In this episode of Promise to Paycheck, Angela Farley, executive in residence at the Economic Mobility Center, sits down with Laura Ward, CEO of Workforce Solutions Greater Dallas, to unpack the "paycheck" side of the Promise to Paycheck equation. They're joined by Tasia Lewis, a career advisor with the Young Adult Program, and Tyreon Gross, a former warehouse forklift operator now training to become an electrician, who shares how one conversation with a friend put him on a path to a six-figure career. From nine job centers spread across Dallas County with a customer-choice model that lets people pick their own path, they break down what it actually costs (nothing) and how AI is already reshaping the jobs people need to train for next.
Dr. Stephanie Elizalde, Superintendent of Dallas ISD, and Dr. Rick Lopez, Superintendent of Garland ISD, join Promise to Paycheck to discuss how their districts are moving students past the old choice between college or career, and toward a system where both paths lead to the same outcome: a livable wage. Guest host Dr. Usamah Rodgers leads the conversation, covering the three-way partnership with Dallas College, how each district uses labor market data to decide which career pathways to build or cut, and why closing the "handoff" gap between school and industry matters as much as the credential itself.
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It's Not Just About the First Job: Rethinking the Promise of Higher Ed | Promise to Paycheck Ep. 2
Dr. Eric Ban sits down with Dr. Warren Van Eschenbach, President of the University of North Texas at Dallas, for a conversation about what it really means to build a university around first-generation students and why "getting the first job" isn't the finish line UNT Dallas is aiming for.
Welcome to Promise to Paycheck. In episode1, Dr. Eric Ban sits down with Dr. Justin Lonon of Dallas College and Justin Williams from the Commit Partnership to explore the transformative work happening in Dallas County around economic mobility and living-wage pathways. Together, they discuss the origins of the Dallas County Promise, as well as the collaborative journey among educational institutions, policymakers, and employers, and the bold vision to double living-wage attainment in the region by 2040.
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