The Austin Infrastructure Academy has earned the 2026 Workforce Excellence Award from the Texas Economic Development Council (TEDC). Since 2001, the award has recognized Texas communities that have implemented exceptional workforce initiatives, evaluating recipients on innovation, transferability, community commitment and leverage, measurable objectives, and secondary benefits.
The recognition reflects the Academy’s growing impact as a regional partnership that strengthens both the workforce and the economy by preparing local residents for careers supporting Central Texas’ historic infrastructure investments.
What is the Austin Infrastructure Academy?
The Austin Infrastructure Academy is a local coalition of partners in government, education, business, and the community working together to grow Austin’s workforce in transportation, construction, and other skilled trades.
We connect local people to training and careers that power Austin’s growth—removing barriers so they can make a living, making Austin.
What we do:
- Help employers find the workers they need
- Support people in building long-term careers
- Remove barriers including training costs, childcare, transportation, and gear
Building the Workforce Behind Central Texas’ Growth
Central Texas is experiencing historic investment in transportation, housing, utilities, aviation, semiconductor manufacturing, and other critical infrastructure. Delivering these projects will require thousands of skilled workers over the coming decades.
Recognizing this need, Mayor Kirk Watson, Travis County Judge Andy Brown, Workforce Solutions Capital Area, Austin Community College, employers, labor organizations, and community partners came together to launch the Austin Infrastructure Academy—a first-of-its-kind regional partnership designed to prepare local residents for careers supporting these transformative projects.
Unlike traditional workforce programs that begin with existing training offerings, the Academy was designed around employer demand. By aligning public infrastructure investment with workforce development, education, and industry, the Academy creates pathways into family-supporting careers while helping employers meet critical workforce needs.
From the very beginning, the Austin Infrastructure Academy has been designed as a human-centered initiative. Workforce development is personal. People don’t just need information—they need guidance, encouragement and someone to help them navigate their next step.
A Model Recognized Beyond Austin
The Academy’s collaborative approach has earned recognition at both the national and state levels.
In 2024, the U.S. Conference of Mayors adopted a resolution encouraging cities across the country to implement workforce development initiatives similar to the Austin Infrastructure Academy. The resolution recognized the Academy’s integrated approach to bringing together public project sponsors, employers, workforce providers, labor organizations, and supportive services to ensure local residents can benefit from major infrastructure investments.
Now, in 2026, the Texas Economic Development Council has recognized the Academy with its Workforce Excellence Award, highlighting the initiative as an example of how workforce development and economic development work hand in hand to strengthen regional competitiveness.
Year One Impact
The Academy’s first year demonstrated strong momentum in connecting residents to opportunity while supporting employers building Central Texas’ future workforce.
Highlights from the Year One Workforce Impact Report include:
- 1,561 individuals connected to career opportunities
- 1,078 participants enrolled in the Austin Infrastructure Academy 1
- 162 training scholarships awarded
- 99+ residents secured employment or advanced their careers 2
- $18,480 average increase in annual earnings for participants 3
Beyond these numbers, the Academy expanded apprenticeship pathways, strengthened employer partnerships, connected residents to high-demand careers, and increased access to supportive services that help participants complete training and enter the workforce.
Economic Development Through Workforce Development
By coordinating career navigation, training, employer engagement, and supportive services through a single regional partnership, the Academy helps residents access family-supporting careers while strengthening the workforce that underpins Central Texas’ continued growth.
The Academy demonstrates that workforce development is economic development. Through strategic collaboration among public agencies, education, employers, labor organizations, and community organizations, it is creating measurable benefits for workers, employers, and the regional economy.
Looking Ahead
As the Austin Infrastructure Academy enters its second year, a major milestone lies ahead. Austin Community College’s planned expansion in Southeast Travis County will serve as the future front door to the Austin Infrastructure Academy. Developed in partnership with the City of Austin, Workforce Solutions Capital Area, and many other community partners, the facility will become a regional hub for workforce development, providing hands-on training in construction, manufacturing, automotive technology, HVAC, welding, and other high-demand skilled trades.
Together, continued investment in the Academy and the development of this regional training hub will help ensure Central Texas has the workforce needed to deliver historic infrastructure projects while creating lasting economic opportunity for local residents.
Recognition from both the U.S. Conference of Mayors and the Texas Economic Development Council underscores the Academy’s growing impact as an innovative model for aligning workforce development with economic development. As Central Texas continues to grow, the Academy will help ensure local residents are prepared to build and benefit from that future.
For more information, read the Austin Infrastructure Academy Year One Workforce Impact Report.
1 Enrolled participants have been accepted into the Austin Infrastructure Academy and receive individualized career navigation, with access to training, supportive services, and job placement assistance based on their needs
2 Unemployment Insurance (UI) data typically reflects a two-quarter reporting delay
3 Median Current Salary: $41,600
