Pathways to Work

This workforce development initiative equips young adults for good-paying jobs and advances workforce equity in North Texas, helping us move closer to our Aspire United 2030 goal of increasing the number of young adults in living wage jobs by 20%.

Through Pathways to Work, we partner with service providers, training organizations and employers in growing industries to develop work-ready training programs, deliver industry-recognized credentials and support workers as they move toward their goals.

Key Strategies

Equip Workers for Success

Pathways to Work provides comprehensive training and employment for displaced and under-employed workers in targeted occupations:

  • Health care
  • Information technology
  • Construction, industrial production and skilled trades
  • Transportation and logistics
  • Advanced manufacturing
  • Business and finance

Participants also have access to work-readiness resources such as adult education, GED and ESL classes, career coaching, digital skills and devices, and work-based learning experiences, along with supportive services such as transportation and childcare.

Engage Employers

We connect employers and training partners to diversify talent pipelines, improve inclusive hiring practices and enhance job quality.

Healthcare Partnership: A collaboration with six major health systems, training providers and the Dallas Hospital Council Foundation to attract, train and place frontline health care workers to fill critical hiring needs and to increase retention and advancement opportunities. Participants gain comprehensive skills training for in-demand entry-level and middle-skill roles—including patient care technician and phlebotomist—that lead to good paying, stable careers.

Information Technology Partnership: A collaboration with the Dallas Regional Chamber, Dallas College, Workforce Solutions Greater Dallas, local employers and training providers to affirm training pathways for in-demand middle-skill IT positions and to expand hiring pipelines that increase the diversity of IT talent. Targeted roles include computer user support, computer network support, web developers and digital interface designers.

Construction Partnership: A collaboration with local employers, industry associations and training providers to improve work readiness and provide training for commercial construction jobs, including electrician, plumber, pipe-fitter and welder. This initiative includes Women in Construction, a companion program through Southern Dallas Thrives.

Advancing Workforce Equity

Ongoing United Way projects seek to improve workforce equity throughout North Texas. This work includes our 2021 report “Advancing Workforce Equity in Dallas and Collin Counties: A Blueprint for Action”—produced in partnership with JPMorgan Chase, the National Fund for Workforce Solutions and Policy Link—which delivered eight recommendations to improve our region’s capacity to achieve equitable outcomes in employment, wages and advancement. Current workforce equity projects include Bridging the Digital Divide, Career Pathways Learning Network and Journey Mapping. Upcoming projects include the Skills Based Hiring Lab and Workforce Equity Benchmarking Collaborative.

Results & Impact

View Our Impact Across All Programs

  • 1,656

    certifications earned
    in our last fiscal year

  • 21,452

    people served
    in our last fiscal year

  • 4,118

    job placements
    in our last fiscal year

1,656

certifications earned
in our last fiscal year

21,452

people served
in our last fiscal year

4,118

job placements
in our last fiscal year

Pathways to Work is generously funded by:

  • Communities Foundation of Texas •
  • City of Dallas •
  • Clements Foundation •
  • Holloway Family Foundation •
  • Independent Bank •
  • JPMorgan Chase  •
  • National Fund for Workforce Solutions •
  • State Fair of Texas  •
  • Target Corporation  •
  • Truist Foundation •
  • USAA 
Employers and Industry Associations:
  • Accenture  •
  • Bank of America  •
  • Baylor Scott & White Health  •
  • BGSF •
  • Bresatech •
  • Children’s Health •
  • Dallas Regional Chamber •
  • DFW Hospital Council Foundation •
  • Grant Thornton LLP  •
  • Invene •
  • Linkwell Solutions •
  • McKesson Corporation  •
  • Medical City Healthcare •
  • Methodist Health System   •
  • Southwest Airlines •
  • Texas Health Resources •
  • TEXO •
  • Thomson Reuters •
  • Universe Konadu •
  • UT Southwestern Medical Center  •
  • Virtue Group LLC
Service and Training Providers
  • Achieve •
  • AES Literacy Institute •
  • CitySquare •
  • Empowering the Masses •
  • For Oak Cliff / Dallas Methodist Hospitals Foundation •
  • Goodwill Dallas •
  • Inspiring Tomorrow’s Leaders •
  • Interfaith Family Services •
  • Jubilee Park and Community Center •
  • LIFT / Aspire •
  • Literacy Achieves •
  • Metrocrest Services •
  • Miles of Freedom •
  • My Possibilities •
  • NPower •
  • Oak Cliff Empowered •
  • Per Scholas •
  • Prison Entrepreneurship Program •
  • Sharing Life Community Outreach •
  • Wilkinson Center •
  • Year Up DFW

Invest in Lasting Change

Together, we can improve access to education, income and health so all North Texans can thrive.

Explore Our Other Programs

We create, lead and invest in initiatives that improve access to education, income and health.

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