Texas Border Business
Exclusive By Roberto Hugo González
Mega Doctor News / Texas Border Business
The Texas Workforce Commission hosted its 9th Annual Apprenticeship Texas Conference on September 25, 2025, at the Sheraton Dallas Hotel. Themed “Building Texas Talent – Apprenticeships of Tomorrow,” the conference featured a flagship plenary session titled “Building a Healthier Workforce.” The session examined how Texas is leveraging apprenticeship programs to address healthcare shortages while opening sustainable career pathways for workers.
Central to the discussion was the participation of Dr. Carlos Cardenas, Chairman of the Board at DHR Health in the Rio Grande Valley. He highlighted how collaboration between local colleges and health systems has created earn-and-learn programs for critical healthcare roles. “This college stepped up to build those relationships, and it worked out well,” Cardenas said. “Much of it already existed to a certain extent — we had been collaborating before — and this was simply the next logical step forward.”
The apprenticeship initiative prepares patient care technicians, medical assistants, and registered nurses, as well as other high-demand positions, such as surgical technologists or imaging specialists, as needed. Patient care technicians and medical assistants are entry and mid-level staff who provide essential support to nurses and physicians. Registered nurses, a centerpiece of the program, represent the most critical workforce need in Texas hospitals.
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