Talent Fostered by Economic Growth
By Judge Bill Gravell Jr. | County Judge of Williamson County, Texas
Williamson County, Texas is home to some of America’s fastest-growing towns and has been steadily establishing its workforce development programs in line with creating economic opportunities. Aligning both has helped the county enhance workforce skills, knowledge and capabilities while adapting to market changes.
Situated north of Austin, the county embraces industries such as cattle raising and farming while attracting global businesses like Samsung, Apple and Dell, which are investing billions to create national headquarters and large-scale manufacturing facilities. This diversity in industries has brought talent with a range of skills and established economic expansion and job creation opportunities for the region.
The story of our county over the past two decades is summed up in a word: Growth. In 2000 we had a population of about 250,000. Today, the population has grown to 700,000, and two of our cities – Georgetown and Leander – were recently highlighted as the fastest- and second-fastest growing cities over 50,000 in America, respectively, and Jarrell, was the fastest-growing city in Texas in 2022.
People-powered progress
Through a concerted effort, the county has evaluated how to foster economic growth while maintaining the workforce needed in the region. Companies place the greatest emphasis on how attractive the local community is for employees who drive organizational success. Business leaders understand that people want to live and work in an area where they can travel easily between home and work, access quality health care, education and services and enjoy their quality of life. Williamson County possesses all of those positive qualities, and leaders here work hard to preserve those qualities even as we keep pace with rapid growth.
In addition, the county maintains the workforce with the skills required by these industries. That is why our vision for workforce development covers everything – from higher education to vocational training -- aligning the demands of the market with a skilled labor force. For instance, Georgetown is building a new innovation high school that will bring together students and the private sector to give the next generation the skills for great technical jobs.
Leaders in our county frequently discuss workforce development strategies with major Texas universities and colleges. We share a commitment to helping the high-tech industry to access advanced engineering and technical skills.
An example of this is Texas State Technical College’s Workforce Training and Continuing Education Department, which is expanding its offerings for companies in Williamson County. Nine employees from TASUS Texas Corp. and R&D Molders Inc., both plastics fabrication companies in Georgetown, are taking a 12-week maintenance technician course at the Hutto campus.
For the first time, the Workforce Training and Continuing Education Department is working with Tesla to conduct a tool-and-die apprenticeship for employees to take classes in Precision Machining Technology and Welding Technology. Students can learn a specialized skill set that is critical for the automotive industry. This allows the region to meet the needs of employers while growing its workforce capabilities.
These programs promote the development of a skilled and diverse workforce, which in turn attracts investments from companies looking for qualified professionals. This leads to the creation and expansion of trades and businesses in the region.
Even as we strive to build opportunities in higher education, we never underestimate the value that tradespeople – from truck drivers, to electricians, to surveyors, to carpenters – play in a strong community. Trade schools are indispensable for giving people access to these career paths. So, we are constantly leaning forward to develop the workforce for all these trades.
The owner of a highly successful plumbing company in Taylor, for example, has created an apprenticeship program to train the next generation of plumbers. It’s a career that pays well and the work is always in demand.
Our approach of combing economic growth and workforce development strengthens our regional economy, making it more resilient to external factors. This resilience creates an environment where we attract new investments and create opportunities for development now and in the future.Lessons from Oklahoma’s Oil Field
After serving as Oklahoma’s Deputy Secretary of Energy, I formed the Energize for Safety Coalition, focused on transportation safety in Oklahoma communities where oil and gas were being produced. This experience made me realize that high school students — young drivers who were developing lifelong habits — needed additional support. They lacked modernized driver education tools, hands-on experience and online training to help them safely share the road with heavy trucks and equipment.
At the time, I worked closely with Oklahoma Secretary of Transportation Mike Patterson. He and other transportation leaders often wore orange ribbons, which signified the more than 70 Oklahoma Department of Transportation (ODOT) and Turnpike Authority employees who had lost their lives on the job.
I discovered that Oklahoma — like most states — had minimal requirements for teen drivers to learn about work zones or demonstrate slowing down and moving over safely for first responders.
Welcoming a global leader
Samsung, one of the world’s top five technology companies, was looking for a place to build its most advanced semiconductor manufacturing plant in the U.S. They asked us to make a pitch about why Williamson County, and specifically the town of Taylor, would make an ideal home for their massive new facility and their $17 billion investment. The competition was fierce: Samsung was already looking at seven other U.S. sites for this project, which would result in thousands of construction jobs and to create thousands of other job opportunities once the plant became operational.
We had to demonstrate we had and could attract the workforce, could construct the infrastructure to accommodate Samsung and its employees, and that Williamson County was the place Samsung needed to be. Our strong focus on aligning workforce development and economic resilience was attractive to Samsung. So was our alignment with training centers and education institutions. We were selected and Samsung and the county began aligning our workforce development visions.
Companies like Samsung and Hanhwa, an automation company, will be placing equipment in Georgetown High School so  students can be trained on their technologies. For Samsung, the project is part of a broad workforce development program, which will build a strong talent pipeline for their new and existing facilities in our region. For the county, it is another example of why this is the place to be to develop skills and capabilities while building or expanding your career.
