Greater Houston Partnership Receives 2024 EDO Workforce Development Award

The Greater Houston Partnership was recognized for its workforce development work, winning Business Facilities’ 2024 Economic Development Organization Award in the Large Economic Development Organization category.

The Economic Development Publication’s awards recognize economic development organizations that “grow their communities” and recognize “initiatives that produce results in capital investment, job creation, quality of life and more “. Six other economic development organizations were recognized for their initiatives in the same category.

UpSkill Houston, which will celebrate its 10th anniversary this fall, mobilizes the collective action of more than 200 essential business, education and community leaders, growing the pipeline of skilled workers employers need and creating better pathways to opportunity for all Houstonians. As part of its mission, UpSkill Houston supports talent-driven economic development efforts in the Houston region in priority areas such as life sciences, energy, and aerospace and aviation.

“We are excited about the recognition of the framework we have developed and look forward to making our goals a reality for the people of Houston,” said Peter Beard, senior vice president of regional workforce development at Greater Houston Partnership. “The future is very bright for everyone who contributes to our region’s dynamic economy.

Educational partnerships have flourished in the Houston area in recent years, with examples like San Jacinto College’s EDGE Center, which partners with Houston’s Spaceport to train professionals for positions at innovative space companies like Intuitive Machines , Axiom Space and Collins Aerospace. In 2023, the 105,572 square foot Intuitive Machines Lunar Production and Operations Facility opened at Spaceport Houston, ensuring these trainees have direct access to groundbreaking innovation at the forefront of the private space sector.

Progress in strengthening workforce development has already seen Houston benefit from new opportunities, with the Department of Energy taking note. The selection of Houston as a clean hydrogen hub was driven by the collective investment in workforce infrastructure from UpSkill Houston, the Houston Energy Transition Initiative (HETI), the Center for Houston’s Future (CHF ) and Accenture. The effort aimed to map the 20,000 planned future local hydrogen careers and provide opportunities for inclusion in the energy transition and social mobility to disadvantaged communities.

UpSkill Houston has established itself as a game-changer for regional economic development, producing workforce solutions in some of tomorrow’s most critical sectors. This impact will be visible as Houston continues to elevate its stature on the global stage as a destination of opportunity and prosperity for all.

Learn more about the UpSkill Houston workforce development initiative.