SAN MARCOS, TEXAS / ACCESS Newswire / February 16, 2026 / Regional organizations are coming together to present Ready, Set, Launch on Feb. 18 at Texas State University to give business and communications students a competitive edge in today's challenging job market, where recent college graduates are facing the weakest entry-level hiring landscape in years, with only about 30% landing full-time roles and overwhelmingly feeling underprepared for job-market demands, according to Forbes magazine.

Presented by the Texas State University AdvoCats Future Forward campaign and powered by ACCESS Newswire, the event is being held on Wednesday, Feb. 18, from Noon-3 p.m. at the LBJ Student Center LBJ Ballroom. Event partnerships include the San Marcos Chamber of Commerce, the Better Business Bureau Serving the Heart of Texas, PRSA Austin, Texas State University Career Services, School of Journalism and Mass Communication, and the Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship.

The event will be held in conjunction with the Texas State Career Services Communications and Business Career Fair, creating a dual-event experience that gives students an inside look at industry resources. The event will present opportunities to get hands-on access to an industry-standard media tool ACCESS Newswire, learn essential skills, practice them in real time and immediately apply them with employers all in one afternoon. ACCESS Newswire is a global PR platform offering press release distribution, media and analytics features, and a new EDU program giving students and professors free access to the tool.

"ACCESS Newswire gives the next generation of professionals an impactful opportunity to take control of their future by becoming career ready now," said Shauné Smith, AdvoCat account executive. "With an increasingly competitive job market, it is vital that students have the opportunity to learn and apply these tools to ensure they are fully prepared for life after graduation."

According to research collected by the AdvoCats, 80% of students have used a tool in a classroom that they later found valuable in their volunteer or professional work, yet only 2% of students report any experience using a newswire service. This lack of exposure becomes concerning when 77% of public relations professionals say they are more likely to hire an entry-level candidate with hands-on experience using industry-standard tools.

"ACCESS Newswire is honored to provide our platform at no cost to university professors, bringing real-world communications technology directly into the classroom," said Jennifer Hammers, executive vice president of sales and marketing at ACCESS Newswire. "As the first newswire to offer a full-scale professional platform to universities for student use, we are redefining how future communications professionals gain practical experience - ensuring they enter the workforce confident, prepared, and ahead of the curve."

The ACCESS Newswire EDU program is a professional industry tool now available for free to professors and students, designed to prepare students for real-world careers. At Ready, Set, Launch, students will gain hands-on experience with key features, including media monitoring, database exploration, press release writing, and more.

"Ready, Set, Launch and the Business and Communications Fair are the culmination of a lot of hard work from a very passionate team," said Adam Hernandez, career educator at Texas State Career Services. "Both events will allow Texas State students to showcase what they've learned in class, learn from industry professionals, and look toward the future as they prepare for the next steps in their careers."

To learn more about the AdvoCats Future Forward campaign, Ready, Set, Launch, or how ACCESS Newswire can help with career readiness, please visit the AdvoCats' website.

About ACCESS Newswire:

ACCESS Newswire is a global Public Relations (PR) and Investor Relations (IR) tool that helps organizations amplify their stories through widespread press release distribution, media databases, and analytics tools. Trusted by brands, agencies, and communicators, ACCESS Newswire connects messages with the audiences that matter most. Learn more at www.accessnewswire.com.

About the AdvoCats:

The AdvoCats are a team of six public relations students at Texas State University competing in the 2026 PRSSA Bateman Case Study Competition. Through their campaign, Future Forward, the team aims to equip students with practical career-readiness tools and real-world media skills to better navigate today's competitive job market. Their goal is to bridge the gap between classroom learning and industry expectations by creating hands-on opportunities, fostering employer connections, and empowering students to confidently launch their careers. For more information about the Future Forward campaign, please visit the campaign website.

Media Contact:

Shauné Smith
ngn15@txstate.edu
832-915-8110

SOURCE: Texas State University