Blog author: Julia Estelle Cotton
Marketing & Communications Specialist
Workforce Ready: How UNT Dallas Students Are Gaining a Competitive Edge
June 16, 2025
For students at UNT Dallas, the path to a degree is also a path to transformation. It is shaped by real-world learning, mentorship, and career opportunity.
At a recent event co-hosted by UNT Dallas and Educate Texas, students and leaders shared how the university is embedding career readiness and workforce development into every phase of the college journey.
The numbers stand out. More than 70 percent of UNT Dallas students are first-generation college students. Over half are earning their college degree debt-free. But what truly sets the university apart is how it prepares students for success beyond graduation through internships, industry-aligned skill building, and support systems that promote postsecondary persistence and success.
Programs like Trailblazer Ambassadors and Trailblazer Elite are helping students like accounting major Karen Hernandez move from part-time warehouse jobs to internships at top companies like CBRE. “At first, I just wanted to earn a degree,” she said. “Now, I see how far I can go.”
President Warren von Eschenbach outlined a clear vision for building on that progress. With plans to secure $10 million for expanded career readiness initiatives and $2.5 million for future-focused credentials in areas such as artificial intelligence and information technology, the UNT Dallas is working to ensure that every student can graduate with both a degree and the professional skill set to enter today’s workforce.
For MBA student Alexis Garcia, that vision is already a reality. He recently accepted a job offer and credits his success to the leadership and workforce development experiences he gained on campus. “They told me they wanted me for my leadership skills,” he said. “Skills I built right here.”
When institutions focus on career preparation, relationships, and relevance, students notice—and so do employers. Educate Texas is proud to work alongside UNT Dallas to support a generation of learners who are already contributing to the future of their communities and driving credential attainment and economic mobility across the state.
