FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
EPIC convening brings education, industry, workforce and community leaders together to turn emerging technology investment into local opportunity
FORT STOCKTON, Texas — August 2026 — As data centers, artificial intelligence and other technology-driven industries expand across Texas, rural communities face an important question: How can local residents be prepared to benefit from the opportunities that come with that growth?
That question brought leaders from across the region to Fort Stockton on August 27 for the EPIC Far West Texas Digital Workforce Convening, hosted at the Fort Stockton Convention Center.
The four-hour convening created a space for education, workforce, industry, economic development and community leaders to discuss how Far West Texas can prepare its people and communities for a changing economy. Conversations focused on AI and data centers, workforce training, apprenticeships, infrastructure planning, policy and funding, and the partnerships necessary to connect rural residents to emerging career opportunities.
Rather than waiting for new industries and jobs to arrive, the event challenged communities to begin building the systems and talent pipelines they will need now.
A major focus throughout the day was the importance of connecting K-12 education, higher education, workforce organizations, training providers, employers and community leaders so that rural residents can see a clear path from career awareness to training and ultimately employment.
Participants also heard real-world perspectives from communities already navigating rapid technology and infrastructure development.
Haskell Mayor Christina Isbell shared lessons from Haskell County’s experience preparing for five data center projects. Her perspective highlighted the many considerations that extend beyond the facilities themselves—from infrastructure and housing to ordinances, tax abatements, emergency services and community communication.
Her message underscored an important theme of the convening: rural communities do not need to have every answer before they begin preparing. Sharing lessons, asking better questions and building relationships early can help communities make more informed decisions when opportunities arise.
The event also explored what a rural digital workforce pipeline can look like in practice, including efforts to introduce students and residents to careers they may not have previously known existed, provide relevant technical training, align skills with employer needs and create pathways into employment.
Those conversations reinforced that a strong workforce pipeline cannot be built by one organization alone. It requires coordination among schools, colleges, workforce partners, training providers, employers, local governments and community organizations.
For Collegiate Edu-Nation and its EPIC initiative, the Fort Stockton convening represents part of a broader effort to help rural communities move from reacting to economic change to actively preparing for it.
As digital infrastructure investment continues to reach rural Texas, the goal is not simply to attract development. It is to ensure rural communities have the knowledge, partnerships and workforce systems in place so that local people can participate in—and benefit from—the opportunities being created.
About Collegiate Edu-Nation
Collegiate Edu-Nation (CEN) is a nonprofit intermediary working alongside rural communities to build sustainable education-to-career pathways. CEN connects K-12 schools, higher education, workforce partners and industry to expand credential attainment, strengthen local talent pipelines and create greater economic mobility for rural students and communities.
For more information about Collegiate Edu-Nation and its work, visit edu-nation.org.
