Working with school administrators would give the 17-year-old an opportunity to develop his professional skills, Hewitt said. The aspiring agricultural consultant didn\u2019t get an internship, but he said it gave him an opportunity to put his face in front of a potential employer.<\/p>\n
The Education Lab<\/p>\n
\u201cThey don\u2019t open applications until the semester starts, so I gotta wait,\u201d Hewitt said. \u201cBut this helps.\u201d <\/p>\n
Hewitt\u2019s initiative mirrored other students\u2019 enthusiasm at the Dallas College Cedar Valley campus on Thursday, where he and over 100 students and company representatives attended a conference<\/a> to network and explore career opportunities on National Intern Day. <\/p>\n Dallas College Brookhaven student Emmanuella Iwuji practices interviewing with Ebenezer Allen, with Westlink Academy, during an internship conference at Dallas College\u2019s Cedar Valley campus on Thursday, July 31, 2025, in Lancaster. <\/p>\n Angela Piazza \/ Staff Photographer<\/p>\n Texas is investing heavily in workforce development efforts to build upon its standing as the world\u2019s eighth-largest economy. While about 47% of Texas jobs require postsecondary skills training, only 32% of Texas workers possess those qualifications, according to a report from the Texas Workforce Commission\u2019s Labor Market Information Department<\/a>. <\/p>\n By 2031, 63% of Texas jobs will require education beyond high school, according to a report by Georgetown University<\/a>. That\u2019s due in part to population growth, especially in North Texas, which is expected to grow from over 7.9 million residents to more than 9.1 million by 2035, according to the North Central Texas Council of Governments<\/a>. <\/p>\n In an effort to address this gap, the workforce commission co-hosted the conference with Workforce Solutions Greater Dallas and Dallas College. <\/p>\n The event also featured the Texas Economic Development Corporation and the Texas Intern Network<\/a>, along with TXWORKS \u2014 a collaborative between the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board and the workforce commission that reimburses eligible companies<\/a> for a portion of wages paid to interns<\/a>. <\/p>\n The students took career headshots, held mock interviews with employers, learned tie-tying techniques and interacted with employers at several company exhibition tables. The conference series will continue with events throughout the state to encourage more connections between interns and employers.<\/p>\n Texas Workforce Commissioner Joe Esparza speaks to vendors during an internship conference at Dallas College\u2019s Cedar Valley campus on Thursday, July 31, 2025, in Lancaster. <\/p>\n Angela Piazza \/ Staff Photographer<\/p>\n Describing it as a \u201creverse job fair\u201d for students to interview employers, Joe Esparza, the commissioner representing employers for the workforce commission, said the event helps employers identify potential candidates with diverse perspectives from underutilized talent pipelines. <\/p>\n \u201cWith the increasing population in the state of Texas, we\u2019re pulling businesses,\u201d Esparza said. He pointed out how Dallas-Fort Worth alone has 21 of the state\u2019s Fortune 500 companies<\/a>. <\/p>\n \u201cThat means education and training that was needed 10, 15 years ago is more advanced,\u201d he said, \u201cso we\u2019re trying to funnel more of the workforce into capturing resources that give them better training that move them into more technical structure.\u201d <\/p>\n![\"Dallas](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/3SRP2JRTYJDMBN2TX3P2P2YQYM.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"Texas](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/7BXH5DJEIRGYNIWAI77Y7TG6YA.jpg\")
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![\"Workforce](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/5EJWGPPHXVBNZJHYWNFOFW7RLQ.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"Rhodes](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/VVQGC5P4K5C47DVH7GTEKJH56A.jpg\")
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