The Greater Houston Partnership announced the conceptual framework for the Connectivity Platform, an AI-powered career navigation and workforce development system that will be designed for the Houston region.
The platform is a flagship initiative of the Partnership’s Talent and Economic Mobility strategic imperative, part of Houston Next: Advancing Opportunity. This imperative focuses on aligning education, employment and support systems to ensure every Houstonian can connect to meaningful careers – and every employer can access the talent they need to grow.
“Up to now it has been virtually impossible to provide personalized career guidance to students, or workers, to explore optimum career paths based on their skills, interests, and experiences, or to connect them to the richness of organizations in Houston that can support them along the way”, said Rafael Alvarez, Sr. VP of Regional Workforce Development for the Partnership. “But now, with Generative AI, we can envision providing such individualized guidance to every person and significantly advance economic mobility in the region”.
What the Connectivity Platform Will Do
The Connectivity Platform is being designed to better align the supply and demand of talent across the Houston region. The system will:
- Help students and working adults understand what skills and credentials are in demand and chart personalized pathways to careers that pay family-sustaining wages.
- Give employers easier access to local talent, with tools to match candidates to open jobs based on real-time skills and credentials.
- Provide educators, nonprofits and community organizations with a common tool to market advising, training and support services.
Unlike traditional job boards or fragmented systems, the Connectivity Platform aims to use the latest Generative AI technology to integrate career exploration, education pathways, support services, and employment opportunities in one connected experience – serving everyone from middle school students to adults in transition.
View this post on Instagram
Why Now
Houston’s workforce challenges are well-documented. According to research from Good Reason Houston, nearly 90 percent of Houston students graduate high school, but only one in four completes a postsecondary degree within six years, and just 20 percent reach a living wage by their mid-20s. At the same time, employers report thousands of unfilled jobs each year, many of which require only skills and credentials rather than a four-year degree.
Recent data also shows Houston has the highest poverty rate among America’s largest metros, underscoring the urgency of creating clearer, more equitable pathways into the economic mainstream.
A Regional Effort
As Houston’s largest convener of business, education, nonprofit, and civic leaders, the Partnership is positioned to bring the right partners together to co-design and implement this system. The Partnership will collaborate with regional employers, school districts, colleges, and community organizations to ensure the platform is built for Houston, by Houston.
What’s Next
The unveiling of this conceptual vision is just the beginning. The Partnership has selected its technical partner to do the development and, in the upcoming months, will execute co-design workshops with employers, educators and nonprofits, refine system requirements, and prepare for pilot launch in 2026.
Learn more about the journey and how regional stakeholders can get involved.