Texas Water Foundation and Texas Rural Funders Call for Collaboration to Address Critical Water and Broadband Workforce Gaps in Texas
AUSTIN – Texas Water Foundation and Texas Rural Funders have released a new report highlighting urgent workforce challenges affecting Texas' water and broadband infrastructure sectors. The report highlights how labor shortages in these fields threaten the state’s economic growth and community well-being, especially in rural areas. It also provides actionable solutions to address these workforce shortages.
The report, titled Creating Infrastructure Pathways in Texas: Water and Broadband Landscape Analysis and Recommendations, was written by Jobs for the Future (JFF), a national organization recognized for its expertise in education and workforce, and informed by interviews with employers and stakeholders in Texas.
The report highlights the importance of water and broadband as essential, yet often-overlooked. Clean water and high-speed internet are the ‘invisible infrastructure’ that enable daily life in Texas: we need both to live and thrive. The report underscores the necessity of a comprehensive and coordinated approach to workforce development. This includes aligning education and training programs with industry needs, establishing clear and secure career pathways, and strengthening rural workforce capacity to sustain these critical sectors.
“Water security is as much about people and governance as it is about pipes and technology. The next failure of a water system in Texas will most likely be caused or exacerbated by a workforce issue,” said Sarah Schlessinger, CEO of Texas Water Foundation. “It could be a broken pipe that was not replaced in time due to a shortage of skilled labor, a backup generator not turned on due to a lack of training, or a water system running out of water or going bankrupt due to a shortage of experienced planners. Investing in our water workforce is the most expedient investment we can make now to immediately improve water security in Texas.”
Texas Rural Funders echoes the urgency of the situation. “Our rural communities are especially at risk if we do not take decisive action,” said Dr. Kelty Garbee, Executive Director of Texas Rural Funders. “The time is now. We need to build education-to-career pathways that support local talent development and create economic opportunities where they are needed most.”
Recommendations to Address Workforce Shortages
To bridge these critical workforce gaps, the report outlines several key recommendations:
Expand workforce training programs and improve licensure support to increase certification rates for water operators.
Develop regional training programs and centers that align broadband and water workforce development with industry demands.
Leverage Texas’ existing education and workforce initiatives through state agencies to integrate water and broadband careers into statewide economic development strategies. These include: Texas Regional Pathways Network at the Texas Education Agency, Rural Training Labs and Middle Skills Credentialing at the Texas Workforce Commission, and Talent Strong Texas at the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board.
Establish dedicated funding for water to help ensure the long-term resilience of the human, natural, and capital components of water infrastructure.
In developing these recommendations, JFF interviewed experts across Texas to share their perspectives on why – and how – to support broadband and water workforce training efforts. For example, Michael Aspland, Executive Director of Sam Houston State University’s Institute for Homeland Security, shared how critical it is to train people to maintain our invisible infrastructure.
“At Sam Houston State University’s Institute for Homeland Security, we view the workforce shortage in the water sector as an unconventional, critical infrastructure threat,” said Aspland.
Texas Water Foundation and Texas Rural Funders urge state and local policymakers, educators, and workforce partners to collaborate on creating viable pathways into the broadband and water workforce. By prioritizing workforce development in these critical sectors, Texas can ensure a strong, resilient infrastructure for future generations.
Read the full report here.
For more information, please contact:
Texas Water Foundation
Colin McDonald
210-878-5536
colin@texaswater.org
Texas Rural Funders
Kelty Garbee
512-914-5768
kelty@texasruralfunders.org