The Texarkana USA Regional Chamber of Commerce has been named ACT’s 2026 Workforce Policy Champion for its work on regional workforce development. This award recognizes organizations for efforts to strengthen workforce readiness and connect education with employment.
Regional Workforce Development Efforts
The chamber’s work has included bringing ACT WorkKeys assessments and curriculum into local high schools, Texarkana College, Texas A&M University-Texarkana, and regional workplaces. These efforts aim to better connect classroom instruction with skills needed by employers in Northeast Texas and Southwest Arkansas.
According to Hillary Cloud, the chamber’s director of business retention and expansion and workforce development, this recognition is a reflection of what can happen when education, business, and community partners come together with a shared vision and purpose. Cloud emphasized that preparing the future workforce isn’t something one organization can accomplish alone and requires collaboration.
The chamber has promoted the use of ACT WorkKeys and the National Career Readiness Certificate in area schools and among employers. These programs are designed to measure workplace skills and help students and job seekers demonstrate career readiness.
The T.L.L. Temple Foundation has provided financial support for the chamber’s workforce programs, including the expansion of ACT WorkKeys and employer outreach. The foundation’s investment has supported efforts to obtain ACT Work Ready Community designation in Bowie County, following similar work in Miller County.
Original reporting: Texarkana Gazette — read the source article.
