Richardson | October 2025

BY MICHAEL CROUCHLEY

What’s next

Zooming out

Richardson ocials are also looking to continue leveraging higher education. City sta met with local colleges Oct. 7. The city works closely with UT Dallas, but Magner said Richardson is hoping to formalize workforce development programming with Collin and Dallas colleges in the near future. “We’re the only one in this scenario that’s talking to both education directly and business directly,” Magner said. “The importance is bringing them together.” Magner said workforce development programs help support Richardson companies, as well as bring new ones in, since a strong workforce is a great “selling point” for the city. He added that the local workforce can also ll jobs on city sta. “I see the city playing a much more active role in working with the educational institutions to help develop a curriculum that would be benecial to both us and to the private sector,” Magner said. UTD Vice President for Research Joseph

Current total local college enrollment

Pancrazio said UT Dallas is set to continue growing its programs within the tech industry but added that the region’s economy has diversied. “What’s changed over the last 50 years ... is that it’s not only in domain areas that touch Texas Instruments,” he said. “North Texas now has a vibrant nancial and banking sector, insurance sector, and a huge variety of other industries.” Pancrazio added that “over the next 18 months,” university sta is going to “take a wide look” at what the region’s workforce needs are. “There are areas where we’re not as strong as we are in semiconductors,” he said. “We want to understand how we can have the most impact as quickly as possible.”

Dallas College: 103,241

Collin College: 60,679

UT Dallas: 29,886

SOURCES: UT DALLAS, COLLIN COLLEGE, DALLAS COLLEGECOMMUNITY IMPACT

Pancrazio said that the benets are mutual. “The specic advantage we have is the fact that we do have so many corporate headquarters in the technology sphere located here,” Pancrazio said. “It allows us to engage very eectively with industry leaders to understand what the needs are and how we can best be of service to the industry.”

Changing t

Inspired and hired

RICHARDSON EDITION