FORT WORTH, Texas — Reaching milestones and setting high bars — 270 years of high bars — were hot topics when area higher education and business leaders met today to reflect where they’ve been and to imagine where their limitless potential might take them.
“Without doubt, our alliance with UTA and the Greater Arlington Chamber of Commerce shows how education and industry can work together to cultivate economic development and expand the workforce,” TCC Chancellor Elva LeBlanc said. “Together we are offering an education that produces graduates with highly marketable skills — right here in the heart of the Lone Star State.”
Dr. LeBlanc spoke at the Arlington Chamber’s annual State of Higher Education luncheon on the UT Arlington campus. Close to 500 business and post-secondary leaders gathered to celebrate UTA’s 130th birthday, the chamber’s 80th and TCC’s 60th, and to explore further collaborations.
UTA’s annual enrollment over the last three academic years has included about 9,000 former TCC students, and last year 35 percent of those Trailblazers were dual enrolled. With Arlington’s job growth increasing almost 6 percent since 2019, connecting students with real world opportunities and preparing them to conquer high-demand, high-wage careers is paramount to North Texas prosperity, the chancellor said.
A seamless transfer for Trailblazers to UT Arlington’s full-tuition platform, Blaze Forward, represents a big win for TCC and UTA’s shared students. Launched in 2022, the program covers two years of tuition and mandatory fees for eligible transfer students who complete their associate degree, and four years of tuition and fees for eligible undergraduates.
UTA President Jennifer Cowley: “For the last 130 years, the stories of UTA and our region have been linked — you can’t talk about one of us without the other. Outstanding partners like Tarrant County College and the Greater Arlington Chamber of Commerce help us ensure that we’re serving Texas through research, education, workforce development and community engagement.”
Example: UT Arlington and TCC, together with Penn State University, are addressing the demand for semiconductor experts and increasing career options for veterans. A second cohort completed the institutions’ 12-week Microelectronics and Nanomanufacturing Certificate this spring and received a certificate from Penn State’s Center for Nanotechnology Education and Utilization. Many had high-dollar career opportunities before they finished their training.
And the examples keep coming. Based on an independent economic impact study, Arlington’s need for education, healthcare, and movie and video production professionals is growing. Four new TCC certifications planned for spring 2026 will increase fast-track options to train film production crews to seven. Over the last 10 years the film industry has generated $700 million in economic impact for Tarrant County and birthed more than 30,000 local jobs.
“In the competitive world of economic development, every community needs a differentiator,” said Michael Jacobson, President and CEO of the Greater Arlington Chamber of Commerce. “Tarrant County College and the University of Texas at Arlington create an economic powerhouse that separates Arlington from the competition.”
Just last spring, TCC opened industry-strong culinary arts and hospitality learning spaces at its Southeast (Arlington-Mansfield) Campus thanks to a voter-approved bond program. Nationally recognized faculty provide true-to-career experiences so graduates like Mark Muhammad, a TCC Trailblazer and UTA Maverick, can hit the ground running immediately following graduation. Muhammad is general manager of Arlington’s Homewood Suites by Hilton.
Shifting career emphasis, a Texas Reskilling and Upskilling through Education (TRUE) grant is helping TCC meet increased employer demand for certified electrocardiogram, phlebotomy, patient care and pharmacy technicians. UTA’s College of Nursing and Health Innovation is a popular destination for TCC graduates to earn advanced health sciences degrees.
TCC collaborations with Southwest Airlines, L3Harris, Gulf Stream, Veracity Aviation, US Aviation Group and the Envoy/American Airlines Pipeline program provide pathways to lucrative careers, and agreements with Autobahn and Toyota are producing trained service technicians for dealerships across North Texas.
Dr. LeBlanc: “This is an exciting time for TCC, UTA and the Great Arlington Chamber of Commerce. Our investment in people, partnerships and practice is yielding breathtaking benefits. Cheers to 270 years!”
Celebrating 60 years of excellence and impact in 2025, Tarrant County College is one of the nation’s largest higher education institutions and boasts the second lowest tuition of Texas’ Top 10 community colleges. A comprehensive community college with six campuses in Tarrant County, TCC offers a range of opportunities for learners of all ages and backgrounds.