Austin Infrastructure Academy

Workforce Solutions Capital Area (WFSCA) will lead the founding of the new institution and serve as the Academy administrator. WFSCA is the state designated organization responsible for the data-driven planning, oversight, and evaluation of workforce development activities in Austin-Travis County. The Infrastructure Academy is aligned in our mission to help connect local people to the most in-demand industries with quality jobs. We are honored to serve as the hub for the Academy.

Workforce Solutions Capital Area will serve as the front door to the Infrastructure Academy. As we explore the future Academy location with the existing educational network, including the recent significant contribution of physical space from Austin Community College at its Southeast Travis County campus, we are proud to get to work at WFSCA’s existing North and East Austin centers, allowing people to go to the location that’s most convenient to them. Currently, we want to support and scale the excellent programs and facilities that are already in our community and will explore new facilities if the need arises.

The programs will include those in construction, skilled trades, fleet maintenance and repair, frontline mobility and operations and supervision. These are the five occupational groups we saw high-demand and career growth for in our study and conversations with stakeholders. The Academy will work closely with our community partners to scale existing programs in these key areas.

We will spend the next several months in the design phase, which is crucial for establishing a successful recruitment and retainment strategy. We understand that even the deepest wells of talent will be spread thin and that we need to tap into nontraditional talent pools if we are going to meet the current demand. For example, women only make up 14% of greater Austin’s mobility and infrastructure industry; if the region can increase the share of women in these roles to their share in the overall regional economy, that would cover 41% of the total projected demand for new workers. Another area we know we need to focus on is the K-12 space and raising awareness at this level so that we are attracting younger talent to these roles. WFS has career and education outreach specialists in the middle and high schools, helping us to reach this population. We also have a priority action group that is focused on developing a marketing strategy for not only attracting talent to the industry, but also working to retain them in the industry, and we will continue to build on that as we design and execute on the Academy.

This is a question that will be more fully explored during the design phase. That said, in speaking to our mission, we equip workers with the skills they need to succeed, regardless of curriculum. Our impact data shows that when individuals complete training through WFSCA, their annual wages increase by an average of $30K. We are demand driven in that we help connect workers to skills that match what employers are looking for in their workforce, and ultimately the framework of the Infrastructure Academy will help solidify that skills match between the job seeker and employer.

Various wrap around services will be explored, such as childcare and transportation. We have identified these two as key barriers for the infrastructure workforce, and ensuring end-to-end workforce development services is crucial to growing our workforce. Workforce Solutions Capital Area is Austin/Travis County’s designated intergovernmental workforce development authority, providing critical job seeker supports, including subsidized childcare.

The Infrastructure Academy will in part be funded from existing money. Austin City Council passed a resolution to develop and implement a program to fund and support workforce development, similar to the structure of the City’s existing Art in Public Places program, to support the completion of the City’s generational investment in the capital improvement program. And, very importantly, dollars allocated from this program will stay right here in Austin, supporting vital projects within city limits and helping to generate wealth for local families.

Yes, there are opportunities to support the Academy as we move into the design phase. Please contact Sarah Garza at sarah.garza@wfscapitalarea.com to learn more.