North Central Texas InterLink

What is Interlink?

InterLink is a non-profit business and education alliance founded in 1987 as a regional quality workforce planning organization. InterLink identifies future occupational opportunities through the development of regional labor market information and an annual labor market survey of regional North Central Texas employers. By providing a forecast of high skill/high wage occupations that were identified to be in demand to public schools and colleges, programs are developed which result is a quality workforce to meet the knowledge and skill needs of employers.

Mission and Goals:

  • Mission: North Central Texas InterLink, Inc. is a regional nonprofit alliance which bridges the gap between business and education by providing timely and relevant information on emerging and evolving technologies, labor market trends, high skill/high demand occupations, and education and training needs of employers and employees.
  • Goal: Prepare a quality workforce, with a globally competitive advantage, which supports the region’s economic development activities.

What is NTC's Role in Interlink?

To strengthen its administrative and support capabilities, InterLink contracts with the North Texas Commission to provide office space and oversee its day-to-day operations and to provide staff and support services. This arrangement has led to a successful synergistic relationship, which helps to coordinate the needs of education with those of business and economic development.

How does Interlink Accomplish its Goals?

  • Through extensive research of labor demand and future workforce trend information provided by employers, InterLink provides a futurist approach to the region's labor market information.
  • For over 20 years, InterLink has performed a regional labor market survey of employers which has become the definitive product to develop the annual targeted occupations and industries brochure for future high skill/high wage employment.
  • Written labor market information is useful, however, InterLink also delivers the information in fast paced presentations that have been featured at conferences, meetings and workshops throughout the state and nation. The presentations are informative and entertaining, highlighting labor market forecasts, industry trends, and education and skill requirements which leaves the audience with an understanding of the dynamics of the changing workforce locally and globally.
  • InterLink's website is a portal for regional, state and national labor market information. It is an excellent source of information about careers with links to regional, state and national labor market information sites, and industry and education sites. It also offers InterLink's publications, power point presentations on special industry surveys, and information about the sixteen counties in the North Central Texas area. Researchers use the website for quick references to labor market information and educators and students use the site for instruction and learning.
  • Strategic planning committees for secondary and post secondary school districts use InterLink to assist with forecasting future career and technical programs, post-secondary counseling, and campus planning.
  • Through a specially developed evaluation process, InterLink works with a team of industry representatives to perform an evaluation of existing career and technical programs to identify strengths and weaknesses.

Current Interlink Task Forces

  • Labor Market Task Force: Area business and industry representatives provide "regional wisdom" to local labor market information and assist in forecasting industry trends and skill needs.
  • Futures Task Force: Prepares long-range forecasts through surveys, discussions with business advisors, and work site visits, to gain insight into the workforce of the future.
  • Funding Task Force: Makes plans for long range funding opportunities to supplement contracts, grants and contributions.