Get Started

Find a Job Now
Get support and connect with local employers.

Train for a New Career
Explore training for in-demand, stable careers.

Attend a Career Workshop
Build job-search skills through live workshops.

Attend Hiring Events
Meet employers hiring now.

Austin Infrastructure Academy
Careers in construction, transportation, and skilled trades.

Youth Services
Support for ages 14–24 to build skills, explore careers, and find work.

Veteran Services
Priority support and career services for veterans and their spouses.

Explore More

Career Planning
Apprenticeships
Success Stories & Testimonials
Targeted Occupations & Industries
For People with Disabilities

Get Started

Business Solutions
Hiring and training support tailored to your workforce goals.

Case Studies
See how local employers solve workforce challenges with us.

Host or Join Hiring Events
Connect directly with job seekers.

Major Events at a Glance
Explore upcoming workforce and industry events in the region.

Industry Partnership

Healthcare
Collaborating with industry leaders to grow the healthcare workforce.

Mobility & Infrastructure
Advancing talent pipelines for construction, transportation, and skilled trades.

Data & Insights

Industry Reports & Insights
Labor market reports and insights to support workforce planning.

Labor Market Dashboard
Data on the regional labor force, employment, jobs, and wages.

Podcast
Conversations shaping Austin’s jobs, economy, and future.

Get Started

For Parents
Access to affordable, high-quality child care and family support.

For Providers
Partnerships and resources to support quality child care programs.

Explore More

Success Stories & Testimonials
Real stories from families and providers we support.

Jumpstart Your Career

I’m a Job Seeker

Get Started

Find a Job Now

Train for a New Career

Attend a Career Workshop

Attend Hiring Events

Austin Infrastructure Academy

Youth Services

Veteran Services

Explore More

Career Planning

Apprenticeships

Success Stories & Testimonials

Targeted Occupations & Industries

For People with Disabilities

I’m an Employer

Get Started

Business Solutions

Case Studies

Host or Join Hiring Events

Major Events at a Glance

Industry Partnership

Healthcare

Mobility & Infrastructure

Data & Insights

Industry Reports & Insights

Labor Market Dashboard

Podcast

Child Care

Get Started

For Parents

For Providers

Explore More

Success Stories & Testimonials

About

Who We Are

FAQ

Austin Infrastructure Academy

Austin’s Hire Local Plan

Newsroom

Join Our Team

Procurements

Events

Surveys

Data

Industry Reports & Insights

Labor Market Dashboards

Podcast

Contact

Jumpstart Your Career
Search

Category: Newsroom

  • City of Pflugerville funds workforce training for residents

    City of Pflugerville funds workforce training for residents

    In partnership with Workforce Solutions Capital Area, the city of Pflugerville is providing funding to support tuition-free job training through the end of the year for up to 20 eligible residents.

    The initiative is being funded by the city’s Community Development Block Grant, a federal grant the city receives annually. The money is intended to support affordable housing and suitable living environments as well as expand economic opportunities, according to city documents.

    Through the workforce training program, individuals will receive tailored training “to equip them with the necessary skills for in-demand occupations in industries quickly growing in Pflugerville, such as advanced manufacturing,” the release said.

    Go deeper.

  • Central Texas child care providers struggle to hire staff

    Central Texas child care providers struggle to hire staff

    Many child care providers are having a hard time filling positions, putting extra pressure on the workers they already have.

    Local advocates and government leaders are working to help places hire qualified workers.

    “We aim to promote the recruitment and retention of early childhood professionals,” said Cristela Perez-Riddel, program director for the Child Care Services Program at Workforce Solutions Capital Area.

    Go deeper.

  • Central Texas employers eye new talent pool — laid-off Tesla workers

    Central Texas employers eye new talent pool — laid-off Tesla workers

    Tamara Atkinson, CEO of Workforce Solutions Capital Area, said in a statement that the Austin metro’s advanced manufacturing and transportation sectors have added about 5,000 jobs over the past 12 months.

    “We have seen a steady increase in job openings in the Austin metro, especially in advanced manufacturing,” said Atkinson, whose organization provides job training and assistance. “Manufacturers across Central Texas are eager to hire people with these skills.”

    Still, that doesn’t mean all of the laid-off Tesla employees will quickly find new jobs or have the skills that are viewed as in high demand in the metro. For them, job training and assistance agencies, such as Workforce Solutions and Skillpoint Alliance, say they stand at the ready.

    Go deeper.

  • Workforce leaders talk how to grow skilled trades pipeline to 10,000+ workers annually

    Workforce leaders talk how to grow skilled trades pipeline to 10,000+ workers annually

     

    During the most recent Urban Land Institute Austin session, Tamara Atkinson and other leaders in workforce training shared the realities of the local economy, which will need more than 10,000 new skilled workers every year for roughly a decade. Those workers will help to carry out construction and production on major projects such as the Interstate 35 reconstruction, the Project Connect mass transit system, the expansion of Austin-Bergstrom International Airport and the assorted semiconductor manufacturing plants across the region that collectively represent tens of billions of dollars in investment.

    Several times, talk turned to the city’s recent establishment of a new infrastructure training academy, which is intended to address the growing need for construction workers throughout the area.

    Panelist Nestor Ho, chief legal officer of Silicon Labs, said the current employment imbalance shows there are 62,000 jobs available for 52,000 people who are classified as unemployed.

    Go deeper.

     

     

  • ‘Hire Local’ initiative helps with skills gap, connects people with in-demand jobs

    ‘Hire Local’ initiative helps with skills gap, connects people with in-demand jobs

    According to Workforce Solutions Capital Area, there are more than enough jobs but not enough skilled workers in Austin.

    The organization is trying to address the city’s skills gap through its Hire Local initiative. It released its 2023 annual report highlighting the initiative’s impacts.

    “That is designed to close the gap by connecting local people with the skills needed in high demand jobs, high paying jobs, so they can afford to stay here in Austin,” said Chair for Workforce Solutions Capital Area Board Mark Sherry.

    Go deeper.

  • Central Texas training programs drive surge in employment and wage growth, report finds

    Central Texas training programs drive surge in employment and wage growth, report finds

    More Central Texans are enrolling in training programs that boost wages and fill gaps in the region’s labor force, an April 17 report from Workforce Solutions Capital Area found.

    The 2023 Hire Local Report analyzed job placement and income increases of those who completed training programs in the Austin metro from October 2022 through September 2023.

    The report also found that more Central Texans are utilizing training programs compared to previous years. Workforce Solutions served 17,186 students in 2023, 3,591 more than in 2022. Further, nursing graduates almost doubled in the past five years, from 596 in the 2018-19 school year to 1,076 during the 2022-23 school year.

    Go deeper.

  • Supporting Austin’s working parents at the Family Celebration & Resource Fair

    Supporting Austin’s working parents at the Family Celebration & Resource Fair

    Catch up quick: To celebrate the start of Week of the Young Child, we hosted our first-ever Family Celebration & Resource Fair with food, fun, and lots of resources for families on April 6!

    Why it matters: Workforce Solutions Capital Area supports eligible families in Travis County with affordable, high-quality child care options with child care scholarships.

    What happened: 63 families attended to learn about community resources, enjoy a story time reading with their children, practice CPR for infants and children, and more!

    What they’re saying: We surveyed the families and 100% said they would attend next year!

    • “Thank you for inviting us! “
    • “This was a great event! We loved story time!”
    • “I enjoyed myself as did my children.”
    • “Everything was great, super informative and helpful and not painful experience either. Glad we came.”
    • “It was awesome, informative!

    Workforce Solutions Capital Area Child Care Services helps families and providers through scholarships to afford quality care, partnership to increase the quality of early childhood education, and support with job search and business services. Learn more about how we promote positive child outcomes.

  • National Institute for Innovation and Technology Hosts Austin Semiconductor Panel, Awards GlobalFoundries & Applied Materials, Inc. for Pioneering Semiconductor Registered Apprenticeships

    National Institute for Innovation and Technology Hosts Austin Semiconductor Panel, Awards GlobalFoundries & Applied Materials, Inc. for Pioneering Semiconductor Registered Apprenticeships

     

    Today the National Institute for Innovation and Technology™ —the nation’s leader in semiconductor talent pipeline development and U.S. Department of Labor (USDOL) national Intermediary responsible for establishing and expanding Registered Apprenticeships (RAs) throughout semiconductor and nanotechnology-related industry supply chains—awarded two semiconductor industry giants, GlobalFoundries® and Applied Materials, Inc. for their work in establishing semiconductor manufacturing RAs.

    Representatives from both companies were presented with the awards during “Texas Transistors: Building a Stronger Semiconductor Talent Pipeline,” a live-panel event held in Austin, TX, with stakeholders in the semiconductor and advanced manufacturing industries. GlobalFoundries was awarded for instituting the nation’s first semiconductor Registered Apprenticeship Program (RAP), which graduated its first apprentices last year at the company’s manufacturing facility in Malta, New York. The company also has a successful RAP at its Essex Junction, Vermont, manufacturing facility.

    The awardees participated in the panels alongside other experts from NXP Semiconductors® and ManpowerGroup®, and leaders at the Workforce Solutions Capital Area and Workforce Solutions Rural Capital Area boards.

    Go deeper.

     

  • Workforce Solutions Capital Area joins City of Pflugerville for job training with a Community Development Block Grant

    Workforce Solutions Capital Area joins City of Pflugerville for job training with a Community Development Block Grant

    Exciting news for Texans in Pflugerville looking to gain new skills: Workforce Solutions Capital Area, the local workforce development board for Austin/Travis County, has received funding through a Community Development Block grant award from the City of Pflugerville to provide no-cost job training for eligible residents.

    Program participants will train to earn required skills for in-demand occupations in industries quickly growing in Pflugerville, such as advanced manufacturing. Eligible participants must reside within the Pflugerville city limits and meet federal standards for low- to low-to-moderate income.

    The Community Development Block Grant Program, led by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, provides annual grants on a formula basis to states, cities, and counties to develop viable urban communities by providing decent housing and a suitable living environment, and by expanding economic opportunities, principally for low- and moderate-income persons.

    WFS Capital Area will serve up to 20 Pflugerville residents through December with this funding. Pflugerville residents interested in participating can contact us to begin.

  • Sube desempleo en Austin, pero tasa sigue siendo la más baja de Texas

    Sube desempleo en Austin, pero tasa sigue siendo la más baja de Texas

     

    El informe más reciente de la Comisión de la Fuerza Laboral de Texas indica que la cesantía en la capital subió a 3.7% entre enero y febrero, lo que equivale a mas de 50.000 residentes sin trabajo; sin embargo, esta sigue siendo la tasa más baja de las 10 ciudades mas grandes del estado.

    “Se mantiene por debajo de la tasa de texas que es un 4.4%. La región ha experimentado una tasa de crecimiento anual de 2.8%, lo que representa la adición colectiva de 36,500 puestos de trabajo desde febrero de 2023”, dijo Yesenia García representante de Workforce Solutions.

    Entre las industrias con mayor crecimiento en el último año está la construcción con 5.3%. El reporte también da cuenta de otros sectores con alto número de contrataciones en el área como “la manufactura, los oficios calificados, la atención médica, la tecnología, la movilidad”, agregó García.

    Sigue leyendo.