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Chamber of Commerce foundation to support city’s workforce
and upskill workers through some of our program- ming, and that’s important to our companies.” Diving in deeper Many of Plano’s workforce gaps come at entry level positions. Plano’s population has gotten older on average, with the median age in the city increasing from 36.7 to 38.9 from 2012-2022. Over that same time period, the percent of Plano citizens that are over 60 increased from 12% to 19.7%. North Texas-based realtor Pamela Harrison added that high interest rates and home prices have “knocked many first time buyers out of the market.” According to data from Collin County Area Realtors, the median cost of a home sold in Plano in 2015 was $287,000. In March 2024, the median home price in Plano was $511,750. Rent prices are also on the rise—they went up 37% from 2017-2023, according to MRI Apartment Data.
“The work these companies are starting to do to put our region on the map for tech workers is really important,” Marsalis said. “And so we want to help support growing that talent to meet the needs of those companies.” The chamber already works to support the Plano workforce, but Marsalis said that the foundation will allow them to “take it a step further” to provide more long term programs. Marsalis said the foundation will allow the chamber to set up pipelines that will help fill workforce deficiencies long term through its talent advancement network. “We’ll be working more intentionally with Plano ISD and our higher education partners to grow that talent that our business community needs,” she said. “We’re in a great region for business, but we don’t have some of the natural attractions that attract talent—like mountains or beaches. But what we do have in our toolbox is the ability to grow
With the launch of a new nonprofit organiza- tion, the Plano Chamber of Commerce is opening up its options to help support local businesses. The big picture The Plano Works Leadership Foundation, a 501c3, will open up funding options and resources that the chamber generally wouldn’t have access to, Plano Chamber of Commerce President Kelle Marsalis said. Marsalis added that the foundation will function as a “complement” to the work the chamber already does. “The foundation gives us an entity that gives the chamber the ability to really do more impactful work,” she said. One aspect that the foundation will help with is workforce development, especially in sectors that have a need for more workers, such as tech and education, Marsalis said.
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