Workforce Solutions Capital Area has received $45,000 from JFF and New Profit to design and launch a pilot initiative in October to implement the IBM SkillsBuild learning platform. This pilot will be part of the Workforce Development Board Digital Skills Pilot Initiative, led by JFF and New Profit, and funded by Google.org and IBM.
Why it matters: Workforce Solutions Capital Area partners with IBM to offer the SkillsBuild digital learning platform to Central Texans. Our existing relationship with IBM positions us to utilize SkillsBuild as a resource to address the issue of how few training programs are financially accessible to low-income residents.
WFS Capital Area offers 44 training programs in IT through our partners—ranging from Adobe Certified Associate, Cloud Administrator, Project Management & Agile Scrum, and more—and expanding SkillsBuild as an offering offers more opportunities to residents interested in pursuing careers in tech.
Through this initiative, we will accomplish three goals:
Bridge the entry-level skills gap;
Increase opportunities for success by providing a stronger pre-training foundation for underrepresented populations in tech; and
Engage Austin tech employers to hire using skills-based hiring practices with SkillsBuild as a resource.
“This opportunity will help us by offering resources to grow a skilled workforce and engage tech employers in our region more intentionally to hire local, thereby diversifying their workforce,” Jessie said.
“We aligned this initiative with our community’s new Hire Local Plan to increase diversity in the regional workplace, and with the proven and employer-led workforce development strategy behind our Capital Area Technology Workforce Coalition, a tech sector partnership driven to build the tech industry in Central Texas and develop a skilled workforce with local talent,” said Jessie.
“We are joining tech executives around the Austin metro to work together and influence alignment around common solutions with awareness, training, hiring, and upskilling,” Jessie said.
Workforce Solutions Capital Area is one of five workforce boards to receive this grant, and one of two in Texas.
Learn more about the Workforce Development Board Digital Skills Pilot Initiativehere.
Dedicated Workforce Solutions Capital Area career counselors will have a permanent home at Austin Community College District’s (ACC) Northridge Campus. The move is part of a new co-location formed in order to connect students more seamlessly to city and county funding for workforce training.
Why it matters: Data shows that ACC students who receive funding for career training through community-based partners such as Workforce Solutions Capital Area are 1.7 times more likely to complete their education faster than those who do not receive support.
Student benefits: The partnership allows students to have direct access to funding and training for high-skilled and high-paying careers. In-demand certifications that will be immediately available at ACC Northridge include:
To apply or learn more about one of the above courses, please contact Marcela Nouzovska: (512) 223-7588 · mnouzovs@austincc.edu
What’s next: As the partnership grows, more certifications will be added, with the goal to co-locate continuing education staff at additional ACC campuses.
Am I eligible? Travis County residents are eligible for no-cost continuing education training if they are 18 years old, live in Austin-Travis County, are authorized to work in the U.S. and have been impacted by COVID-19.
AUSTIN, Texas – Workforce Solutions Capital Area is the recipient of $548,883 in grants to aid in expanding Registered Apprenticeship programs in the manufacturing, technology and healthcare industries. These grants were awarded by a mix of both public and private entities, including Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) and the Healthcare Career Advancement Program (H-CAP). The industries supported by these grants have experienced a skills gap over the past several years, and the new apprenticeship opportunities will help Travis County residents earn higher wages while achieving a certification and on-the-job training that will help them advance their careers.
“We are grateful for the ongoing support from our community, which allows us to offer these apprenticeship programs and provide much needed opportunities to grow our region’s manufacturing, technology and healthcare industries,” Tamara Atkinson, chief executive officer of Workforce Solutions Capital Area, said. “Programs like these allow for the development of a highly skilled workforce, provide residents with the tools they need to get hired for high-paying jobs, and support employers with a diverse and talented applicant pool from which to recruit.”
Enrollment for these apprenticeships is currently open for those interested in careers in technology and healthcare. Enrollment in manufacturing is scheduled to open in January 2023. To apply or learn more about these apprenticeships, please visit wfscapitalarea.com/apprenticeships/.
Providing eligible parents with financial assistance for quality child care is essential for these parents to work or train to better provide for their families. It also helps to develop the future skilled workforce of Central Texas. To help accomplish this, Workforce Solutions Capital Area hosts the annual Child Care Symposium for child care directors, owners and workers in Central Texas.
This year, we held the symposium in person and virtually August 5 and 6.
In-person attendees gathered at the Joe C. Thompson Conference Center at UT Austin for a full schedule of training opportunities and to hear from speakers representing state and local governments and a fellow child care provider.
On August 5, 85 directors participated in-person or virtually.
On August 6, 234 teachers participated.
Our grand total was 319 early learning professionals who received 1,750 hours of training at the Child Care Symposium.
Speakers included Aaron Demerson, Commissioner Representing Employers for the Texas Workforce Commission, José “Chito” Vela, Council Member representing District 4, and Dr. Desmar Walkes, Austin Travis County Health Authority.
The event’s keynote speaker was Reshaun Webb, an Early Childhood Education coach and trainer who also owns a child care center.
“At the City of Austin, we are doing everything we can to be supportive of working parents and their children. We’re hosting summer camps all summer long for kindergarten all the way up to high school to support working parents,” Vela said.
Dr. Desmar Walkes, Commissioner Aaron Demerson, and Council Member José “Chito” Vela
“Quality child care is a win-win situation for Texas employers and job seekers alike,” Demerson said. “I believe in the importance of supporting child care providers in growing their business and providing much needed services to the growing population of our state.”
Dr. Walkes provided an overview of monkeypox and how to help prevent the spread of infection.
“When we talk about essential workers, we talk about doctors and nurses, but what we really mean are child care providers,” Dr. Walkes said. “None of this is possible without you.”
What they’re saying:
For the directors and teachers who participated, the Child Care Symposium provided valuable learning opportunities and moments to connect with one another, whether in person or virtually.
“This is my first time as a teacher and am finding every day as a teacher is different, so all this information has been very interesting,” said one attendee.
“I loved the interaction and conversation. I also liked the opportunity to connect. The Workforce Solutions staff were super helpful and friendly,” said another teacher.
Workforce Solutions Capital Area works with 400-plus providers across Central Texas to provide care for over 5,000 children.
For child care providers in Central Texas, providing quality care during a pandemic and a labor shortage makes for a twofold challenge as limited resources and rising costs impact care.
To support our providers, Workforce Solutions Capital Area and Austin Public Health hosted curbside pickup events for providers to receive at-home testing kits for COVID19 and gloves at no cost on March 4 and 5 at the Rosewood-Zaragosa Neighborhood Center.
Over the two days, we distributed 6,840 boxes of gloves to 127 providers. Austin Public Health provided 5,130 testing kits for centers located in zip codes with the highest transmission rates. The 127 providers care for 7,981 children across Travis County.
One of the providers was Annie Sabetti, development director at Trinity Child Development Center. Her 11 staff provide care for 48 children.
“The cost of gloves and other supplies is a lot for us right now so we are always on the lookout for anything the community can give back to us,” Annie said.
“Our center provides affordable child care to families in East Austin. We have a lot of families receiving scholarships. We were about to order more gloves, so I was excited when I heard about this event,” said Annie.
For Sharon Knight, director of Tarrytown Children’s Center, rising costs related to staff turnover has become a challenge for her 12 staff to care for the 54 children at their center.
“I am thrilled that Workforce Solutions helped us out. Child care has been so difficult—last year, we went through 24 staff members,” Sharon said.
“Our extra expenses to hire and onboard staff have been phenomenal. The fact that Workforce Solutions helps us out with all of these supplies makes a huge difference in how we can serve our families,” said Sharon.
Tarrytown Children’s Center is a 4-star rated provider in the Texas Rising Star program, the highest rating available.
The Texas Rising Star program is for child care providers who meet quality requirements that exceed the state’s minimum licensing standards and that are designed to enhance the intellectual, physical, and social development of children in care. In return for their commitment to quality, providers receive numerous benefits including enhanced reimbursement rates, learning materials and equipment, child development college course scholarships, and more.
“I love having these guys as mentors and working with them,” Sharon said. “The work that TRS does to support the interactions between teachers and children, how they support us in providing a foundation for the children is absolutely critical.”
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.
For Career and Technical Education (CTE) month, Workforce Solutions Capital Area (WFS) partnered with Pflugerville ISD and Pflugerville Chamber of Commerce on Thursday for the 10th annual Pflugerville R.E.A.L World event.
R.E.A.L stands for Real Experiences Achieve Learning, if you’re curious.
The big picture: Juniors and seniors from all PfISD high schools were bussed to the event to meet and to network with representatives from industries that are in high demand, such as IT, construction, and robotics, to learn more about local companies, post-secondary opportunities, and apprenticeship programs.
Students also got the chance to do in-person interviews for entry-level positions that these businesses are currently hiring for. Students Kathy and Hannah, both seniors at John B Connally High School, said they really liked this part of the event and found it informative.
How WFS helped: Amber Warne, our director of upskilling and advancement, served on a panel to discuss apprenticeship opportunities, and our career education and outreach specialists led workshops on resume writing, interview prep, and more.
We also co-hosted the career fair component of the event to link students to local jobs.
Austin’s job growth proves we live in one of the most resilient economies in the nation. But, as is happening across the country, it’s a competitive market for workers.
Workforce Solutions Capital Area’s (WFS) main focus this year is the skills gap. In our analysis, the skills gap is one of the biggest contributors to the current labor shortage, along with the ongoing fear of COVID and the need for quality child care.
This is why WFS is here: to ensure there are more workers with the skills needed for quality jobs. We also work with local employers to help them hire, train, and retain skilled workers.
Over the last five years across all WFS local programs, clients experienced a total increase in earnings of $118 million after completing their programs. These higher earnings are made possible through newly acquired skills and supports like child care, transportation, and more to help bridge the gaps.
Here are a few areas WFS board members will be watching in the workforce as our economy continues to evolve rapidly…
Career pathways for students:
Melanie Flowers, VP of business strategy and corporate partnerships at Nepris: “I am looking to continue building industry-focused partnerships with CTE pathways for students that want to go directly to work and for students that want to go directly to college.
“I am also looking for innovative ways to collect and report current and real-time workforce data for the state and regions, including data on residents that move to the state.”
Annette Tielle, DVISD superintendent: “Business partners and school districts need to work together to create curriculum for students for specific jobs. If students have opportunities to be adequately trained for a job, they will be more likely to pursue that job.
“Secondly, many economically disadvantaged students need to work while in high school in order to support their families. If those students could enter paid internships/apprenticeships, then they could support their families while in high school, learn a trade, and pursue the trade post-graduation.”
Joe Cooper, training director at Local 286: “I’m looking forward to pathways from high school to registered apprenticeship.”
Attracting interest in tech/manufacturing careers:
Dave Parks, CEO at enChoice: “Technology is advancing much more quickly than companies can consume or leverage. This presents a huge challenge to businesses needing to change quickly or risk being automated out of business. I believe this opens opportunities for our younger workforce, who do not consider themselves technical but are driving these technology automation trends. They can become a part of the solution for the ‘modernize-or-die’ business dilemma because knowing old technology is not a prerequisite anymore.
“I believe today’s younger generation will be able to absorb and provide benefit to tomorrow’s innovations if we can get them involved and trained without requiring college degrees.”
Eddie Chien, senior director of human resources at Luminex: “One of the biggest issues we face is how to effectively attract prospective employees, especially with the cost of living in the region such a big concern.”
Remote work:
Dave Parks, CEO at enChoice: “Technology jobs are more likely to provide remote work capability. [Remote work] opens up new opportunities to an expanded workforce, including those with travel to work challenges, children at home, and disabilities.”
Michael Marler, vocational rehabilitation manager at Texas Workforce Solutions: “As a workforce representative of workers with disabilities, I am watching for increased and better-paying opportunities for virtual employment for well-qualified workers with disabilities who have physical challenges in a traditional work environment.
“During the last two years, as much of the workforce has moved toward virtual employment, workers with disabilities have begun to experience an increase in opportunities for employment that they have not always had. We are also watching for increased opportunities for accessible training in high-demand areas that would benefit workers with disabilities.”
Bottom line: WFS is ensuring the region has more workers with skills, as well as higher wages for those who skill up and for those entering training at the lowest levels of income.
What’s next: To address skills gaps, equity gaps, and affordability concerns in our community, WFS is on the verge of launching the next phase of the Community Workforce Plan: Austin’s Hire Local Plan.
Workforce Solutions Capital Area, the local workforce development board for Austin-Travis County, is excited to announce its 2022 recognition as one of the Best Places for Working Parents in Austin by Early Matters Greater Austin.
Best Places for Working Parents™ is a first-of-its-kind business self-assessment promoting research-backed policies that benefit both working parents and businesses’ bottom line.
Workforce Solutions Capital Area has supported early childhood success for many years and the pandemic has only made the need more acute. For that reason, we are proud to collaborate with Early Matters Greater Austin and invite you to become a part of this growing, national movement of business leaders that are proving family-friendly is business-friendly.
Through a short, confidential online self-assessment, businesses can see if they qualify for a Best Place for Working Parents™ designation and view how their company compares to other companies of similar size and industry. Qualifying businesses who take the assessment by February 18 will be promoted through local media outlets and receive unique branding opportunities. The online, self-assessment can be found here.
Why is this initiative important?
83% of millennials said they would or likely would leave their current job for another job with better family friendly workplace policies. Your company can be at the forefront of attracting and retaining top talent by earning this designation and showcasing your commitment to family-friendly policies.
National research tells us that there is a serious business case to being family-friendly. More than 15 million U.S. workers have quit their jobs since April 2021, and 45% of those surveyed said needing to take care of family was a key factor in their decision. Offering family-friendly workplaces is a crucial component of getting Texans back to work, fueling our state’s economic engine.
Our city thrives when children thrive because they are our future citizens, workforce, and leaders. Employers of every size and industry can play an important role in ensuring all children reach their full potential. Even though most employers are not directly involved in raising children, their support for family-friendly workplace practices is good for business and good for Austin.
About Early Matters Greater Austin
EMGA is an alliance of current and retired business professionals focused on the critical relationship between access to high-quality early education and our State’s long-term economic success. EMGA is dedicated to bringing the business voice to the table where appropriate to help ensure young children in Central Texas reach their full potential by entering kindergarten prepared to learn and succeed. To learn more or to get involved as a Best Place for Working Parents™, visit https://www.earlymattersgreateraustin.org/.
About Workforce Solutions Capital Area
Workforce Solutions Capital Area Workforce Board is the publicly-funded workforce board for Austin-Travis County. Through strong partnerships and strategic collaborations, we are leading the region’s workforce system in the development of a world-class workforce. To learn more about our services for job seekers, employers, parents, and children, please visit wfscapitalarea.com.
Child care providers in Central Texas have struggled to obtain cleaning and protective supplies since the pandemic began in 2020. With limited resources, providing quality care becomes a challenge.
To support our providers, Workforce Solutions Capital Area and Austin Public Health hosted curbside pickup events for providers to receive cleaning and PPE supplies, at no cost on January 7 and 8 at the Rosewood-Zaragosa Neighborhood Center. Over the two days, we distributed 24 pallets of supplies, including hand soap and sanitizer, gloves and paper towels, bath tissue and bleach, for 128 providers. These providers care for 6,821 children across Travis County.
Austin Public Health also provided bleach and hand sanitizer, as well as at-home testing kits for COVID19 for centers located in zip codes with the highest transmission rates.
One of the providers was Valerie Johnson, Director of Gethsemane Lutheran Children’s Ministry. Her center has 16 staff and cares for 90 children.
“I was excited when I heard about this event. I have to say,, PPE is really cutting into my budget because everything is so expensive, so having WFS do this for providers is awesome,” Valerie said.” It’s really great you have the funding to do this for us. It helps out a lot.”
WFS staff load supplies into a provider’s vehicle.
With WFS Capital Area and Austin Public Health helping to meet her center’s high need for cleaning supplies, Gethsemane can now put their resources toward other needs.
“We go through gloves like water. We use sanitary wipes to sanitize our handrails, door knobs—the teachers are using them for everything,” Valerie said.
“This really helps us a lot because we can devote more monies on food or new toys, and helping the parents out if they need scholarship money to cover tuition if they are not working or in between jobs.”
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.
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.
