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Talent Strong Texas Pathways selected Paris Junior College to participate based on outstanding accomplishments and dedication to student success.
The $16 million five-year statewide economic mobility grant administered by the Texas Success Center increases the number of credentialed Texans prepared for high-demand careers that offer a living wage.
“I am excited to be recognized for our accomplishments and to be able to continue our Pathways work with a focus on the workforce and building a Talent Strong Texas,” said Dr. Pam Anglin, PJC President.
Paris Junior College has been a state and national leader for more than seven years in using Pathways to help students clarify their goals. They select a pathway and stay on track with that pathway to finish a certificate or degree without any excessive hours.
Because of Pathways, PJC students’ average semester credit hours are lower than peer community colleges, and PJC outperforms those colleges in the average time a student takes to graduate.
The state’s higher education strategic plan, “Building a Talent Strong Texas,” targets expanding the attainment of valuable postsecondary credentials. The intent is to increase employment opportunities and income for individuals while creating a deeper talent pool for employers.
“Texas higher education has unique responsibilities and roles to play in what comes next, to expand opportunities for all Texans and ensure our global economic competitiveness,” said Harrison Keller, Commissioner of the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. “Now is the time to seize the vast, Texas-sized opportunities before us to achieve impact at scale and to dedicate ourselves to building a talent-strong Texas.”
The Texas Success Center, working with the state’s community colleges, supports scaling inclusive talent pathways directing students through collaboratively designed programs beginning with short-term credentials and early workplace learning.
“Texas is very fortunate to have a set of funding partners willing to invest in the important work of the community colleges. We are very impressed by the college’s commitment to design and implement talent pathways,” said Dr. Cynthia Ferrell, Vice President of the Texas Success Center. “We are excited to work with Paris Junior College as they continue to partner with local business and education leaders to provide valuable workforce and education opportunities.”
For more information regarding Talent Strong Texas Pathways, please visit https://tacc.org/tsc.
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The Texas Success Center, a unit of the Texas Association of Community Colleges, supports Texas community colleges’ efforts to improve student success and directs the Talent Strong Texas Pathways, a statewide strategy focused on building capacity for community colleges to design, implement, and continuously enhance structured career pathways at scale for all students. For more information, visit https://www.tacc.org/pages/texas-success-center/what-we-do.
Paris Junior College, located in Paris, Texas, has successfully educated generations of students since 1924. The college has aggressively expanded technical / workforce and university transfer programs by offering certificates and associate degrees. PJC operates centers in Sulphur Springs and Greenville, Texas.