In this episode, HotTejano co-hosts Paul Saldaña and Chris “Tejano Man” Tristan are joined by Dr. Manuel Gonzalez, Austin Community College Trustee, and Barb Clapp, Dwyer Workforce Development CEO, for a great discussion regarding Texas’ ongoing population growth, the need for healthcare services and a workforce to meet the increasing demand.
Last year, Latinos officially became the largest demographic in Texas, representing now over 40% of all Tejanos in Texas. In Texas, more than 5.4 million children attend public schools with Latinos students representing nearly 53% of this population. Nearly 61% of Texas students are considered economically disadvantaged. There’s also a growing senior demographic that further compounds the need for healthcare services across a state that is already facing nursing challenges.
A critical component of the solution here is engaging traditionally underserved communities and providing not just jobs, but training to build life-changing careers.
This episode dives into Latino higher education data, challenges regarding the successful matriculation of Latino students into higher education, and what are we doing to ensure Latinos and underserved communities and students have access to equitable educational opportunities and successful life long career paths.
Listen on https://hottejano.com/ or Spotify.