WSTC Teacher Externship Impact Announcement

Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                              

Media Contact: Lacey Douglas, Workforce Solutions
Phone: 817.823.0533 / Email: [email protected]

WSTC Teacher Externship Grant Delivers Measurable Impact for Classrooms Across Tarrant County   

TARRANT COUNTY, Texas (August 12, 2025) – Workforce Solutions for Tarrant County (WSTC) is proud to announce the successful completion of its Teacher Externship Grant for FY25, made possible with grant funding from the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC). Over the course of the program, local educators partnered with industry leaders to bring firsthand career knowledge back to their classroom, impacting thousands of students across Tarrant County.

Program Impact Numbers

• 37 Tarrant County Employers from high-demand industries including: Aerospace, Business Administration, Construction, Healthcare, Hospitality, Logistics and Manufacturing participated in this program. Those employers include:
  • American Carton Company
  • Aspire MRO
  • Autobahn
  • Baird, Hampton and Brown
  • Baylor Scott & White Medical Center – Grapevine
  • Benchmark Hospitality at Deloitte University
  • Brumley Printing Co.
  • Elbit America
  • Fort Worth Police Dept.
  • Goodwill Industries North Central Texas
  • Grapevine Parks and Rec
  • Hilton DFW Lakes
  • LBL Architects
  • Live! By Loews Arlington
  • Lockheed Martin
  • Loews Arlington Hotel
  • NCCO Brand Fulfillment
  • Nerdworks
  • Ogle School Hair Skin Nails
  • Panthera BioSolutions
  • Post L Group
  • Red Knight, LLC
  • Saddle Creek Logistics
  • Sheraton Arlington Hotel
  • Sheraton Fort Worth Downtown
  • SPARK Arlington
  • Springhill Suites Fossil Creek
  • Texas Health Mansfield
  • Texas Workforce Commission- Vocational Rehab
  • The Rios Group
  • The Westin Dallas Southlake
  • The Women’s Center of Tarrant County
  • The Worthington Renaissance
  • Trane
  • Trinity Metro
  • University of North Texas Health Science Center
  • Wallbox

• 74 teachers from the following Tarrant County School Districts participated in the program:
  • Arlington
  • Azle
  • Birdville
  • Eagle Mountain Saginaw
  • Everman
  • Fort Worth
  • Grapevine Colleyville
  • Hurst Euless Bedford
  • Keller
  • Lake Worth
  • Mansfield
  • White Settlement

• 1,460 hours of on-site learning was completed
• Every teacher reaches over 100 students a year, this experience ensures those lessons are engaging, relevant and aligned with the skills industries need most.

Kristi Mordhorst, Health Sciences CTE teacher with Grapevine-Colleyville ISD was selected for an externship at the Department of Pharmacy with Baylor Scott & White Medical Center – Grapevine said, “Our CTE class is about real-world applications and for me to be able to come in [to the pharmacy] and see what I teach in my class as well as experience it in person just gives me so much more insight and knowledge in explaining the ‘why’s and the ‘how’s to my students.”

UNTHSC had teachers from both Fort Worth and Everman ISD participate in the program, Amber Smallwood, Senior Vice Provost and Professor at UNTHSC said, “Kudos to our staff for working with WSTC to organize this experience, count us in for next summer’s externship cohort!”

Click here to see our FY25 WSTC Teacher Externship Wrap Up Video.

With the externship programs success, Workforce Solutions for Tarrant County remains committed to strengthening the bridge between education and industry. We are especially thankful to InterLink, Inc who worked with us to execute the mechanics of the grant matching the educators with the employers,” said Robert Sturns, Executive Director, Workforce Solutions for Tarrant County.

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