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In May, Fort Worth officially surpassed 1 million residents, making it one of just 13 cities across the country to cross the threshold. But this milestone won't be worth much if we don’t invest in a skilled workforce, crucial to ensuring that Fort Worth isn’t just growing — but thriving as well.
Natalie Young Williams
Data from Texas 2036 indicates that more than 70% of jobs in the state will require a postsecondary credential, with our economy becoming increasingly reliant on a highly skilled workforce. As Tarrant County leaders, business owners, and employers, how can we ensure that recent graduates across the county are aware of — and prepared for — family-sustaining wage jobs that launch lifelong careers right here in our community?
Tarrant To & Through (T3) Partnership believes the answer lies in harnessing the power of partnership to strengthen the relationship between education, industry, and community to cultivate career pathways and prepare Tarrant County students for the future.
Working in partnership with the Fort Worth Mayor’s Council on Education and Workforce Development, T3 has launched a community-wide engagement initiative, Hire2Hundred, to accomplish this bold goal.
Hire2Hundred seeks to connect 200 Tarrant County graduates with 200 career-launching opportunities in high-demand industries across North Texas, ensuring that local talent stays local and contributes to our region’s growing economy. From healthcare, technology, and finance to logistics or the skilled trades sector, our key industry players can extend a hand to the next generation and play a pivotal role in building a stronger, more resilient workforce.
Autobahn Motorcar Group Fort Worth is one of the businesses answering the call, committed to investing in homegrown talent in all parts of their business, from maintenance to sales to customer satisfaction. By engaging through Hire2Hundred, Autobahn Fort Worth is giving talented students with an interest in the auto industry the opportunity to jump start their careers right away, while gaining immediate talent to help scale a local, booming business – a true win-win.
“Fort Worth has a distinct need for a unified source to connect aspiring Tarrant County graduates with companies that offer proper career paths, whether in trades or internships for students moving onto college. The only solution we found was T3 and the P2C platform, which provides businesses the opportunity to humanize and explain their career offerings, and for students and parents the opportunity to explore many career options in a nicely clustered and curated environment,” said Brendan Harrington, president of Autobahn. “We also like how the Hire2Hundred program further connects forward-thinking local businesses that offer careers, not just jobs, with high-caliber graduates that are ready to blossom in Fort Worth.”
From small businesses to Fortune 500 companies, it will take a collective commitment to ensure Fort Worth’s economic rise doesn’t leave local talent behind. If we want the next generation to shape — not just serve — our booming economy, we must open doors now. Ensuring our local students are given a seat at the table begins today, enabling them to one day drive the decisions that will influence our region’s continued economic transformation and trajectory.
Let’s not wait for the future to arrive. Let’s build it — together, with our students at the center. Fort Worth’s next chapter depends on how boldly we invest in the young talent already in our backyard. It’s time to hire local talent and lead forward. Hire2Hundred is more than a call to action, it’s a commitment to keeping Fort Worth one of the best places in the country to live and work.
Natalie Young Williams is the president and CEO of T3.