Houston City College announces $17 million investment from Bloomberg Philanthropies to expand skilled trades, apprenticeships regionally

NOTE: A news conference will take place Wednesday, June 10, at 11 a.m. at HCC's District Office at 3100 Main Street. Officials from HCC and its partners will be on hand to answer questions about this extraordinary initiative.

Houston City College (HCC) announced today the launch of Gulf Coast TradeUp Careers, a regional workforce transformation initiative supported by a $17 million investment from Bloomberg Philanthropies. The initiative is part of a new $90 million national effort from Bloomberg Philanthropies to change how high school students prepare for and enter Registered Apprenticeships and high-wage, family-sustaining careers in the skilled trades.

The investment is the largest ever received by HCC, college officials said. 

Gulf Coast TradeUp Careers will help expand workforce infrastructure, apprenticeship pathways, employer engagement and student access throughout Greater Houston and the Gulf Coast region. Spearheaded by the Gulf Coast Region Apprenticeship Hub, the initiative is designed to strengthen connections to skilled-trades careers and modern apprenticeship opportunities aligned directly with regional labor market demand and high-growth economic sectors. The program plans to serve more than 1,350 career and  technical education students over three years.

Since 2016, Bloomberg Philanthropies has supported innovative Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs around the country to create strong career opportunities in high-growth industries.

"We are proud to support this collaborative effort to expand access to high-quality apprenticeship and skilled trades careers in Houston and across the Gulf Coast region," said Jenny Kane, who leads the Career and Technical Education Portfolio at Bloomberg Philanthropies. "As employers face growing demand for skilled workers, this initiative helps strengthen the talent pipeline while creating meaningful pathways to family-sustaining careers. By bringing together a strong network of education, industry, and labor partners, we are ensuring more students and workers have the skills, experience, and support needed to succeed in today's economy."

TradeUp Careers seeks to position the Gulf Coast as a national leader in:

• Skilled trades workforce development
• Registered apprenticeship expansion
• Industry-driven career pathways
• Earn-and-learn education models
• Workforce innovation

The initiative is being developed through collaboration among HCC, employers, workforce organizations, school districts and regional partners to create a connected workforce ecosystem. The aim is to support the region’s long-term economic competitiveness.

Key collaborators include Houston Independent School District (HISD), the Greater Houston Partnership (GHP), Good Reason Houston, BridgeYear, Alief Independent School District, CenterPoint Energy, Gulf Coast Region Apprenticeship Hub, Hays Electrical, Houston Area Plumbing Joint Apprenticeship Committee-Plumbers Local Union 68, and Pipefitters Local 211.

Through coordinated efforts, these HCC partners are helping to align education, training, and employment opportunities to meet the evolving workforce needs of the Gulf Coast region while creating seamless pathways from high school to college and into high-demand careers.

“We’re proud to partner with Bloomberg Philanthropies on this innovative initiative that will deliver strong results for apprenticeships and internships to expand opportunity and improve job prospects for residents,” said HCC Chancellor Margaret Ford Fisher, Ed.D. “By investing in apprenticeship expansion and skilled trades training, we are preparing the workforce vital to the Gulf Coast’s continued economic growth.”

HCC Board of Trustees Chair Eva Loredo echoed the chancellor. 

“In our work at HCC, we know that talent in our wider community is everywhere, yet opportunity isn’t always evenly distributed. That’s why HCC is driven to remove barriers and create pathways that allow motivated individuals to achieve their full potential,” she said. “This wonderful grant from Bloomberg Philanthropies greatly helps us to achieve that goal. This is a great day for Houston.”