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Workforce development
Readiness and pathway instruction for residents moving toward employment, structured so the county can describe exactly what participants learned.
Counties & Municipalities
Workforce and community programs your county can defend and deliver
County departments are accountable to residents, commissioners, auditors, and often a funder. Dola Academy builds programs that hold up under all four — with written scope, defined participant pathways, and measurement agreed before launch.
County priorities we support
Where counties most often put a training partner to work
These priorities appear repeatedly in county strategic plans and community development budgets. All of them depend on structured instruction residents can complete.
Adult education
Accessible instruction for adults who have been out of formal education, paced and worded for completion rather than filtering.
Youth employment
Career exposure and readiness blocks for young adults, useful for summer programs, seasonal initiatives, and school-to-work efforts.
Reentry support
Flexible scheduling and supportive pacing for returning residents, coordinated with the county's existing case management structure.
Housing education
Property condition, rehabilitation scope, and inspection fundamentals that support homeowner assistance and housing programs.
Neighborhood revitalization
Technical literacy for residents in target neighborhoods so local investment builds local capability rather than importing all of it.
Technical-skill exposure
Short exposure blocks that let residents test interest in a trade before committing to a longer, costlier pathway.
Grant-funded pilots
Small, documented pilots that generate the evidence a department needs for the next funding request. No award guarantees.
Partnership models
Five ways counties engage Dola Academy
Match the model to your current stage. A department in planning should not be sold the same engagement as a department with an approved allocation.
County-Sponsored Cohort
The county funds seats for a defined resident group. Eligibility, recruitment, and participant selection stay with county staff; instruction, materials, and progress tracking come from Dola Academy.
- Partner-defined eligibility and enrollment
- Fixed cohort size, schedule, and completion window
- Cohort-level participation and completion reporting
Pilot Program
A limited-scope run used to establish feasibility, gather participant feedback, and produce evidence for a larger allocation — usually sized under common approval thresholds.
- Small participant group with tight scope
- Documented results for the next budget cycle
- Clear decision point on whether to expand
Community Referral Partnership
County staff and community partners refer residents into scheduled training tracks. The lightest-weight model, useful when funding is limited but resident need is immediate.
- No custom curriculum development required
- Fast to start using existing tracks
- Referral pathway defined for county staff
Hybrid Delivery
In-person sessions at a county facility combined with supported online coursework, balancing community presence against participant scheduling reality.
- Local gathering point for cohesion and support
- Online coursework for flexibility
- Reduced facility and staffing burden
Train-the-Trainer Support
We prepare county or partner staff to facilitate sessions using structured materials, building internal capacity that outlasts a single funding cycle.
- Facilitation preparation and session guides
- Content support during early cohorts
- Sustainability evidence for funders
Procurement & review
Documentation shaped for county process
County purchasing and program staff need to see what is delivered, to whom, over what period, and how it is measured. We produce that in writing before anything is signed.
- Written program scope and delivery description
- Participant pathway documentation and eligibility handling
- Learning objectives with checkpoint measures
- Cohort schedule, capacity, and facility requirements
- Progress and completion reporting plan
- Pilot structures sized for common approval thresholds
What we need from you
A productive first call covers six things. Having rough answers ready shortens scoping by weeks.
- 1PopulationWho are the residents, and roughly how many?
- 2PriorityWhich county objective does this program serve?
- 3Funding stageAllocated, pending, or in planning?
- 4TimelineFiscal calendar, grant period, or seasonal window?
- 5FacilitiesIs there a local site, or should delivery be remote?
- 6ReportingWhat will you need to report, and to whom?
Important: Dola Academy provides educational programs and program-development support only. We do not guarantee grant awards, employment, professional licensure, certification, or examination outcomes. Program eligibility, funding decisions, licensing, and credentialing are determined solely by the applicable agency, board, or funder.
Serving counties across North Texas and statewide
Tarrant, Dallas, Denton, Collin, Johnson, Parker, Ellis, Wise, Rockwall, and Kaufman counties, with hybrid and online delivery available to counties throughout Texas.