The Texas Flywheel Initiative is helping more Texans connect to meaningful careers by linking them with the skills, training, and opportunities they need to thrive.
By Dr. Leah Ben-Ami, Senior Ecosystem Designer, Education Design Lab
The Texas Flywheel Initiative is an employer-led effort focused on co-creating a sustainable talent pipeline for the current and emerging Texas Digital Economy—including data centers, bitcoin mines, their construction, and the infrastructure needed to power them. The “flywheel effect” describes the journey from an ecosystem full of potential to a self-sustaining cycle of prosperity, where education, industry, and workforce development align to drive economic growth and innovation in West Texas.
“As a driving force in developing future talent and forging impactful partnerships between schools and industry, we are committed to strengthening career pathways that start earlier. The question is: How can we transform local high schools and career centers to align their programs with the evolving needs of our workforce ecosystem? We believe by bridging education and industry, we can equip students with the skills and opportunities they need to thrive — fueling innovation, economic growth, and a stronger, more prepared workforce.” — Kick-off convening attendee
The initiative launched during the fall of 2024 with sponsorship and collaboration from Cholla, Inc., and the Charles Koch Foundation, and strategic human-centered design support from the Education Design Lab. During the September 2024 employer salon convening, proof points were collected to validate that employers face unique and rapidly evolving workforce barriers. This gave us a path forward to support these sectors within the Texas digital economy.
The second phase of developing talent pipelines kicked off with a cross-sector industry convening to develop awareness and empathy for these workforce complexities. We’re now ready to take action, using the Talent Pipeline Management (TPM) process — an employer-led, collaborative approach to solving workforce issues – leveraging subject matter expertise from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation.
Between the employer salon in September 2024 and the February 2025 cross-sector Texas Digital Economy Convening, we have engaged with over 140 stakeholders, including 60 employers, 40 training providers and educators, and 25 community and workforce groups. At our February convening, we brought together over 60 stakeholders, representing employers including Cholla, Crusoe AI, and Cipher Mining, representing cities from Midland to Abilene.
During the February convening, we focused on relationship-building and establishing a shared understanding around the upskilling and mobility opportunities and challenges of rural prospective hires. We also focused on two main goals: (1) reducing industry silos and (2) identifying core education partners to help build credential pathways.
Digital economy key takeaways:
- Workforce and curriculum development must be employer-driven based on the needs within the industry.
- On-the-job training, work-based learning, and apprenticeships are key for experiential learning.
- Policy barriers, such as degree requirements and employment constraints, need reform.
- Funding gaps must be addressed to develop workforce training models in both rural and urban areas.
- Advisory boards and industry partnerships are essential for workforce alignment.
- A common skills framework, data strategy, and language alignment across sectors will improve coordination and ecosystem cohesion.
- Public awareness of data center and bitcoin careers is lacking, making targeted education critical.
- Lack of childcare, flexible scheduling, and financial aid are major barriers to career mobility and credential completion.
- Strategic marketing, rebranding, storytelling, and early exposure are essential to develop a sustainable talent pipeline.
Next steps
- We’re inviting key industry leaders to a brief strategy session with Cholla, Inc., Education Design Lab, and the Charles Koch Foundation to launch Part One of the Talent Pipeline Management (TPM) process, sponsored by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation.
- Unlock Workforce Solutions at the CEN Workforce Development Summit – April 24-25 in Snyder, Texas.
If you are interested in joining the Texas Flywheel Initiative, reach out to us at transformation@eddesignlab.org.
