Generation 2036: Readying for success
This is a preview of our Texas 2036 newsletter highlighting the opportunities and challenges in readying Generation 2036. To receive this weekly look at our work, sign up here.
Tomorrow’s Texas: A look at the next generation
As the year comes to a close, thoughts naturally turn to family and the future. It’s a time to reflect on the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead, especially for the next generation.
In this spirit, we wanted to share key insights about the next generation of Texans and how we all can work together to maximize opportunities for them.
A young state gets grayer
Texas is the second youngest state in the nation, with a little less than 10.5 million under the age of 25.
But like the rest of the nation, we’re getting older.
Texans under the age of 25 currently make up 34.5% of the state’s population.
That will drop to 31.2% by our bicentennial year of 2036.
Meanwhile, the share of Texans aged 65 and older will increase significantly from 13.9% in 2023 to 16.4% in 2036.
The key takeaway… a graying and growing Texas will rely more and more on its younger Texans to propel the state’s economy forward — meaning that it’s vital for Texas to invest in developing and sustaining a highly-skilled workforce to keep Texas at the forefront of innovation and job growth in the years to come.
Also, because our state’s population is so large, what happens in Texas affects the whole nation. And that will only become more true over the coming decades.
According to current projections:
- 2023: One-in-11 Americans live in Texas.
- 2036: One-in-10 Americans will live in Texas.
- 2060: One-in-eight Americans will live in Texas.
Addressing the gaps in education achievement
Today’s kindergarteners are the high school graduating class of 2036. In other words, it’s just 13 years until they embark on postsecondary study, military service or careers. How can we ensure that they succeed — and that Texas succeeds in the future?
👉 What are we doing to help? Texas 2036 supported efforts in this year’s legislative session to improve education through tutoring, improved curriculum and increasing access to advanced math pathways.
Meanwhile, young women in Texas are achieving postsecondary credentials in numbers far greater than their male counterparts.
This gap in higher education achievement is widening. The number of credentials earned by women has steadily increased with each year, but the credentials earned by men has declined from a pre-pandemic peak of 178,717 in 2019.
Achieving the dream: Readiness is key
It’s clear the focus must remain on career readiness — our North Star. Here’s why.
👉 What are we doing to help? Texas 2036 worked to increase the number of all Texans with postsecondary credentials by supporting efforts this year in the Legislature to fundamentally rework the funding model for community colleges in Texas. The goal is to open up more avenues for students to land the jobs that will sustain a family.
Texas has prided itself on being a place where everyone who wants to work and raise a family can do so… but today, with the rising costs of housing, health care, and child care, the lack of higher education attainment is threatening the dream. Texans must come together to address these headwinds that could hold back the next generations from attaining that dream.
Texas Voters Are Noticing 🗣️
65% of Texas voters are worried about the future, with 46% telling us that they worry future generations won’t have the same chances they did.
👉 The bottom line… If we work together and focus on the important things, we still have time to ensure that future generations have the opportunities to thrive.
What must we do to ensure the success of Texas’ future generations?