Grace Atkins

Grace Atkins

Policy Advisor

Grace works as the Policy Advisor for Workforce and Postsecondary Education at Texas 2036. Her work focuses on workforce development, postsecondary education, and advanced learning opportunities that begin in high school, including dual credit. She places particular emphasis on strengthening the connection between education outcomes and Texas’ evolving workforce needs. 

Posts

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EBNA report: Recognizing credits students have already earned

March 25, 2026

Note: This is Part 1 of a series on Texas 2036’s Earned but Not Awarded report As the number of jobs requiring only a high school diploma continues to diminish, postsecondary degrees or credentials have become essential for securing stable, high-wage employment. Yet, while more than 90 percent of Texas high school students now graduate…

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AI is changing work. Is Texas ready?

March 11, 2026

Last Spring, Dario Amodei, the CEO of Anthropic, the company behind the AI software Claude, told reporters at Axios that AI would send unemployment to 10-20% in the next one to five years. Last month, the CEO of Microsoft AI, Mustafa Suleyman, told The Financial Times that AI could replace most white-collar work in the…

8 ways the TXLege advanced a career-ready workforce

June 13, 2025
The 89th Legislature made significant progress toward preparing Texans for high-demand careers. Lawmakers advanced reforms to modernize community college finance, expand access to affordable bachelor’s degrees and better align education more directly with workforce needs. They even built on prior reforms (notably HB 8 from 2023) with data-driven, future-focused investments. We take a look at...
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Supplemental budget bill: 11 spending items to consider

April 7, 2025

Texas 2036 Government Performance and Fiscal Policy Director Rahul Sreenivasan submitted comments on Wednesday to accompany his testimony to the Texas House Committee on Appropriations in favor of House Bill 500. He highlighted multiple spending items within the supplemental budget bill, which is scheduled for consideration on the House floor on Thursday. Here are his…

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2024 Year in Review: The top stories in higher education

December 17, 2024

In 2024, Texas higher education experienced transformative changes, driven by major legislative actions, strategic funding and bold initiatives to tackle challenges in access, affordability and workforce alignment. With the full implementation of House Bill 8 and increased focus on student success, the state laid the foundation for a brighter future for students and employers alike….

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