Across our 10-county region, more than 115,000 students are enrolled in industry-aligned, credential and degree pathways connected to high-demand careers.
50,000 students in healthcare
46,500 in STEM
13,400 in semiconductor & advanced manufacturing
6,500 in skilled trades
At the same time, thousands of job openings across these sectors show just how important early career awareness, work-based learning, and employer engagement truly are.
Our newest Texas Talent Experts report — developed in partnership with Opportunity Austin and Workforce Solutions Rural Capital Area — highlights how regional collaboration is aligning K-12 pathways with real workforce demand.
Read the white paper and see how Central Texas is strengthening its talent pipeline from the classroom forward.
As you sit in traffic or drive through a construction zone, perhaps your next career move could bring you behind the scenes of the Austin transportation world.
Movability, CapMetro and Workforce Solutions are hosting a networking event on Thursday on National Transit Career Day.
As an employer deeply committed to advancing economic opportunity, the Austin Area Urban League (AAUL) has successfully partnered with Workforce Solutions Capital Area (WFS) to grow its team, invest in emerging talent, and support meaningful career pathways. By leveraging Reverse Referrals, Subsidized Employment, and On-the-Job Training, AAUL has strengthened its workforce while modeling best practices in inclusive hiring and skill development.
For mission-driven employers like AAUL, it’s essential to bring in staff who align with both the organization’s values and its community impact goals. Traditional recruitment methods can sometimes leave key roles unfilled if the right candidates aren’t actively applying.
AAUL embraced the Reverse Referral model—referring strong candidates directly to WFS to be screened for eligibility and supported through subsidized employment services—to close this gap. This approach ensures they can move forward with hiring individuals they’ve already identified as valuable additions to their team.
Through Reverse Referrals, AAUL referred six candidates, resulting in five hires through the Subsidized Employment program. These placements provided immediate support to the organization while reducing wage costs during the initial training period. Two of those employees transitioned into On-the-Job Training—a clear indication of AAUL’s commitment to long-term workforce development.
These transitions resulted in wage increases ranging from $3.00 to $5.00 per hour. These outcomes reflect a strong return on investment for both the employer and the individuals served.
What they’re saying: “This service has been instrumental for the Austin Area Urban League, especially considering our challenges with immediate funding for new hires,” Eric Valentine, Senior Director of Workforce Development at AAUL, said.
“Since our partnership began, we have had the opportunity to hire quality employees permanently, and we’ve noticed that they approach their roles with a strong sense of responsibility during the probationary period. I sincerely hope the Subsidized Employment Program continues, as it significantly impacts our community in Travis County. Thank you once again for your support!”
This group of employees represents more than just numbers—they reflect the impact of a hiring model that puts equity, strategy, and speed at the center of workforce development. By leveraging Reverse Referrals, AAUL was able to hire individuals they had already identified as mission-aligned, while Workforce Solutions provided the financial support to onboard and upskill them.
Our partnership with AAUL reflects a smart hiring strategy and a meaningful investment in people. In 2025, Workforce Solutions Capital Area paid out $67,000 in subsidized wages—dollars that go directly toward building local workforce capacity and supporting employer growth. AAUL’s experience stands as a model of how these funds can be maximized to benefit both organizations and the communities they serve.
Austin Area Urban League showcases how workforce solutions can be tailored to meet the real needs of employers—especially those working on the frontlines of economic empowerment. By combining Reverse Referrals with Earn & Learn strategies like Subsidized Employment and On-the-Job Training, AAUL is not only hiring for today, but also developing a workforce for tomorrow.
Our tailored solutions at various levels of support can assist your business with awareness-raising, training, placement, and upskilling. Learn more and contact us to begin.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Higher education costs, a booming population and aging workforce are all challenges identified by health care executives at the state and local level in a first-time health care forum held at Austin PBS in August.
The Central Texas Healthcare Partnership is solving local healthcare shortages by utilizing earn and learn opportunities such as apprenticeships. One occupational shortage that our industry leaders identified was Certified Medial Assistant (CMA).
The Challenge: A Growing Demand for Medical Assistants
Just a few years ago, the shortage of CMAs was substantial in the Austin metro area. Employers reported having over 50 job openings at any given time. This shortage was compounded by the fact that local training providers were not graduating enough students to fill the occupation shortage. This led to employers competing over candidates and shortages for all regional healthcare providers.
The Solution: Apprenticeships That Work
In 2019, the Central Texas Healthcare Partnership partnered with Austin Community College and Innovative Workforce Projects to create national accredited Certified Medical Assistant registered the apprenticeships with the Department of Labor, and started offering apprenticeships to local residents.
Program Goals
Hire individuals with no prior healthcare experience and provide paid on-the-job training as Certified Medical Assistants.
Upskill current employees who were ready to advance their careers and add additional certification and responsibilities to retain current staff.
Add additional CMAs to our community to decrease shortages and reduce job openings.
Key Partners & Employers
Based on employer input and request for a Medical Assistant talent pipeline, we began leveraging our partnerships with Austin Community College and Innovative Workforce Projects that were vital to the success of the apprenticeships.
Once we built the apprenticeship framework with our partners, we introduced local employers to the benefits of the apprenticeship model for this non-traditional industry. Four employers signed on to implement the CMA Apprenticeship program: Ascension Seton, Austin Region Clinic, Baylor Scott & White Health, and CommUnityCare.
Workforce Solutions Capital Area also secured and leveraged multiple grants awarded to us by the Texas Workforce Commission that were imperative to fund and grow these apprenticeship programs.
Impact to Date
The healthcare industry has enrolled and hired 334 healthcare apprentices as Medical Assistants from September 2019 through December 2024. Enrollment for the CMA apprenticeship has grown significantly, with the largest increase occurring in 2022, when participation surged by 311% compared to the previous year.
Our healthcare providers have hired on average five CMA apprentices per month for the past five years thanks to this new recruitment and training strategy.
“The apprenticeship allows for clinics to support and develop community members into Certified Medical Assistants, thus improving the employment pathway and the pipeline from underserved populations into the Ascension network. The apprenticeship is helping stabilize the CMA workforce and is producing associates functioning at Ascension Gold Standards which are now highly sought by managers across Ascension clinics.”
Yesenia Renzi, RN Program Coordinator Ascension Seton
Workforce Solutions Capital Area and our Central Texas Healthcare Partnership continues to support the growth of healthcare apprenticeships to fill the workforce needs in this critical industry.
Grow your business through talent: Workforce Solutions is uniquely positioned to help employers of all industries directly connect with local job seekers and talent. We’re collaborative and can tailor services based on your company’s needs. Get started.
When Homewatch Caregivers of Austin launched in December 2023, their mission was clear: deliver compassionate, personalized in-home care to individuals and families across the Austin area. But like many new businesses, they faced a critical challenge—how to build a strong, reliable team with limited resources.
Through the Earn & Learn service offered by Workforce Solutions Capital Area (WFS), Homewatch found more than just staffing support—they found a strategic partner committed to workforce development and long-term business success.
Why it matters: As a newly established in-home care agency, Homewatch needed a dependable workforce to meet growing client needs. However, with tight startup budgets, recruiting and training qualified employees posed a significant hurdle.
That’s where the Earn & Learn service made the difference. By providing funding support for on-the-job training, Earn & Learn is assisting Homewatch to build its team without compromising service quality or financial stability.
Through our Earn & Learn service, Homewatch accessed a diverse talent pool and filled essential care positions using WFS Capital Area’s Reverse Referral model, which allows employers to directly refers a current employee or a candidate for employment to Workforce Solutions.
This streamlined approach allowed Homewatch to refer promising candidates for subsidized training and employment, reducing hiring risks and accelerating onboarding. The partnership also opened doors to attend local hiring events and tap into a network of job-ready individuals seeking purpose-driven careers in healthcare.
Angelica Hernandez
Since joining the Earn & Learn initiative in November 2024, Homewatch Caregivers of Austin has made significant strides in workforce development:
They successfully placed candidates through community hiring events, including Workforce Solutions’ healthcare-focused job fairs.
Homewatch advanced their employee Angelica Hernandez to a Care Coordinator role earning $21 per hour through On-the-job training.
Another employee is being upskilled through the Reverse Referral process and will be transitioning into a new role as an Office Administrative Assistant, showcasing Homewatch’s dedication to internal growth and employee advancement.
Homewatch recruited Carilu Ledezma (at top) as a caregiver at a healthcare industry job fair hosted by WFS Capital Area in July. Carilu is earning $17.25 an hour in her new role.
What they’re saying: “As small business owners, the board’s hiring events and employer services have been a turning point for us,” Maresha and Imo Eshiet, owners of Homewatch Caregivers of Austin, said. “Running a new agency means every hour matters, and this support gave us the time to focus on building the right team from within. We have been able to empower our employees with opportunities, resources, and confidence to grow alongside us.
“That investment has not only strengthened our business, it has allowed us to stay true to our purpose of providing compassionate care while creating a workplace where people feel valued and supported. We are deeply grateful for this partnership and the difference it has made for our business and our team.”
The success of Homewatch Caregivers of Austin’s participation in Earn & Learn illustrates the true power of collaboration. With support from WFS, they have filled vital positions and invested in their employees’ futures—building a stronger, more resilient workforce.
Our tailored solutions at various levels of support can assist your business with awareness-raising, training, placement, and upskilling. Learn more and contact us to begin.
We use cookies to enhance your browsing experience and analyze our traffic. By clicking “Accept All” you consent to our use of cookies. Privacy Policy
