Economic development is about jobs: jobs for individuals and jobs that exist in communities and the region as a whole. Economic developers work to create and sustain good jobs—jobs that pay well enough for individuals to support their families. When individuals secure jobs that provide support for their families, those individuals gain “buying power.” The purchases made by these individuals and their families generate sales tax dollars that provide funds used by communities to address infrastructure needs such as roads, utilities, and recruitment of additional industries and jobs.

An educated workforce is a vital requirement for promoting economic growth. For individuals, successful economic development means having the skills—both academic and work-related—that are required for success in finding and securing good jobs or becoming entrepreneurs, generating enough income to support a good quality of life. Completing college-and-career-focused programs of study helps students achieve the outcomes required for personal economic success.

Students’ career and education decisions to pursue knowledge-based occupations shape the economic vitality of individual communities, the region, Texas, and the U.S. The presence of an available, skilled workforce is the acknowledged foundation for increased economic development.