County commissioners have taken their biggest step yet towards getting families tangible access to child care following a voter-approved tax increase to fund sweeping investment in that sector last November. Of the $75 million approved last year, the county has awarded $21 million in two contracts with Workforce Solutions Capital Area to provide direct scholarships to families and gap funding to prop up inadequately state-subsidized providers.
Author: hahnwebdev
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Travis County affordable child care expansion reaches $55 million
Travis County commissioners approved an additional $21 million in contracts Oct. 7 to expand child care under the newly rebranded Raising Travis County initiative, formerly known as Travis County CARES.
Less than a year after voters passed a countywide tax rate hike to boost affordable child care, the county has now doled out a total of $55 million toward the effort. -
1,000 affordable child care slots are opening in Travis County before the end of the year
A thousand more kids in Travis County will have access to affordable child care as early as December thanks to a new set of contracts the Travis County Commissioners Court approved with Workforce Solutions.
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Millions now out the door for child care after Travis County voters approved tax rate hike
After Travis County residents overwhelmingly voted ‘yes’ on a tax rate hike to help the county create more affordable child care, Travis County Commissioners approved two contracts to get that voter-approved taxpayer money out the door Tuesday.
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Travis County launches $21M program to create 1,000 additional child care scholarships
Travis County is launching a new child care program called Raising Travis County.
On Tuesday, commissioners approved $21 million in funding to create another 1,000 child care scholarships for families. The money comes from a child care initiative voters approved last year.
Officials say this will help children and parents in Travis County.
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“It Was a Game Changer” | Beth on Partnering to Solve the Nursing Shortage
Beth Vaughn of St. David’s HealthCare shares how partnering with Workforce Solutions Capital Area is helping address one of healthcare’s most pressing national challenges: a shortage of qualified workers across critical roles.
Through collaborative efforts like the Central Texas Healthcare Partnership, Beth and other employers are strengthening clinical rotation access, improving student engagement, and increasing the number of local nursing graduates — from around 600 in 2019 to nearly 1,300 in 2024.
“Coming together has made the difference in creating a stable pipeline here in Austin.”
This is what happens when community, education, and industry align for long-term impact — and lead by example.
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Workforce Industry Insights partnership to focus on growing Central Texas
Workforce Solutions Rural Capital Area (which serves Hays county), Workforce Solutions Capital Area and Opportunity Austin announced the Workforce Industry Insights partnership, a joint initiative designed to amplify the strength of the Central Texas workforce ecosystem and support the region’s rapidly growing industries.
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Opportunity Austin partners with Workforce Solutions Capital, Rural Capital Area to support regional industry growth
A new information partnership between Opportunity Austin and both Workforce Solutions Capital and Rural Capital Area will provide data insights into a variety of growing industries in the Austin metro area.
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Workforce groups unite to bridge urban and rural training gaps
A new workforce development partnership is coming together to better connect urban and rural training and education programs.
Opportunity Austin is teaming up with Workforce Solutions Capital Area and Workforce Solutions Rural Capital Area to create the Workforce Industry Insights partnership that will generate research and insights on workforce trends and needs in Central Texas. The group will also develop white papers, case studies and data reports.
Workforce Solutions Capital Area is a nonprofit focused on Austin and Travis County, and Workforce Solutions Rural Capital Area covers nine counties — Llano, Burnet, Williamson, Lee, Fayette, Bastrop, Caldwell, Hays and Blanco — that surround Travis County.
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Sept 2025 Tech Industry Snapshot, Austin Metro + Surrounding Counties
Over the last five years, Austin’s high-tech sector has added 30,000 new jobs—pushing total employment to nearly 95,000. But growth alone isn’t enough. Sustaining this surge means connecting students, job seekers, and employers across a 12-county region with aligned training, earn-and-learn programs, and career exploration pathways.
- Software development roles alone have increased by more than 8,000 since 2020, with average salaries topping $142K
- Over 7,500 computer- and math-related degrees are awarded each year in the region
- Workforce Solutions’ Earn & Learn services and Opportunity Austin’s Talent Ambassador Program are helping local employers fill roles fast—while building long-term pipelines through career panels, internships, and paid training.
Our new Tech Industry Snapshot—developed by Workforce Solutions Capital Area, Workforce Solutions Rural Capital Area, and Opportunity Austin—offers fresh labor market insights, tech talent strategies, and real-world examples of how we’re building a stronger, more connected workforce.
Read the white paper for workforce trends and industry partnership highlights.