Category: Newsroom
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Did You See Us at the ACC Advanced Manufacturing and Engineering Technology Career Fair?
Guess what? Workforce Solutions received a golden ticket to Austin Community College’s Advanced Manufacturing and Engineering Technology Career Fair! It was held at the Riverside Campus on March 21. This wasn’t just any fair; it was a bustling hub for students to connect with Austin’s local companies. The students got a taste of the opportunities that lay ahead. Priscilla Torres, community liaison for WFS Capital Area, talked with several students, sharing how WFS Capital Area can be their guide in their job search journey. “We’re not just any job search platform, we’re a community that hosts our own job fairs, designed to help students like you secure your dream role!” says Priscilla. -
Sylnovia Holt Rabb joins Workforce Solutions Capital Area board of directors
Workforce Solutions Capital Area is a nationally recognized nonprofit organization that serves to lead and govern the Austin/Travis County area workforce system. In this role, we are responsible for the planning, oversight, and evaluation of workforce development activities in the Capital Area. Simply put, we connect local people — youth and adults — to the most in-demand industries with quality jobs.
To help us bridge our region’s skills gap, we are excited to welcome Sylnovia Holt Rabb to our board of directors. Sylnovia currently serves as the director of the City of Austin’s Economic Development Department.
Get to know Sylnovia in our Q&A below, and connect with her on LinkedIn to see her extensive experience in economic development oversight, small business consulting, and fund and financial management.
Q: Where is your hometown?
A: Quincy, Florida
Q: How did you first become involved with Workforce Solutions Capital Area (WFS)?
A: I become involved with Workforce Solutions in 2009 when I started as the Financial Manager for the Economic Growth and Redevelopment Services Office, now the Economic Development Department.
Q: How is WFS a go-to resource for employers in Austin?
A: Workforce Solutions Capital Area provides personalized resources and services for the community to access job opportunities.
Q: What is the value of connecting local people to local jobs?
A: Connecting local people to local jobs positively impacts our economy because our residents reinvest their earned — and increased — wages back into our community.
Q: How does upskilling benefit your industry?
A: Upskilling allows City of Austin employees a career ladder/progression.
Q: How has skills training helped you develop your career?
A: The City of Austin has provided contracts to various non-profits, including Workforce Solutions Capital Area, Skillpoint Alliance, Capital Idea, Austin Regional Manufacturers Association (ARMA) and AUTM HQ.
Q: How has skills training helped you develop your career?
A: Thankfully, I’ve been afforded executive leadership training to help me move up within the City of Austin.
BONUS QUESTIONS
Q: What does your ideal day in the Austin area look like?
A: I’m a morning person — I do my best work before 2 p.m.
Q: If you could give a piece of advice to your younger self, what would it be?
A: Take more risk.
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Workforce Solutions Capital Area South Center Relocating May 17
We have an important update about our South Austin Career Center, located inside the Goodwill Central Texas on Burleson Road.
In line with Workforce Solutions Capital Area’s ongoing mission to improve how we deliver services to our community, we’ve made the thoughtful decision to relocate our staff from the South location to our other facilities. This shift is part of a larger strategy to explore new spaces and co-location partnerships that will allow us to best serve our South Austin/Travis County community.
Rest assured that all services previously available at the South location will continue without interruption. Customers can continue to access our services remotely or at our other two career centers and various co-located spaces throughout the Austin area.
It’s been our privilege to serve you from the South Center in partnership with Goodwill Central Texas, and we are excited about the opportunities this strategic relocation presents. We want to thank our clients, partners, and the community for their continued support and understanding during this transition.
For more information about how to access services remotely or at our other locations, visit wfscapitalarea.com.
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Austin to launch Infrastructure Academy to bolster city’s workforce
Austin City Council gave the green light March 7 to launch an Infrastructure Academy to connect residents with jobs as Austin embarks on $25 billion in capital projects.
The program aims to help fill thousands of skilled trades jobs with local talent as Austin widens I-35, expands the airport, renovates the convention center and adds a light rail to its transportation network.
Austin will also need to ramp up its recruiting efforts and improve coordination with existing organizations, such as Workforce Solutions Capital Area, Skillpoint Alliance and Austin Community College to get local workers trained and hired, the study found.
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Central Texas Healthcare Partnership: Spotlight on Texas A&M
Workforce Solutions Capital Area partners with many local healthcare employers to train and hire the workforce for this key local industry. One of our partners is Texas A&M’s School of Nursing. Here, in their own words, are how they are creating positive community impact locally.
Katie Bailey graduated with a BSN from the Texas A&M School of Nursing in 2019. Nursing was her second career and a melding of her two lifelong passions: people and science.
After becoming a parent to two children with a rare genetic autoinflammatory disease, her passion for delivering patient and family-centered care grew. She saw the impact nurses made on her children’s care, and her passion for the healthcare field was reignited.
Katie is currently a clinical supervisor with an education focus at Dell Children’s. She cares for patients part-time while also working with a phenomenal leadership team and staff, and she feels incredibly lucky to get to do both. She loves continuing to care for patients and enjoys working collaboratively to assess education needs and facilitating growth to promote staff confidence and patient safety.
Texas A&M is a member of the Central Texas Healthcare Partnership. The partnership was founded in early 2018 under the leadership of three Central Texas healthcare industry leaders: Baylor Scott & White Health, Ascension Seton, and St. David’s HealthCare. Learn more about how the CTHP is leading workforce development in the Central Texas healthcare industry.
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With $25B in projects on tap, new Austin infrastructure academy gets green light
A plan to establish a new Austin infrastructure academy is taking shape, with the aim of ensuring the city’s workforce is equipped to meet the demands placed upon it by $25 billion in transportation-related projects over the coming years.
City Council approved a resolution March 7 that directs city staff to begin laying the groundwork for the new school and training network. The list of transformational projects on tap for Austin includes a 10-mile light rail route, a new concourse at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport and the expansion of Interstate 35 through the center of the city.
Workforce Solutions Capital Area, a nonprofit workforce development organization, also is set to play a central role in the founding of the new institution.
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Austin creates academy for construction workers as city faces historic amount of infrastructure
Thousands of workers are needed for big construction projects happening all around Austin.
Mayor Kirk Watson, along with the support of several Austin council members are pushing for an infrastructure academy to be a training hub for the city.
They hope a partnership with Workforce Solutions will help get construction workers, skilled trade individuals and the project managers they need to build the infrastructure.
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Austin’s Workforce Solutions Capital Area receives 2024 ‘Trailblazer’ Award from the National Association of Workforce Boards
Austin/Travis County workforce board recognized for role in establishing Central Texas’ first-ever Mobility Industry Sector Partnership
AUSTIN, Texas–Workforce Solutions Capital Area, the non-profit organization that serves as the leadership and governing body for the Austin/Travis County area workforce system, has received national honors in the highly competitive National Association of Workforce Boards 2024 Awards, which recognize exceptional initiatives by workforce organizations and their partners.
Winner of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act Trailblazer Award for efforts put into projects, strategic planning, and unique labor and demand forecast, WFSCA received merit for its role in establishing the first-ever Mobility Industry Sector Partnership with local transit authority CapMetro and Austin Transit Partnership in 2023.
“I’m incredibly proud of our team and our partners for supporting us in creating and implementing comprehensive workforce solutions to connect thousands more local people to jobs and careers in the burgeoning mobility and infrastructure sector,” Tamara Atkinson, CEO of Workforce Solutions Capital Area, said. “I also want to thank Mayor Kirk Watson and Travis County Judge Andy Brown for co-chairing the Mobility and Infrastructure Leadership Group and their efforts to provide local people with life-long career opportunities.”
Since the Mobility Industry Sector Partnership was initiated last year, WFSCA and partners have established a policy leadership group and a working industry group, which have engaged stakeholders and led focus groups, analysis and a comprehensive research study. The study, ‘Building a Robust Labor Force to Deliver Generational Infrastructure,’ provided crucial insights into the sector by examining the existing capacity of Austin’s mobility and infrastructure workforce, forecasting its growth trajectory until 2040, and presenting solutions that exist both nationally and within the region to fortify the workforce development ecosystem.
The WIOA Trailblazer Award will be presented this month at The Forum 2024 in Washington, D.C., a conference specifically for workforce development leaders, businesses and educators.
“I’m thankful for the training providers, community-based organizations, and job creators who have come together in our Mobility Industry Sector Partnership to innovate, inspire, and impact workforce development in ways that truly make a difference,” Mark Sherry, board chair at Workforce Solutions Capital Area, said. “It truly feels like we are setting the pace with this work and blazing a trail forward.”
For more information about Workforce Solutions Capital Area, please visit www.wfscapitalarea.com.
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About Workforce Solutions Capital Area
Workforce Solutions Capital Area is the non-profit organization that serves as the leadership and governing body for the Austin/Travis County area workforce system. They are responsible for the planning, oversight, and evaluation of workforce development activities in the Capital Area. Learn more at WFSCapitalArea.com and follow along on Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube.
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Ernesto Del Valle joins Workforce Solutions Capital Area board of directors
Workforce Solutions Capital Area is a nationally recognized nonprofit organization that serves to lead and govern the Austin/Travis County area workforce system. In this role, we are responsible for the planning, oversight, and evaluation of workforce development activities in the Capital Area. Simply put, we connect local people — youth and adults — to the most in-demand industries with quality jobs.
To help us bridge our region’s skills gap, we are excited to welcome Ernesto Del Valle to our board of directors. Ernesto currently serves as the director of portfolio management at CrowdStrike, a global cybersecurity leader.
Get to know Ernesto in our Q&A below, and connect with him on LinkedIn to see his extensive experience in information technology, digital analytics, and process improvement.
Q: Where is your hometown?
A: Mexico City
Q: How did you first become involved with Workforce Solutions Capital Area (WFS)?
A: I have been part of the tech migration to Austin. As part of this transformation, I have experienced first-hand the incredible growth of tech in the Capital Area, but also lived through the skilled labor shortages in this industry. By working with WFS, I believe we all can make a difference by connecting the right folks to the right opportunities, specifically in tech.
Q: How is WFS a go-to resource for employers in Austin?
A: WFS is a key resource for anyone that is in the market (either willingly or due to other external circumstances). WFS is also a great resource for people who are seeking a shift in their career from one area to another, and it’s a great one-stop place to get the bearings to navigate these career moves.
Q: What is the value of connecting local people to local jobs?
A: Texas is the eighth largest economy in the world and worth $2.4 trillion! We have an endless spectrum of possibilities and some of the most capable and hard-working people. Connecting local people to local jobs will simply strengthen our economy and, more importantly, ensure that every Central Texan has an opportunity to grow.
Q: How does upskilling benefit your industry?
A: To me, upskilling is the most important opportunity for an individual in the workforce. Upskilling allows individuals to remain valuable and relevant to the changing needs of our economy — local, state, national or even international.
Q: How has skills training helped you develop your career?
A: I consider myself a life-learner. I am always looking to learn new skills. Throughout my career, these learned skills have helped me progress, and, most importantly, allowed me to help others to access opportunities by sharing my experiences and lessons learned along the way.
BONUS QUESTIONS
Q: What does your ideal day in the Austin area look like?
A: Finding that next perfect spot for BBQ, breakfast tacos or coffee, always in good company having a meaningful conversation.
Q: Is a hot dog a sandwich?
A: Hot dog is a sausage wrapped in an edible mitten.
Q: If you could give a piece of advice to your younger self, what would it be?
A: Never be afraid to take a risk, listen to your heart, and if people do not believe in you, prove them wrong!
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Austin mayor announces new infrastructure academy to build construction workforce
Austin Mayor Kirk Watson announced Wednesday plans for a new infrastructure academy to help build a local pipeline of workers for major construction and transportation projects in the region.
It’s tied to an agenda item that the city council will take up March 7.
Workforce Solutions Capital Area is one of the organizations working with the mayor on this initiative. Chief Executive Officer Tamara Atkinson said this would be the first academy of its kind in the country.