As part of our North Star goal, Good Reason Houston will help measure and strengthen pathways from education to living-wage careers
Houston City College (HCC) just received the largest investment in its history: $17 million in support from Bloomberg Philanthropies to launch Gulf Coast TradeUp Careers, a regional initiative connecting high school students to Registered Apprenticeships and high-wage careers in the skilled trades.
The initiative is part of Bloomberg Philanthropies’ $90 million national skilled trades initiative, which is launching in nine regions where labor market data shows acute skilled trades shortages and long-term growth potential. Good Reason Houston is proud to join this effort, led by HCC, in collaboration with Houston ISD, Alief ISD, the Greater Houston Partnership, BridgeYear, and employer and labor partners including CenterPoint Energy, Hays Electrical, and Plumbers Local 68 and Pipefitters Local 211.
The problem this initiative is solving
There are nearly 8 million high-growth jobs in the skilled trades in the U.S. In the construction industry alone, more than 700,000 workers need to be hired annually just to meet demand. But for decades, the path into those careers has been fragmented, unclear, and inaccessible to too many young people. The average age of a new apprentice in this country is 29. That means most workers don’t begin building toward a family-sustaining career in the trades until nearly a decade of earning potential has already passed. People who complete Registered Apprenticeships earn an average starting salary of $77,000.
Those numbers matter because they represent real opportunities for students. Every young person deserves access to pathways that lead to economic stability and opportunities. That’s why Good Reason Houston’s North Star is to double the rate of public school graduates earning a living wage by 2040.
What Gulf Coast TradeUp Careers will do
Gulf Coast TradeUp Careers will serve more than 1,350 career and technical education students over the next three years. The initiative is spearheaded by the Gulf Coast Region Apprenticeship Hub and will expand workforce infrastructure, apprenticeship pathways, employer engagement, and student access across Greater Houston and the Gulf Coast region.
For students, that means paid on-the-job training, industry-recognized credentials, and a clear path into Registered Apprenticeships, all while still in high school. It also includes supports to help them get there, such as funding for transportation, stipends, and tools. Curriculum will be co-designed with unions and employers to align with real workforce expectations.
The goal is to better connect high school, community college, employers, and labor – replacing a patchwork of disconnected options with a coherent route from classroom to career. Students experience one journey. The systems that serve them should too.
Why Good Reason Houston Joined a $17 Million Bet on Houston’s Skilled Trades Future
Good Reason Houston’s work centers on ensuring that Houston’s public school graduates are prepared for careers that pay a living wage. Skilled trades careers — built on Registered Apprenticeships, industry credentials, and earn-and-learn models — are examples of those types of careers.
As a collaborator on Gulf Coast TradeUp Careers, Good Reason Houston will help the region understand whether these pathways are delivering on their promise for students. Through research, data, communications, and regional collaboration, we will help track whether more students are accessing high-quality career pathways, earning credentials, participating in work-based learning, entering Registered Apprenticeships, and progressing toward careers that provide a living wage.
“This initiative is building an entire ecosystem around student success, ensuring every Houston student has a real path to a great job and at least the living wage they deserve,” Good Reason Houston CEO Courtney Isaak-Pichon said. “Skilled trades careers offer high-demand work that can open doors for generations of future Houstonians. Good Reason Houston is proud to stand with the families, educators, and partners across our region who refuse to let the next generation fall short of its promise.”
We believe Houston can be a national model for how a city aligns schools, employers, labor, and nonprofits to expand access to careers that provide a living wage and opportunities. This initiative is a meaningful step in that direction.
