Mike Feinberg Reimagines Trade Education Through WorkTexas

When education veteran Mike Feinberg co-founded WorkTexas in 2020, he set out to solve multiple workforce challenges with a single innovative approach. Rather than creating just another job training program, Feinberg envisioned a comprehensive support system that would address the real-world barriers preventing sustainable employment.

Operating from strategic locations including Gallery Furniture and the Harris County Juvenile Probation Department’s Opportunity Center, the program reflects Feinberg’s understanding that successful workforce development requires more than technical skills. “A lot of people we train are one flat tire away from disaster,” he explains. “We can help everyone get a job based on their training; but you’re not going to do well in your job if you’re homeless or hungry, or your car stops working.”
This holistic vision has led to the creation of what Feinberg calls a “sandbox” where various support services work together.

Through this approach, WorkTexas provides intensive 11-week training programs while addressing crucial needs like childcare and long-term career coaching. “We are employer-focused,” Feinberg notes, emphasizing the program’s mission “to help people get jobs, keep jobs, advance careers.”
By maintaining contact with graduates for up to five years and providing ongoing support, Feinberg’s program demonstrates a commitment to lasting impact rather than quick fixes. It’s an approach that’s reimagining how workforce development programs can create sustainable pathways to success, proving that vocational education can indeed “come back better” than before.