Pearland continues to grow, thrive, and evolve, and with that growth comes a responsibility to make sure our community remains a place where businesses can find the talent they need to succeed, students can find meaningful pathways, and residents have every opportunity to build a stable and rewarding career. That’s the driving force behind the newly adopted 2027–2031 Workforce Strategy Action Plan, a five-year roadmap shaped through extensive stakeholder input and aligned with the 2024 Pearland Prosperity Plan, our community’s economic development strategic plan.
This updated plan builds directly on the success of Pearland’s 2022–2025 workforce strategy, strengthening partnerships, accelerating innovation, and ensuring Pearland remains a community of choice for both employers and talent. With more than 70 stakeholders contributing through employer site tours, roundtables, interviews, and data analysis, the plan reflects a shared vision: connect talent, strengthen partnerships, and expand opportunities for all.
2027-2031 Workforce Strategy Action Plan
A Strong Foundation, and a Clear Path Forward
Over the past several years, Pearland has seen measurable workforce wins that demonstrate the power of alignment between employers, educators, and community organizations.
WorkInPearland has grown into a major talent engine, supporting 100+ employers, 5,000+ registered jobseekers, and more than 1,300 applications through the platform. Its annual job fairs have surged from 300 candidates in 2022 to roughly 1,500 candidates in 2025, proving that Pearland’s talent ecosystem is thriving.
PEDC assisted employers in securing over $2 million in training and upskilling grants that directly supported Pearland employers. These funds helped businesses enhance internal training, build customized talent pipelines, and reduce barriers to workforce development.
Those grants made it possible to launch biotech and biomanufacturing training programs in partnership with Alvin College and San Jacinto College, including a certificate program with several funded student cohorts and multiple hires.
The Community Resource Network (CRN) now connects residents to more than 70 nonprofit partners, helping them overcome barriers such as childcare, transportation, and housing so they can access and retain high-quality jobs.
Pearland’s youth pipeline is stronger than ever thanks to high-impact experiences like Manufacturing Day, Community Career + Education Forum (CCEF), Jobs Y’all, STEM camps and classroom pilots with Junior Achievement that build essential employability skills, especially the soft skills, like communication and problem-solving, that employers request more than anything else.
These successes form the foundation of the next five years, and the updated plan builds on them with new strategies, expanded partnerships, and a more coordinated system.
What’s New in the 2027–2031 Workforce Strategy Action Plan?
The plan is organized around three core goals, each designed to strengthen different parts of Pearland’s talent ecosystem.
1. Employer Support
Pearland’s employers, from manufacturing to healthcare to professional services, need agile, skilled talent pipelines to remain competitive. This plan strengthens PEDC’s role as a connector and concierge, helping businesses:
Navigate workforce resources — hiring tools, grants, training, and technical assistance.
Strengthen hiring and retention — HR resources, hiring strategies, and retention support.
Build talent pipelines — customized training, apprenticeships, and work-based learning.
Address industry needs — sector partnerships and targeted workforce solutions.
Access coordinated support — a unified, streamlined employer-focused workforce resource system.
Support growth and competitiveness — customized solutions that help businesses thrive and grow.
This plan moves employer support from a broad “coordination and communication” function to a more intentional, employer-centered support model. The goal is simple: ensure employers have the customized support they need to thrive, innovate, and grow.
2. Education & Career Exploration
From K–12 through higher education, Pearland has strong partners who are deeply invested in preparing the next generation of talent. The updated plan focuses on deepening these ties through:
Stronger education–industry alignment — connecting educators and employers around workforce needs through real-time data sharing.
Coordinated development of target-sector career pathways — linking students to in-demand careers and local employers.
Expanded career-connected learning — growing CTE, internships, pre-apprenticeships, and apprenticeships in in-demand industries.
Earlier career exploration — activating employers as storytellers, mentors, and guides to help students understand real careers and workplace expectations.
Stronger local connections — creating clearer pathways from education into high-demand careers.
Pearland’s students will have clearer, more engaging pathways into local careers, from biotech and healthcare to engineering, advanced manufacturing, and professional services.
3. Workforce Resources
Employability skills, access to training, career navigation, and wraparound supports are essential for building a resilient talent base. The plan aims to elevate WorkInPearland and CRN into a fully integrated resident-facing experience that emphasizes:
Building employability skills — integrating soft skills, career readiness, and workplace expectations into education, training, and early-career programs.
Expanding work-based learning - A new Pearland’s Future Workforce hub for internships, apprenticeships, and work-based learning.
Simplifying career navigation — Enhanced digital tools and data-informed navigation for jobseekers.
Connecting residents to the right supports — Partnerships that strengthen outreach and data informed tools to better serve residents, especially youth facing barriers or residents seeking upskilling.
Why This Matters for Pearland’s Future
Pearland’s economic vitality depends on strong partnerships, an aligned workforce system, and the ability to respond to rapid changes in technology, industry, and global trends. The updated plan emphasizes:
Putting employers at the center — aligning workforce solutions, training, and resources with real employer needs.
Strengthening partnerships and alignment — connecting business, education, workforce, and community partners around shared talent priorities.
Preparing for the future of work — building soft skills, adaptability, and AI readiness alongside technical skills.
Modernizing pathways to careers — expanding apprenticeships, stackable credentials, work-based learning, and industry-aligned training.
Supporting retention and worker success — addressing the broader factors that help individuals remain and succeed in the workforce.
Expanding access to opportunity — creating pathways for youth, jobseekers, career-switchers, and emerging professionals to participate in Pearland’s economic story
Using data to drive action — combining employer intelligence and labor-market data to identify gaps and continuously adapt workforce strategies.
The first plan created the foundation; The new plan moves from building these capabilities to scaling and systematizing them. The plan addresses Pearland’s economic vitality by connecting employers, education, workforce organizations, and community partners around real-time workforce needs, while building greater flexibility into the system. By implementing this plan, Pearland continues to invest not just in workforce development, but in community well-being, economic vitality, and the future of every resident and employer.
How You Can Engage
Employers:
Connect with us to build your workforce profile, explore training partnerships, and take advantage of hiring and retention resources.
Educators & Training Partners:
Join hands with industry and workforce leaders to align programs, expand CTE offerings, and integrate more real-world learning.
Residents, Students & Jobseekers:
Visit WorkInPearland and the Community Resource Network to explore job opportunities, training programs, wraparound supports, and early-career pathways.
Interested in learning more?
Connect with Pearland’s dedicated Workforce Director, Mou Sarkar, at msarkar@pearlandedc.com.