T3 Partnership
“The future of Fort Worth and our region depends on building a workforce and talent pipeline to support our growing economy," said Mayor Mattie Parker
The Tarrant To & Through (T3) Partnership last week hosted a reception to announce the launch of a new digital platform that will connect more students and families with pathways to career success.
T3 Pathways to Careers (P2C) is designed to bridge the gap between student pathway selection and available career opportunities, officials said.
The program was created in partnership with the Fort Worth Mayor’s Council on Education and Workforce Development, and JPMorgan Chase & Co.
“At our core, T3 aims to ensure more Tarrant County students obtain a postsecondary credential and that each student has the training and skills they need to thrive in today’s workforce,” said Natalie Young Williams, executive director of T3 Partnership. “Seeing the impact our program model has made in school districts across Tarrant County, we wanted to expand our reach so every student has equal access to identifying their best-fit pathway."
More than 300 business, education, workforce, community and city leaders attended a reception last week at Tarrant County College Trinity River Campus for the debut of the program.
T3 Partnership
“Seeing the impact our program model has made in school districts across Tarrant County, we wanted to expand our reach so every student has equal access to identifying their best-fit pathway," Natalie Young Williams said.
In addition to Young Williams, speakers included Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker, Tarrant County College Chancellor Elva LeBlanc, Hillwood President Mike Berry and Executive Vice President Tom Harris, and JPMorgan Chase Market Executive Phillip Wiginton.
Officials said P2C will provide a tailored experience for Tarrant County students to discover their skills and learn what they need to do each step of the way to obtain the certifications and degrees needed for their future careers. The navigation experience explores a student’s passions, skills, life goals and financial needs, and identifies best-fit careers, providing an interactive look at the postsecondary requirements and commitments that will ensure they graduate with immediately employable experience.
For every student who graduates with a credential, they can expect to earn an average of $1 million in lifetime earnings, which is an additional $400,000 more than those who do not obtain a credential.
T3 Pathways to Careers was made possible through support from JPMorgan Chase and its Force for Good team, a group of JPMorgan Chase software engineers who gave their time to help develop the platform, including a return-on-investment calculator function.
JP Morgan Chase gave $3 million to support the founding of T3 and its mission. The financial institution announced that it was making an additional $750,000 investment to implement additional features to expand the platform’s accessibility, including enhanced navigation and bi-lingual content in Spanish.
“Our commitment to advancing jobs and skills goes far beyond monetary support,” said Wiginton. “We deploy our resources, like the Force for Good team, to advance projects that directly contribute to the success of our growing region. We’re proud of the work our Force for Good team has accomplished and are excited to continue our support of T3 as they create a strong workforce pipeline for the future.”
“The Mayor’s Council is committed to advancing initiatives that support a vibrant workforce through education,” Parker said. “The future of Fort Worth and our region depends on building a workforce and talent pipeline to support our growing economy. These two focus areas are deeply intertwined. The same goal that sparked the formation of the T3 Partnership lives on today: to ensure more Tarrant County students have the credentials and training needed to thrive in today’s workforce. We have stayed true to our commitment, and now celebrate a foundational steppingstone to delivering the T3 mission to more students and families across our region.”
Since 2021, the T3 Partnership has supported nearly 2,300 students enrolling at Tarrant County College, said LeBlanc, TCC chancellor, who added that T3 scholars are retained semester to semester and graduate at higher rates than the overall TCC student population.
“By working together, we can better inform the curriculum offered to our students, open the doors to new career opportunities and support them at every step of their journey through college and into the workforce,” LeBlanc said.
Said Young Williams: “This platform would not have been possible without our partners who we consider friends. A sincere thank you to the Fort Worth Mayor’s Council on Education and Workforce Development and JPMorgan Chase for joining forces with us to launch this first-of-its kind initiative, and to our foundational partners, including the Rainwater Foundation, for your continued support. We are building clear pathways and bright futures for students, families and employers across our region.”