Workforce Solutions staff help load cleaning supplies
To assist Austin’s child care providers with maintaining safe and clean centers during the COVID-19 pandemic, Workforce Solutions Capital Area’s Child Care Services team held a cleaning supplies pickup event on August 21 and 22 at the Travis County Purchasing Warehouse. One hundred fifty-three providers from all around the Austin metro area signed up.
Providers received pallet-sized orders of cleaning supplies—everything from dish soap, sanitizing wipes, gloves, paper towels and more—at no cost. Our team sorted and prepared thousands of pounds of supplies ahead of the pickup days—25,277 pounds, to be exact!
One of the participating centers was Eanes Independent School District, which has two centers with almost 85 children in care, according to Jeannie Young, Child Development Center Coordinator.
“When we closed in March, we left on spring break and never went back. Now we are reopening and one of our concerns was do we have enough supplies to truly operate,” Jeannie said.
“This is a really wonderful gift to make sure we start our year strong and we have plenty of supplies to keep us going while we build up our stock,” she said.
Brianna Hodges is the Center Director at Prodigy Child Development Center, with 83 children in care. “When I heard about this event, I was excited! My prayers have been answered. This is tremendous help,” she said.
What will get cleaned first? “Everything—toys, walls, I mean it all. It all will be cleaned; we are excited to do a deep clean and maintain health and safety,” Brianna said.
“We are very thankful. Thank you again for helping us out and helping our children maintain safety in such a hard time,” said Brianna.
Workforce Solutions Capital Area is committed to supporting providers in Austin who care for the children of our region’s workforce. By providing care in a safe and nurturing environment, Austin’s child care providers are helping to develop a future workforce that is skilled and productive. Learn more about how we support child care providers on our website.
Ever since childhood, Abigail Leighton has always enjoyed building things and working with her hands. This interest is what led Abigail, who has called Austin home since 2002, to the skilled trades and a budding career as an electrician.
Before entering the trades, Abigail worked in the food service industry but realized her opportunities were limited. She sought work that would pay well and help build a productive life.
“I needed to find a career path that would earn me a respectable, livable income without taking out massive student loans,” Abigail said. “I searched online for jobs that make lots of money without a college degree. Several trade jobs appeared in my search and I knew that was what I needed to do in order to improve my life and stop living paycheck to paycheck.”
Abigail called Brian Peabody, the training coordinator at Plumbers & Pipefitters Local Union 286, to ask about applying for an apprenticeship. “I explained why I wanted to join a local union and he told me I should take the Multi-Craft Core Curriculum class to help me along,” said Abigail.
Multi-Craft Core Curriculum (MC3) is a nationally recognized, industry certificate that introduces students to the different building trades and teaches them the skills necessary to successfully apply for a registered apprenticeship, debt-free. MC3 is a standardized, comprehensive, 120-hour construction course designed to help young people and transitioning adults choose and succeed in apprenticeship programs in the skilled trades that are appropriate for them.
Abigail enrolled in the two-week program and took her training in July 2020. The students received their OSHA-10 certification, First Aid/CPR training, learned to read blueprints and, best of all, got jobs upon graduation.
“I think my true passion may actually be with the union itself. Trade jobs have given me a lot of confidence and useful skills. Local unions are something very special and I believe they have the ability to continue empowering women like myself.”
“I think the program is really special and gives people a good look into the trades, and what it means to be part of a union. I only wish they had the classes more often so I could start sending people I know to take it. Brian Peabody has really put a lot of time and effort into teaching MC3 and it is such a valuable experience,” Abigail said.
Meeting the people who work in all the local unions was an experience Abigail enjoyed. “It was such a unique experience to observe their jobs and see the passion for what they do. The program is run by good people who care about the success of others and it shows,” she said.
“I had a very skewed idea of what most tradespeople were like. I always assumed people were plumbers, or electricians, or ironworkers because their dads were—that they grew up learning to fix things and that they have always known how to use tools or work with their hands. That couldn’t be further from the truth! I was very tool illiterate when I first started my journey in this industry, and now I use power tools every day and own my own angle grinder,” said Abigail.
“I was sold on being a plumber at first but then we took a tour of the electrician’s training facility and it started changing my mind. I thought the work they did looked very interesting and I kept finding myself considering it more and more at home after class,” she said.
“We did mock job interviews and Marc Pendleton from Local 520 was there. He was such a delight to sit down with and I really enjoyed our interview. The health benefits and retirement options with 520 were some of the best, and they have a picnic committee. What’s not to love?” Abigail said.
While her journey as a union apprentice has just begun, Abigail already knows her future lies in the trades.
“I want other women who felt like me to know that this is attainable and the union is there to help and support you along the way.”
“My short-term goal is to finish the five-year apprenticeship and become a journeyman—or journeywoman, if you will! After that, I may pursue a masters license to start my own business and employ other union members,” said Abigail.
“I think my true passion may actually be with the union itself. Trade jobs have given me a lot of confidence and useful skills. Local unions are something very special and I believe they have the ability to continue empowering women like myself,” she said.
“I have a new long-term goal and that is to show other women that they can do this too. Skilled trades may currently be a male-dominated industry, but it doesn’t have to be. Women make wonderful tradespeople and have so much to offer to this industry. The only thing holding women back from learning a trade is themselves,” said Abigail.
Abigail Leighton and Marc Pendleton
Marc Pendleton, Organizational Development Specialist for Local 520, agreed: “We encourage women to be electricians because they have great attention to detail. I learned the tricks of the trade 14 years ago from a great Journeywoman,” Marc said.
“We can think we aren’t tough enough, or strong enough, or knowledgeable enough—but that just isn’t true. I want other women who felt like me to know that this is attainable and the union is there to help and support you along the way.”
She added, “If you are willing to work hard and learn new things, the union and other tradespeople will teach you everything you need to know. Get ready to sweat and buy some nice gel insoles for your boots! Other than that, a good attitude is all you will need.”
Learning a new skill set to pursue a new career takes time and resources. For parents with young children who want to take this path, having available and affordable child care is essential. Kelly Thomas, who has lived in Austin since 2001, has completed cosmetology training and is now weighing her career options, and she can do so having received support with child care.
In September 2018, Kelly was receiving support from the nonprofit AnyBabyCan. Her parent navigator there told her about child care tuition scholarships offered by Workforce Solutions Capital Area and suggested that Kelly enroll.
“Workforce Solutions have been amazing for providing opportunities to help me and provide resources for finding and keeping child care,” Kelly said.
“Workforce Solutions helped me through the process of applying and renewing for care, and the staff was so kind and always there to help me,” she said. “Anytime I had an issue with something—like reporting attendance—they were there right away to help.”
Kelly Thomas with her daughter
Kelly enrolled in the 1,500-hour cosmetology operator program at Nuvani Beauty School at the end of 2019 and graduated in July 2020. Today Kelly is now preparing for her state board to receive her license to work as a cosmetologist. While her cosmetology plans are on hold due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Kelly remains focused on what she will do with her newly earned skills.
“Ideally, I would like to either work under an apprenticeship at a full salon,” she said, “or possibly work at a blow out bar, doing shampoos, styles, braiding and special requests.”
For other parents in Austin seeking assistance, Kelly emphasizes that enrolling in the child care program will provide future benefits for parents and their children: “The program works to help people to not just have a better life, but a better future for themselves and their children,” Kelly said.
“There was no way I could have finished my program without this help. I have had a lot of hardships in my life and this was my big break. Now I can definitely provide a future for my daughter,” said Kelly.
Workforce Solutions Capital Area Child Care Services Enrollment in the childcare program is subject to the availability of funds. Because the need for childcare services is great in our community, we currently maintain a list of families interested in enrolling in the childcare program.
When enrollment into the program is not immediately available, we ask eligible parents to complete a pre-assessment form to be added to the interested list. At any time, parents may call our office to check on the status of enrollment.
Effective immediately, Workforce Solutions Capital Area is implementing a requirement of a two-week notice for all requests to transfer your children to another child care provider.
Please contact us if you require a transfer. We will work with you to transfer your care and provide you with a start date for service at the new provider you have selected. We are available by email at austinccs@wfscapitalarea.com.
If you would like to call us, we are currently working remotely and are available by phone at 512.549.4967, option 5. We are currently receiving a high volume of calls.
If you are unable to get in touch with one of our staff members, please leave a detailed message with your name, phone number, and email address. One of our staff members will contact you as soon as possible.
Information Technology and the associated technology workforce are primary economic drivers in the Austin region, with a foundation of large technology stalwarts, a healthy community of startups, and the accelerating need for technology workers across all industries. However, the region’s talent pipeline is not positioned to meet the need for technology workers over the long-term. For every one graduate of an IT or computer science program in the region, there are five openings in technology jobs. In addition, the current pool of tech workers is not diverse; 77 percent of tech workers in the Austin region are male and 64 percent are white. It is clear that the region needs a larger, more diverse tech talent pool to sustain the long-term growth prospects of this key economic driver.
To address this challenge, Austin’s employers of tech talent will need to come together with the region’s talent development partners to align and “right-size” the tech talent pipeline.
The structure for collaboration will be in the form of the Capital Area Technology Workforce Coalition (CATWC), which will be a coalition of civically-minded employers of tech talent.
Young residents of Austin/Travis County who are interested in job skills training and employment opportunities can find them with Workforce Solutions Capital Area and partners like Goodwill Central Texas. Brianna Pleasant discovered just such an opportunity in 2019 and today is exploring a future in Austin’s culinary world.
In March 2019, Brianna visited a friend at her former high school. While there, Brianna met her friend’s counselor, who talked with Brianna about support services available at Goodwill.
“She said I might try the program, because it could help me get my driver’s license and a job within a specific field,” Brianna said.
At Goodwill, Brianna met with Shaun-Patrice Williams, In School Youth Career Case Manager. Together, they explored opportunities for Brianna to continue her education and in-demand occupations to pursue as a future career in Austin’s skilled workforce.
Brianna completed her CAT training with Goodwill, and next interned at the Central Texas Food Bank from July to October. While there, she completed the Food Bank’s Culinary Training Program, a 12-week mix of classroom time and hands-on job training for basic culinary skills. The program provides real-world experience in the Food Bank’s kitchen, where students like Brianna work with commercial equipment and food production. Brianna also received transportation assistance from Goodwill to go to and from her training and internship.Goodwill Central Texas offers a variety of job-readiness training programs, such as Career Advancement Training (CAT). CAT includes a five-day, immersive boot camp, utilizing hands-on activities that are designed to prepare job seekers to find and retain employment. CAT offers financial literacy training, resume and mock interview training, and more.
While participating, Brianna completed 30 hours of food safety training and earned the ServSafe Food Handler’s certification. Her internship was a paid one, “which helped me to save money for a car,” Brianna said.
With her training complete and her internship successfully concluded, Brianna began job searching—and quickly found work at Jeffrey’s, a New American restaurant in west Austin.
“On my graduation day, I started my job as a pastry line cook at Jeffrey’s,” Brianna said. “My day goes by in increments of 23 minutes as I bake bread for the ever-growing crowds of hungry customers. I also make cheese boards, the most popular dessert we offer.”
What’s next for Brianna? Plans for home ownership and continuing her culinary education!
“I’m considering getting a second job and moving into a home of my own while finishing up my driver’s license. I’m also considering joining Austin Community College’s culinary program to further my education in the culinary world, and possibly 3-D design, too,” said Brianna.
About WIOA Youth WIOA Youth is part of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act program funded through Workforce Solutions Capital Area. WIOA is a no-cost employment program designed to give job seekers the support and/or skills training they need to find a job. WIOA offers financial assistance to eligible individuals for job search assistance, training, and other support services.
We served 371 youth through this program in 2019. Visit our WIOA page to learn more.
For Westview Middle School in Pflugerville Independent School District, February was a big month for career exploration.
Sixteen eighth graders, participating in the civics program Speak Up, Speak Out, hosted their school’s first career fair on February 7 with assistance from Victoria Leonardo, our Career & Education Outreach Specialist for Pflugerville Independent School District.
Speak Up, Speak Out is a civic education program designed to teach third grade through twelfth grade students about their communities, and is led by the Moody College of Communication at the university of Texas at Austin.
“Many of the students have parents who work low-skill jobs, so the youth think that’s all that is available to them,” Victoria said. “With this event, we can introduce them to many different occupations that they may have not thought about before and understand what it takes to get these jobs.”
Eighth grader Camila Valdez said, “It’s about how students aren’t well informed about careers. We want to help them take better paths to a better future.”
Eight hundred fifty students in sixth, seventh and eighth grades attended the career fair in the school’s gym and interacted with 16 partners, including Austin-Travis County EMS, Austin Carpenters Local 1266, and Westview’s Career and Technical Education (CTE) teachers.
To fill the gym with vendors to speak to students, the organizers worked together to make a lot of phone calls, according to Jasmine Cortes, a Speak Up, Speak Out member: “We started by contacting people to come. We worked together to find people to come, and our teacher put in time to contact people. We planned it all in a short time.”
Alfredo Mendoza helped create banners for the partners and set up tables beforehand: “I was nervous at the beginning, but by working together we got it done. I saw a lot of kids interacting and enjoying the career fair,” he said.
Candace Hennessy is a recruiting coordinator for Parsley Energy who attended the career fair. “It was a great first experience for me. Most of the kids were engaged and all of them were respectful, so it was fun interacting with them,” she said.
Jennifer Painter-Beillon, Round Rock Campus Director for Central Texas Beauty College, said, “The kids were so engaging. Better engagement than any other school we’ve been to, including the high schools.”
Our team of outreach specialists serve students in grades 6 through 12 in Austin, Del Valle, Elgin, Manor and Pflugerville ISDs. This is a two-year program in partnership with school districts throughout the Austin metro area, for which we received a Workforce Career and Education Outreach Specialist Grant from the Texas Workforce Commission.
Our team of specialists has served more than 11,000 students since the grant began in July 2019.
What to do after graduating high school? Some seniors plan to go to work, others to continue their education. But where to take their learning? At Garza High School, 160 seniors interested in what their local community college offers explored opportunities at the Austin Community College (ACC) Programs Showcase on February 5, 2020.
Representatives from 13 ACC programs, including Engineering & Manufacturing, Computer Studies, and Dental Hygienist, met with students throughout the day in the school’s gym. ACC’s Financial Aid and Support Center, which provides childcare scholarships and textbooks, provided students information about supportive services available to community college students. Also represented was the Workforce and Education Readiness Continuum (WERC), a City of Austin- and Travis County-funded network of community partners linked to help prepare Austin-area residents to enter or reenter the job market.
The Programs Showcase came together thanks to the coordinating efforts of Stephanie Calderon, one of our four Career & Education Outreach Specialists. Stephanie serves students, parents, teachers and counselors in south Austin and Del Valle Independent School Districts.
“It’s important for students to learn about career pathways available at their local community college,” Stephanie said. “Some seniors think ACC is only for the basics, but there are many different departments to find careers needed in our workforce.”
Christine Garza, 18, was most interested in the Childcare & Development program: “It was my favorite. I learned about the basics of what they do and the process of what the class can provide for me,” Christine said.
“After graduation, I’m going to decide on a four-year degree or go to ACC,” Christine said. “I definitely want to earn a four-year degree, with a major in social work or maybe psychology.”
Christine Garza, 18, talks with Stephanie Calderon, a Career and Education Outreach Specialist at Workforce Solutions Capital Area.
Our team of outreach specialists serve students in grades 6 through 12 in Austin, Del Valle, Elgin, Manor and Pflugerville ISDs. This is a two-year program in partnership with school districts throughout the Austin metro area, for which we received a Workforce Career and Education Outreach Specialist Grant from the Texas Workforce Commission.
Our team of specialists has served more than 11,000 students since the grant began in July 2019.
Leveraging Boards as Leaders in Reauthorization of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) showcases how America’s workforce boards have leveraged the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) to improve operations and better serve businesses and participants.
The publication highlights best practice cities like Austin, Texas where mayors and workforce development leaders have successfully collaborated with officials in local, state, and federal agencies to advocate for and implement effective workforce development policies to prepare cities for the future of work.
