plan for action. During discussion staff clarified that a previously-discontinued statewide planning-grant initiative to fund start-up registered-apprenticeship entities had been stopped, but that childcare professional-development scholarships remain funded; staff recorded $3.5 million for childcare professional-development scholarships in fiscal year 2026 and said registered apprenticeships remain an eligible scholarship type.
On industry credentials, staff from TWC’s workforce development division (staff identified themselves as Lisonbee and a colleague) explained that Texas Labor Code requires the Industry-Based Advisory Council to develop an inventory of industry-recognized certifications that a high-school student may earn through CTE programs. Staff recommended adopting the council’s 2025 inventory; commissioners moved to adopt the inventory and the motion passed. Staff said the inventory will be shared with the Texas Education Agency, independent school districts and public institutions of higher education that offer CTE.
Mariana Vega, director of TWC’s Labor Market Information Department, presented the 2025 annual report on growth occupations. Vega said staff examined more than 800 occupations across 13 major industries and defined "high wage, high demand" occupations as those where median annual pay exceeds the statewide median; the commission approved the report for submission to state leaders and allowed staff to make minor non‑substantive edits before publication. Vega noted the report is due Jan. 1 and will be posted to the agency website.
What happens next: Staff will publish the approved documents as directed and distribute the adopted inventory to TEA and local education partners; the childcare scholarships remain funded at the level staff announced for FY26.
