With job growth in Austin stronger than ever, and most analysts naming the region as one of the best job markets in the nation, Workforce Solutions Capital Area is trying to make traditionally underserved communities aware of the job training and employment opportunities available to those looking for a career change.
The organization will spread the word about its recently launched Hire Local plan with a community engagement session at Greater Mt. Zion Church this Saturday, Aug. 20. East Austin’s District 1 was selected to reach more people of color, whose communities have a disproportionately large population with lower education, correlating to more recipients of unemployment benefits.
The event will offer information on training programs and other assistance available, with special attention paid to the group’s four focus areas of information technology, health care, advanced manufacturing and skilled trades.
Workforce Solutions Capital Area is working to help low-income families work, go to school, or both. Chief Operations Officer Yael Lawson has the details.
Si usted está desempleado, trabaja medio tiempo, no cuenta con diploma de high school, está clasificado como de ingresos bajos, o ha recibido beneficios de desempleo después de marzo de 2020 puede aplicar a una beca de capacitación para empleos mejor remunerados. Para obtenerla también se requiere tener al menos 18 años, tener autorización para trabajar en Estados Unidos y vivir en el Condado de Travis.
In partnership with Re:WorkNow — a rapid workforce development program administered by Workforce Solutions Capital Area with funding from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act — Skillpoint also plans to further encourage access to its program by offering students that weekly $200 stipend. That’s in addition to transportation assistance offered through bus passes and child care assistance.
A KXAN investigation recently found that some families are being met with 12–14-month waitlists for childcare. Workforce Solutions said it was working with more than 300 childcare providers so parents can go to work or school.
Yael Lawson, the chief operations officer at Workforce Solutions Capital Area, said the organization’s goal was to connect local people to local jobs, and an important aspect of that was to help find affordable, quality childcare services.
The tech industry continues to grow in Texas, even during hiring freezes. One of the tech giants is expanding its reach in the Lone Star State, and trade jobs are at the top of its list.
Samsung is looking to add new facilities to its already-planned $17 billion semiconductor plant in Taylor with the potential to bring thousands of jobs to the area.
Skillpoint Alliance is helping to fill some of those roles.
Las becas están disponibles para recién graduados que exploran planes de carrera posteriores a la escuela secundaria, así como para otras personas que buscan mejorar sus habilidades en sus carreras actuales.
Shelley Lefebvre’s background is in education: she taught English and History for the seventh and eighth grade for over ten years. In 2015, she moved to Austin. The next year, Shelley’s life fell into a spiral when she went through several serious events, including incarceration.
A criminal record is a large barrier to securing employment and housing, but Shelley did not give up. “My first contact with Workforce Solutions came about in a way that was unfortunate. I had gotten in some trouble and went through a treatment program,” Shelley said. “I was in a steady decline, then a steady progression, step-by-step —rebuilding after the storm.”
In early 2020, while at a sober living center, Shelley met Barbara Ornales of the Austin Area Urban League (AAUL), an affiliate of the National Urban League providing direct services that impact and improve the lives of Central Texans. Barbara spoke to the residents about services offered by AAUL.
Shelley saw an opportunity to overcome her barriers and entered AAUL’s Returning Citizens Advancement Program (RCAP). RCAP recruits and serves formerly incarcerated individuals—returning citizens—who have experienced exclusion and barriers to housing, education, and employment leading to an improved quality of life.
Shelley was working at the time but was laid off when the COVID-19 pandemic struck Austin. While in AAUL’s program, she learned about a new service offered by Workforce Solutions for residents impacted by the pandemic. Shelley had connected with Workforce Solutions in the past and AAUL was connected with them currently—it was a connection that was, in Shelley’s words, “a godsend.” She finally saw hope and possibility through this partnership.
Barbara Ornales and Shelley Lefebvre
Staff at the East Career Center assisted Shelley in enrolling in the federal Disaster Relief Temporary Employment (DRTE) program. In 2020, Workforce Solutions began participating in this program, which assists residents who had lost their jobs due to the pandemic. DRTE provides dedicated funds to cities and states to help respond to the pandemic recovery effort. The funds help to offset payroll costs for organizations doing humanitarian work directly related to the pandemic, such as AAUL.
Shelley began working at AAUL temporarily through DRTE. Her background in teaching, lived experiences and drive to help others impressed her colleagues at AAUL, and she was hired as a Case Manager to assist other Central Texans experiencing the same events that Shelley experienced.
Her work focuses on assisting those who are facing personal, professional, and economic challenges by connecting them to services and employment. “I am privileged to serve clients who sit in the chairs I once sat in myself. I want them to know I understand, and it is my goal to be a light on path that is not easy, but certainly possible,” Shelley said.
Everyone that I have encountered at Workforce Solutions have been very encouraging and the staff at AAUL has created a space for us to thrive. I appreciate all their effort—it’s been a very positive experience for me.
“I am in a satellite office at Clean Investments, an outpatient program that I had to complete myself. All of the steps, hoops and hurdles that one has to go through to rebuild and thrive again can be lessened when the person before them comes back to help the ones coming up after. It is a blessing to walk through those doors each day and truly believe that If I can do it, so can they. And I didn’t do it alone and they don’t have to either! I am passionate about helping other people who need the services that I needed when I first started,” said Shelley.
Shelley also spends her time building relationships with Second Chance employers to assist her judicially involved clients with gainful employment. RCAP wants to see each client on a career path with a livable wage in a job that has potential for growth.
“We are building bridges today, not burning them down. We are blazing a trail and setting the example for the people behind us,” Shelley said. “We want them have better opportunities for employment, to understand their rights when searching for employment, as well as the responsibility to suit up and show up in a way that shines a positive light on their community.
“It’s a challenging job and can be very demanding, but I am super grateful for all the support, guidance and resources provided to me. Programs like RCAP and DRTE are game changers for many of us,” she said.
She added, “Everyone that I have encountered at Workforce Solutions have been very encouraging and the staff at AAUL has created a space for us to thrive. I appreciate all their effort—it’s been a very positive experience for me. I think about the Case Managers I had and I strive to listen, partner and encourage as well as they did.
For Shelley, the events shaping her life in 2020 and 2021 are miraculous: “To me, it’s a miracle. I made choices that changed my life and it takes time to climb out. The beauty and the miracle in that climb is to now be in a position to use that experience to help someone else who will undoubtedly experience many of the same barriers that I faced.”
How WFS Capital Area supports judicially-involved job seekers: We offer assistance to all kinds of job seekers, including returning citizens. Our supports include job training as well as job searching. If you are facing employment barriers due to a criminal history, contact your nearest career center for assistance securing your next job or enrolling in training for an in-demand occupation.
Texas will soon stop paying State Extended Benefits (EB) because of a decline in the state’s unemployment rate, announced by Texas Workforce Commission last week.
With the end of Extended Benefits, all enhanced unemployment benefit programs are no longer available for jobless Texans.
The state typically gives unemployed Texans 26 weeks of assistance, but high unemployment during the COVID-19 pandemic triggered EB, which provides an additional 13 weeks of benefits during periods of high state or national unemployment.
For EB to trigger, the state’s three-month average unemployment rate needs to be above 6.5%. The last of the extended assistance will be given through the week ending Sept. 11.
Workforce Solutions Capital Area will continue its work to support and connect local people to local jobs. We will continue to offer services to assist individuals in finding employment and their training needs, and will provide additional information to persons needing job assistance.
Continued supports and services we offer for businesses and job seekers include:
Highlighting employers on social media (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube) who are hiring, offering sign on bonuses and wage increases, and more
Workforce Solutions Capital Area’s three career centers across Austin are available by phone, email, or in-person to serve residents and businesses impacted by economic changes caused by COVID-19.
Residents seeking assistance can contact us at 512.549.4967 or visit wfscapitalarea.com to learn about our many other services and resources for job seekers, employers, parents, and students.
Workforce Solutions Capital Area Workforce Board is the publicly-funded workforce board for Austin-Travis County. Through strong partnerships and strategic collaborations, Workforce Solutions is leading our region’s workforce system in the development of a world-class workforce.
The governor has announced that on June 26, 2021, Texas will stop participating in ARPA programs, including Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (FPUC), Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC), Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) and the Mixed Earners Unemployment Compensation Program (MEUC). Workforce Solutions Capital Area will continue its work to support and connect local people to local jobs. We will continue to offer services to assist individuals in finding employment and their training needs, and will provide additional information to persons needing job assistance.
Continued supports and services we offer for businesses and job seekers include:
Highlighting employers on social media (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube) who are hiring, offering sign on bonuses and wage increases, and more
Workforce Solutions Capital Area’s three career centers across Austin are available by phone, email, or in-person to serve residents and businesses impacted by economic changes caused by COVID-19.
Residents seeking assistance can contact us at 512.549.4967 or visit wfscapitalarea.com to learn about our many other services and resources for job seekers, employers, parents, and students.
Workforce Solutions Capital Area Workforce Board is the publicly-funded workforce board for Austin-Travis County. Through strong partnerships and strategic collaborations, Workforce Solutions is leading our region’s workforce system in the development of a world-class workforce.
