Most workforce development programs focus on one thing: training. WorkTexas operates differently. The Houston nonprofit combines academic credit recovery, industry certifications, and wraparound services under one roof—often in spaces that don’t look like traditional schools.
One location occupies 15,000 square feet of a Gallery Furniture showroom. Another sits inside a former juvenile detention center. Both deliver results that have caught national attention.
Harris County’s juvenile justice program, which partners with WorkTexas, reports 93% attendance rates among students who previously struggled in conventional classrooms. Adults completing trade programs see average starting wages of $19.10 per hour, with 70% securing new or better employment.
“We are employer-focused,” said Mike Feinberg, WorkTexas co-founder. “Our mission is to help people get jobs, keep jobs, and advance careers.”
Mattress Mack’s Unconventional Classroom
The Gallery Furniture partnership began when Houston business icon Jim “Mattress Mack” McIngvale approached Feinberg about repurposing retail space for workforce training. McIngvale had watched a stream of people seeking financial help at his store.
“Giving them money doesn’t work, because it’s gone the next day and they’re back in the same situation,” said McIngvale, 74. “I wanted to figure out a way we could teach these people a trade. Rather than give them a fish, they could learn how to fish and feed themselves.”
The furniture showroom now houses welding stations, electrical training equipment, and automotive bays alongside Premier High School-Houston classrooms. Students spend four hours daily on laptop-based coursework and two hours learning trades.
Marc Pollicove, career and technical education coordinator at Premier, greets students each morning with personal attention that many missed at larger schools. The 43-year teaching veteran said the smaller environment allows deeper relationships.
“They learn because of the school culture we have here,” Pollicove said. “We encourage them to persevere, to overcome obstacles they think they have, not to let a single setback set them back forever.”
Juan Flores, 18, found the personalized approach more manageable than his previous large high school. “It’s very subdued,” said Flores, who switched from carpentry to welding. “I like to work with my hands and be creative.”
Industry Partners Shape Training
WorkTexas distinguishes itself through direct employer involvement in curriculum design. Nearly 150 companies provide input on skills training and hire graduates.
Beau Pollock, president of TRIO Electric, helped develop the electrical program and employs WorkTexas alumni. He said the emphasis on soft skills alongside technical training produces reliable workers.
“We need people who get to work on time, people who can work on a team,” Feinberg explained, citing feedback from industry partners. “That’s basically work hard, be nice.”
The employer-first model extends to program expansion. WorkTexas adds new training areas based on hiring commitments from local businesses. Recent additions include medical assistant certification, commercial truck driving, and building maintenance programs.
Mike Webster, president of Houston Community College and early WorkTexas supporter, said the approach breaks down traditional barriers between education and industry. “What we didn’t have [at the college before] was the Mattress Mack bullhorn to get out there and say, ‘Hey, come on down and get trained,'” Webster noted.
Juvenile Justice Success Story
The program’s juvenile justice component operates through Harris County’s Opportunity Center, where Vanessa Ramirez leads efforts to redirect young people involved in the court system.
Ramirez, a former KIPP student who now co-leads WorkTexas initiatives, said traditional juvenile programs often replicated the school environments where students originally struggled. The Opportunity Center integrates vocational training with academic work and behavioral health services.
“Kids don’t know how to de-escalate,” Ramirez observed. She pointed to in-school suspension as a missed opportunity: “We put them in a classroom staring at a wall. We’re not developing that self-awareness. We’re not developing communication skills.”
The center serves 65 students across 22 school districts, drawing from 42 different zip codes throughout Harris County. Students combine GED preparation with hands-on training in auto technology, construction, digital communications, and entrepreneurship.
Project Remix Ventures, another component, allows students to earn money creating products they learned to make during training. The micro-business model provides transitional work experience before students enter traditional employment.
“Our kids are all involved in the juvenile justice system, and a large majority also have been involved in the Child Protective Services system,” Ramirez said. “The adults in their lives have taught them not to trust because it makes you vulnerable.”
The center’s 93% attendance rate contrasts sharply with typical juvenile justice education programs, which often struggle to engage students.
Wraparound Services Make the Difference
WorkTexas addresses barriers beyond skills training through partnerships with community organizations. Students access food assistance through Houston Food Bank, behavioral health services through Journey Through Life, and financial literacy education through Wesley Community Center.
The program also provides childcare for participants. Using federal and local funding plus public-private partnerships, WorkTexas operates daytime care for more than 60 children of program participants and community members.
“A lot of people we train are one flat tire away from disaster,” Feinberg said. “You’re not going to do well in your job if you’re homeless or hungry, or your car stops working.”
Workforce Solutions provides scholarship funding and support services including transportation to training sites and tools needed for coursework. The multi-partner approach creates what Feinberg calls a “sandbox where different groups can all work together for the same end goal.”
Measuring Success Beyond Certificates
Traditional workforce programs often measure success by credentials earned. WorkTexas tracks employment outcomes and career advancement over five years.
The organization follows graduates quarterly, monitoring job stability, wage growth, and career satisfaction. Staff provide ongoing job coaching that sometimes resembles therapy, helping alumni navigate workplace conflicts and career decisions.
“We are proactively reaching out to all of them every six months,” Feinberg said. “Are you still in the same job? Are you switching jobs? What’s your salary? Do you need any help?”
This long-term commitment differentiates WorkTexas from programs that focus primarily on training completion. The approach reflects lessons learned from community colleges and trade schools that produce certificates but don’t track job placement.
“How many of those people got jobs? They don’t know,” Feinberg said of traditional programs. “Of those people who got jobs, a year later, how many are still in their jobs, advancing careers? Again, they don’t know.”
Expansion Through Partnership
WorkTexas plans growth through collaboration rather than franchise replication. Premier High School operates 50 campuses across Texas and wants to integrate the Gallery Furniture model at other locations.
Harris County officials are exploring similar juvenile justice partnerships in other regions. The program has attracted visits from educators and policymakers nationwide seeking to replicate the approach.
Rather than scaling infrastructure, WorkTexas emphasizes scaling ideas through local partnerships that adapt to community needs and resources.
“We’re trying to make sure we walk before we run,” Mike Feinberg said.
The model’s success suggests that rewiring education-to-employment pathways requires more than new curriculum. It demands reimagining where learning happens, who shapes it, and how success gets measured.
For students like Juan Flores, the difference is tangible. “It gives them a win,” said Premier teacher Adam Tutt, a former homebuilder who understands trades value. “Without such a win, it’s hard to motivate yourself.”
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