March 19, 2026 • 38 mins
Central Texas is growing fast. But what does that mean for jobs, skills, and the future workforce?
In this episode of the FutureReady NextForce Podcast, leaders from Workforce Solutions Rural Capital Area talk about why workforce forecasting matters now and how employers, workers, and communities can prepare for the future of work.
As industries evolve and the region continues to grow, planning ahead is no longer optional. Workforce forecasting helps communities anticipate workforce needs, align training with real jobs, and help people build skills that will remain valuable in a changing economy.
In this conversation, the team breaks down:
• What workforce forecasting actually means
• Why future skills matter more than ever
• The challenges employers are facing right now
• How workers can stay competitive in a changing job market
• How Workforce Solutions Rural Capital Area supports employers and jobseekers across the region
You will also hear how the FutureReady NextForce Podcast will explore workforce issues this season through leadership conversations, real stories from across Central Texas, and insights from the people building the region’s workforce.
For more information about our services, please visit www.workforcesolutionsrca.com
Listen
Watch
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
If you wait until the communities are built andthen you decide to build the roads, it's very
difficult to build the roads. And if we wait untilthose jobs are sitting there waiting to be filled
to start training people, then it's very difficultto to complete that task because it just takes it
takes time and and employers don't have time towait. No. Are you ready? But are you future ready?
(00:26):
Be a part of the force. Future ready. Of course,the future ready. Next Force Podcast, identifying
barriers to career success. Next force, findingsolutions to empower businesses. Next force,
helping central Texans avoid child care distress.
Next Force, the Future Ready Next Force Podcast.
(00:50):
The Future Ready Next Force podcast is broughtto you by Workforce Solutions Rural Capital Area.
Developing talent for employers by coachingTexans to employment. Welcome to the Future
Ready Next Force podcast. We're excited torelaunch this show and really explain what
it's going to be about this year, why it exists,and who it's for. So, this isn't just a sitdown
(01:11):
conversation. We're creating a space to talkhonestly about what's changing for employers,
workers, and families across Central Texas,and what people can actually do about it.
So, the exciting thing about this year, Diane,is that we're going to be doing multi- format
storytelling in different ways to help tell ourworkforce story and commit it and connect it to
the local community. We're very excited aboutbeing able to pull back the curtain and share
(01:33):
the resources we have for our employers and ourjob seekers that are available for all Texans. So,
get ready to hear a lot of different ways totell our stories and help us share the purpose
of workforce for all communities. Yeah. and reallyboiled down the main goal for this podcast is to
help us be future ready which is why we're callingit next force so that we are ready for the future
(01:54):
for our job seekers for our employers and forall of central Texas. This is a new year uh
new workforce efforts going on and uh you knowjust want to spend a few minutes today talking
about how do we communicate that to the community?
How do we share our vision for what the workforcecould look like um for the next five years? How
do we how do we communicate that to the community?
(02:14):
How do we share that with our stakeholders? Howdo we work with our educators and our employers
to to really kind of get the vision that wesee about what's coming uh to our area? Well,
and I think what's really interestingabout that, Paul, is that this isn't the
workforce of the past. There's been so muchgrowth and so many new and exciting things.
um not only innovation in the community but umnew industry coming in and more partnership with
(02:41):
uh school districts and more partnership withhigher education partners. And I think that's
one of the key things that's going to be reallyimportant to focus on as we move forward is how do
we build that collaboration and how do we continueto meet the needs of the business community as
they look at our communities and our our towns inthe rural capital area as a place to move to and
(03:03):
how are we doing that to support our citizens inthose communities to be able to have a place where
they like to work, live, and grow. Yeah. Some ofthe interesting trends that we're seeing right
now are that there's relatively obviously a amajor growth in semiconductor industry in our
counties. Also, manufacturing in general isis growing significantly, but we're seeing a
(03:27):
bunch of data centers come in too, which presentsnew opportunities for new roles that we haven't
really seen in this region before. So, just asan example of one of the things that we're doing
is we're helping to come up with pathways intodata center operator roles and and maintenance
technician roles so that our workforce is preparedand that our employers have what they need
(03:50):
uh to be able to be ready to do that good work.
Uh we're also looking at things like significantwater needs in our area, which means we have a
a bunch of new initiatives around water reuse.
We're looking at water operator roles. Uh there'sa lot of new development that's happening in sort
of energy and resources. Uh we're also looking atsignificant growth in health care. So that means
(04:14):
trying to fill a lot of those entry level to midsskill level roles that are very important for our
region like radiation technologists, MRI techs,imaging techs in general, surgical technicians,
uh certified nursing assistants, certified medicalassistants, you name it. We're gonna have a lot of
needs uh this year and upcoming years to be ableto meet the needs of our healthcare industry too.
(04:37):
So Sarah, this is a lot coming into our areaand it can sometimes feel disconnected and how
to connect with workforce and what what we cando about that. So we're walking this road with
you and providing and listening to what yourchallenges and concerns are and then building
relationships to figure out how we can helpyou get where you want to be. And so we're on
this journey with you through the entire processwhether it's to improve your business or your your
(04:58):
job your career. Um, we're here to help you and wehave the tools available to make that happen. So,
we're not so disjointed. We're making that pathwayavailable for you. That's right. You know, it's
interesting here that our our population from in2024 was about 1.3 million people. We're projected
to grow to another quarter million people by 2029,which is a lot, which will be bigger than uh the
(05:19):
Travis County area. And when when it when it growsthat fast, it creates demands on the workforce
system very quickly. And the real questionbecomes, can opportunity keep up with demand?
Because workforce is not just about existing jobs.
It's about whether people can access them andsucceed in them. That's right. I'm particularly
proud of one initiative we have this year aroundthe creation of a website that is actually going
(05:39):
to help connect our job seekers to those trainingopportunities to get them into the jobs of the
future. uh those entry level roles to midsklllevel roles that are going to be high demand
and also high job quality for our region. Uhso we're going to be launching that this year and
that's going to make it easy for our folks comingout of the K12 system, our job seekers who want
(06:03):
to retool or reskill to get into some jobs thatmaybe they've never even heard of before with the
fastest possible training pathway and potentiallysome financial support from their workforce board.
You know, I think I think it's critical that we welook at what those needs are going to be now and
for the next five years so that we can plan forthe creation of skill upskilling opportunities
(06:27):
for people so that they can obtain the skillsthey need in order to accept the be able to
fill the jobs that our employers are goingto have. We think they're going to have over the
next 5 years. If you wait until the communitiesare built and then you decide to build the roads,
it's very difficult to build the roads. And if wewait until those jobs are sitting there waiting
to be filled to start training people, then it'svery difficult to to complete that task because
(06:51):
it just takes it takes time and and employersdon't have time to wait. No. I mean, you're
talking about the importance of forecasting,Paul, and that's so important for our employers
as well because when they are having to be onthe reactive and they don't have the job seekers
that they need in the market, then that means thatthey're relying very heavily on our temp agency
(07:12):
partners who do great work, but they are also muchmore expensive and costly to our employers. So,
one way that we can really help our economy is byreally helping to provide those employers with the
workforce. And then, of course, it provides greatopportunities for our job seekers when we forecast
correctly about the needs of the workforce. Thatkey to forecasting is also backing it back into
(07:36):
the K12 system and educating our parents and ourstudents about the different opportunities that
are available. College is not the only pathwayto have a productive career and successful career,
but unfortunately, we don't always know that. So,we're taking great efforts to create marketing
collateral around that to educate our familiesand our students about the different opportunities
available that you don't have to go to college,but you can have these amazing careers with
(07:58):
very low cost entry and get started workingpretty quickly. You know, I think it's important
as we as we face this growth that we look at allof the potential sources of of workforce talent
and not not just what's coming out of K through12 or not just what's coming out of higher ed,
but but we made great inroads in connecting withum folks coming out of the military as they
as they come back into our communities and howthey can enter the workforce and use the skills
(08:21):
that they obtained in the military. Um but we'vealso looked at at reintegration of offenders,
people that have been engaged with the justicesystem. How do they come out and how do they
get re re-engaged um in in the workforce andbecome some of those talent needs that that are
become the talent that our employers need. So wehave shared why workforce matters and how this
podcast will help. We want to take some time anddive deeper into the future skills conversation.
(08:43):
Skills are not just one thing. They're a mix oftechnical and personal skills and the ability to
adapt as your job changes. We've heard about AItaking away a lot of jobs. It's also going to be
creating a whole bunch of new jobs. We don't evenknow what those are looking like. But so these for
forecasting is very important for us to listen toour partners on how that's going to be doing. So
let's dive deeper into this conversation. Paul,what do you think that what are your thoughts
(09:04):
on future skills? Well, I I think you know youhave we have to continue to evolve our skills
over over time. We have to take advantage ofnew technology as it becomes available. We
have to continue to be lifelong learnersum with with everything that we do. Um whether
you're in a white color job or a blue color job,uh it it really it really doesn't matter. Things
things change over time. I always say, you know,artificial intelligence will not take your job,
(09:28):
but someone who uses artificial intelligencemight take yours if you're not using AI. Y um so
it's important to to take advantage of that newtechnology, learn things to help you be more more
efficient, be more valuable to to your employer,to your to your own business if you're if you own
your own business. Um but that that technologyand the the use of those things as they come out
will will enable you to be much more efficientand much more effective. Great point. You know,
(09:53):
that makes me think of us this year. We've beenadopting some usage of AI as a workforce board and
um been having to really think about the best waysto do that and how to integrate that technology
into our work and realizing how it can really bea boon to us and with our efficiency uh if used
correctly. And then also to our job seekers whoreally have application fatigue, who have a hard
(10:18):
time adapting their resumes for every single jobin their cover letter and find that um our AI
tools can be very helpful to them and beingable to put in more of those applications quicker
um and to represent themselves professionally. Ithink it also helps our employers because you
can helps you write those job descriptions andreally dive down and say, "Do we really need this
(10:41):
bachelor's degree to do this job?" because that'sone of the things we've gotten bachelor heavy on a
lot of our employment or the job descriptions, butsometimes you don't really need that bachelor's
degree. What is the actual skill set you need todo this job and let's break that down and AI can
help with that tool, right? You know, I think oneof our one of our one of our real challenges is
helping the community at large, whether you're ineducation or you're a parent or you're a student
(11:05):
in K through 12 or wherever you are in the system,is really understanding what jobs what those jobs
of the future look like. U what kind of industriesthey're in. What do I want to be in that
industry? I mean, if we're talking about advancedmanufacturing, are we talking about pouring molten
steel out of a big vat into a mold? Probably not.
(11:28):
We're probably talking more about putting on abunny suit and working in a clean room or doing
a lot a lot of other things that that people mightnot necessarily associate manufacturing with. So,
I think career awareness is very important. Iknow we've been doing a lot of work to help put
resources out into the into the world to helppeople understand what those jobs look like,
(11:50):
what the career paths look like within thoseindustries, what skills are needed in order
to to have an entry point into that particularindustry. and then how your career can advance
over time. What skills will you need to improveand upgrade over time and just where you could
where you can go with your career, whether it'sin advanced manufacturing or it's in healthcare
or logistics or whatever whatever that might be.
Um, I think our role is really to to paint thatbig picture and and put the the pathways out there
(12:15):
for people to to see how they if they follow thepath. This is where my career could take me and
maybe I get halfway through my career along thispath and decide I really don't want to be in that
career anymore. I want to do something differentand how do I transition the skills I have into
a different industry that can help me, you know,trans transfer laterally rather than continue
to move up up over time. I think we'd be remissin not forgetting about our skill trades,
(12:40):
the tried and true, you know, our plumbers,our electricians, and the other uh construction
workers and things. We still desperately needthose workers as well. Uh as uh we're growing here
in central Texas, we're very blessed to be wherewe're located. A lot of companies are moving in
here and expanding as well. So, they need thosebuildings built, they need houses built, you know,
all the support systems that come along when youbring a big employer into the site. So those trade
(13:00):
skills are very profitable in a career and they'reeasy to get into. It's an easy transition if
you don't like your current career. There was anarticle in the Wall Street Journal this week about
um degreed individuals who are having troublefinding jobs and they switched into a plumbing or
electrician and are doing great and it's an easyand then you think about they have this background
with their college a lot of times in a business orsome other type of engineering degree and they're
(13:24):
able to take that skill set into this new fieldand grow in that field and maybe even start their
own companies. So I think we have to be verycareful to know that those are still there and
still needed and so there's all kinds of thingsopen to people. It's just let us know what you're
interested in. Yeah. Yeah. Campaigns are part ofthat, right? Marketing is important and we put
heavy emphasis on internships as well. Being ableto get real life experience or even just on on the
(13:48):
job training access experiences by going on tours,doing job shadowing. There are so many ways
that we can help give access to learners andjob seekers uh to these new jobs and give them a
picture of what it's like to be in that bunny suitor to consider biio manufacturing if they've never
considered anything in the life sciences before.
(14:11):
Uh there are so many exciting ways that we'retrying to give access to that that learner or that
job seeker so that they know what it's like touh spend a day in the life uh in these new roles.
It's also an opportunity for employers tomeet future staff and get vet them out and see
how that works and show and yeah networking andshowcase what you do. A lot of times we don't know
(14:32):
what goes behind that big building. We don't knowwhat's going on there. So, but when you bring them
in, they're like, "Oh, I could work here." So, youknow, employers need to market themselves as well.
So, I had an opportunity to go to a uh achamber event in the Marble Falls area a
couple of weeks ago, and I met with one of ourcounty commissioners. Um, and he was t talking
to me about some uh some success he had had umin getting some of his employees to go through um
(14:58):
truck driving training. Uh we sponsored them to gothrough truck driving training. Uh it enabled his
employees to be able to fill roles that he neededto have filled within his organization without
having to go out and bring in new talent. He wasable to use existing talent to uh to to meet the
needs of what what they needed to do there atthe county. That's great. We also have an example
(15:19):
here in the Round Rock area of a manufactursemiconductor manufacturer who went after skills
development funds uh through TWWC and is ableto get training along with to help train them on
some new equipment they're bringing in which willhelp them grow. They also awarded a grant from the
governor's office in the semiconductor world. So,it's exciting to see how they're using our tools
to help build their staff and they're upskillingthose staff and then keeping and retaining them,
(15:42):
which is more important. Uh, their retention rateis amazing because they're investing in their
employers so they don't have to keep going out andfinding new staff. Yeah. Yeah. Another one that
comes to mind is just the future needs for growingcommunities, not necessarily with new technology.
Uh, but in Bassrop as an example, we have asignificant growth in the automotive industry
(16:06):
and a desperate need for automotive techniciansout there. And so one of the things that we were
able to help convene was a conversation with atraining partner and these employers around what
the specific needs are and how we could meet thoseneeds while providing earn and learn opportunities
to job seekers meaning they can work in the joband learn at the same time which the employers
(16:27):
love because they get to train in their own wayin their own culture. uh but they also don't have
to worry so much about the technical trainingbecause they have a technical skills training
provider who's partnered with them and providingservices out there in Bassrop partially virtually
partially in person and it works perfectlyfor them because it was designed for them in
partnership with industry and with the trainingprovider and while we didn't design the training
(16:52):
program we are a part of bringing that togetherand we're also going to be the sponsor for that
do registered apprenticeship program so there's arole that each of us play in creating these future
ready pathways. And Sarah, that brings a pointbecause we talk apprentichip all day long. So,
this is something we know about, but I don't thinkeveryone knows what an apprenticeship is. Would
you mind sharing? Sure. What's involved? Yeah. So,the design of an apprenticeship is that someone
(17:17):
would be able to have employment and be able togrow in their technical skills at the same time
without all of the training burden being on theemployer. because we know that those high-skilled
level employees that can do the training arein high demand in the role that they're in. So,
they can't spend all of their time doing training.
So, this brings in a training partner to helpprovide some of that training. And the job seeker
(17:39):
starts off with a certain wage at the beginning ofthe apprenticeship and then as they gain certain
competencies or skills or hit certain milestones,then their wage increases little by little until
they get up to the standard worker starting wage.
uh incentivizing them to continue to learnbut also to stay and grow at the employer
(18:01):
uh with the employer who's investingtheir time and money in them.
You know, I think it's really uh it's reallycommendable how the state of Texas formed their
(18:22):
public workforce system uh back in the I guessthe mid 90s where they kind of revised the the
private industry councils that those morphed intoactual workforce boards. So in Texas, there are
28 workforce boards that cover the entire state.
Um here for us, we are one of those 28 boards. Wecover the nine county area around Travis County
and we are our board staff. Uh we're directedby our board of directors and we have um some
(18:45):
anywhere between 27 and up to 35 board membersthat are nominated by our chief elected officials.
Um and then they're certified by the workforcecommission to be our board members. and the the
rules around who can be on the workforce board.
Um when when it was set up, it was envisionedthat the boards always have at least 51% of their
(19:09):
board members be from private business. So we havecurrently we have right around 30 board members.
So 16 of those board members are from privatebusiness and they cover a spectrum of um skilled
trades both union and non-union u manufacturingu kind of advanced manufacturing and then
(19:31):
um maybe some older technology manufacturing thatmay maybe not be quite as advanced um healthcare
uh individuals from some couple of major hospitalsystems in our area um and and other um aspects of
the healthcare industry as well. Um the the oilfield is covered in that in in that spectrum.
Um so we have a good a good mix of board membersthat have private real real world private business
(19:57):
experience. They know what they're looking forin their workforce and they're able to give us
that vision that they have um so that we can usethe their their insight to help kind of drive what
we what we do as far as workforce efforts go. Umthe other part of our board is then comprised of
individuals from education, from different stateagencies, um from labor unions, from uh community-
(20:24):
based organizations around the area. So we we havea very good mix of board members that are able to
give us u direction and feedback and oversighton the work that we're doing to make sure that
the the public funds that we're been uh we've beenallocated are being used in a very responsible and
effective way. Right now we have a subset of boardmembers who are helping us to design trainings for
(20:46):
other board members about how to best engagethe business community with the resources that
workforce solutions rural capital area has. uhwhich is just one small example of the many ways
that our board of directors help to bring valueto our business community and boost our economy.
One thing I think is unique and I think it's oneor two states that include child care in their
(21:09):
workforce commission. I know we'll dive deeperthat into that in a different podcast later on
this season, but child care is instrumental ongetting our employees into the workforce. So I I
think TWWC and the state of Texas did a great ideaof putting that in with workforce because we have
to have that. They go hand in hand. Absolutely.
So, we serve about 3,000 a little over 3,000children every day are in subsidized child care.
And what that means is at least 3,000 probablysomewhere between 3,000 and 4,500 parents are able
(21:34):
to be in the workforce that otherwise would not beable to be in the workforce because they couldn't
afford the child care and then and and be at workat the same time. So, it's uh it's critical when
you think about the number of people that arein our workforce. And I think in the state of
Texas, we've got just over 15 million people inthat workforce. A little over 30 million people in
(21:54):
the state. But so over over half of the number ofpeople in the state are actually in the workforce.
Um our area corresponds to that pretty well. Butum and then when you take those 3,000 people from
our area, if they couldn't be in the workforce,that would significantly impact our ability
to fill jobs in in our nine county area.
(22:17):
Sarah, uh, can you explain to how the industrysector partnerships work and how, you know, some
of these are our board members that are helpingus on those areas and what does that look like?
Yeah. So, I think one of the smartest modelsthat we employ as a as a workforce board is the
industry sector partnership model, which is a wayfor us to strategically convene industry partners
(22:39):
together and put them at the table and thenhave our community partners around that table
uh to listen. So that would be universities,training providers, the boards themselves, uh,
community- based organizations, uh, you name it.
Any organization that seeks to serve the employeror the job seeker that's getting into those jobs,
(23:00):
they come to the industry sector partnershipmeeting to listen to what industry is bringing
to the table as their deepest concerns and needsand then they're building responsive solutions
outside of that meeting to be able to meet theneeds of industry. And I'll give you an example
of how this has been employed for us recently outin the Highland Lakes area, which is our uh Marble
(23:22):
Falls area, Bernick County. We have been a part ofhelping to support a healthc care industry sector
partnership so that industry out there health carerepresentatives feel like they can put their uh
their heads together and their needs togetherinto one pile and that the community partners
(23:43):
can be responsive to those needs to ensure thatwe're preparing the students in the K12 system
and the job seekers who need more skills to beable to work in those fields. uh whether it be
the hospitals or um care facilities out there,outpatient clinics, uh dentistry, we need to be
able to meet the needs of all of the healthcareindustry out there. And because that consortium
(24:08):
is coming together and expressing those needs,we've been able to build some solutions
specifically out of their concerns. I thinkI also want to you mentioned K12 system and we're
spending a lot of time doing career explorationwith our K12 and we also have events called
bridging the gap where we're bringing employers into meet with this career and technical education
(24:29):
departments at the schools to hear directly fromemployers what they need these students to have
the skill sets to do and then the employers arecoming in and providing opportunities either
speaking tours providing equipment differentresources so the student can see what a real life
of what that job looks like. uh our K12 system isour future workforce and so it's imperative
to us to be able to give that opportunity forstudents to see the different ways that they can
(24:52):
get employed but also for employers to see whatis coming up from the K12 system because we have
amazing young people when we get the privilege togo out and work with them every day at I stand in
awe a lot of them we hear a lot of bad press butit's really not there because when you meet these
young people their passion their skills what theywant to do with their lives is incredible so
just exposing these opportunities and havingthis opportunity for employer to actually
(25:15):
see the students is really critical, I think,for success in building the talent pipeline. One
section of the talent pipeline. Yeah. You know,one of our former workforce commissioners used to
always say, talk about the secret sauce for Texas,and that was getting employers and educators and
economic development to all get around the sametable. Talk about what their needs are. Listen to
the employers talk about what their skill needsare, what they see those needs being going into
(25:37):
the future. have educators hear that message sothey're able to craft skills training that that
gives the the right skills to to folks to beable to meet those employers needs. And having
economic development at the table, they betterunderstand then here's what our workforce looks
like. Here's what it could look like. And theirjob is to go attract industry and opportunity to
(25:58):
come to the area that can utilize that workforceand and bring that workforce to bear to be an
asset for that for that new enterprise that maybe coming to our area. I think one thing we keep
touching on and it's pretty obvious probably is uhit takes lots of partners. It's not just us doing
something. We have a huge amount of partners thatwe work with across all industries, government,
you name it because all of us working together iswhat's going to make this happen and be successful
(26:23):
in central Texas and the nine county region is allcoming into the same place and helping get
the talent that we need to meet the needs ofour employers. That's right. Yeah. I I think one
thing we haven't mentioned that's really importantis that workforce is significantly impacted by
current events and by policy makers. And so,uh, you know, just this year, we learned how these
(26:44):
changes in tariffs impact the workforce and how,uh, onouring manufacturing, bringing it back
to the United States, impacts the initiativesthat we have that are local as it relates to
finding rare minerals and refining them. Um,bringing more manufacturing back. uh being able to
have the parts that we need to make the productsthat we need to for our technological advancements
(27:09):
for our um defense as well. So there are so manythings that are happening just this year alone
and we also play the role of um advocating forfor what is best for workforce in the area but
also learning uh from our partners who do thattype of work too. So workforce is really at the
intersection of so many different elements of ourdaily life. And I think one of the things that's
(27:32):
really important about the workforce board is thatwe are sort of the one-stop shop for anyone who
has a workforce need. So when you think about,you know, how am I going to solve this complex
workforce problem that's impacted by tariffs andby the supply chain and by then and I don't know
the right training provider, you should think ofworkforce solutions rural capital area as your
(27:52):
go-to place so that you don't have to do all ofthat research, all of that networking. I have a
friend who runs a business where he helps folksto take advantage of credit card points so
they can get free honeymoons. And he's like,I know it's not that people can go out there and
and do their own research about credit cards. I'mjust going to save them about 15 hours of time
(28:14):
because I've done all the work and I can tellthem in 30 minutes the best path for them. And
that's kind of what we do as a workforce board. Uhyou don't have to do all of the hard work. We're
going to make it easy for you. So throughout ournineount area, we have uh America Job Centers.
We call them workforce centers here in Texas.
Um, we've maintained a workforce center in eachof our nine counties for a very long time. Um,
(28:39):
and you'll find many different services withinthe walls of those workforce centers. Um,
not that you have to physically go to one ofthose workforce centers to access all of those
services. Most of them can be accessed virtuallyif that if transportation is a problem or or time
is an issue. Um, so those those services are canbe available virtually, but there are services
there for employers for employers to post theirjobs to get a look at what the current talent
(29:05):
um pool looks like for the skills that they'retrying to hire for. Um, they can utilize
resources like um an office to do interviews.
If they don't have a physical site in an area,maybe they're maybe they're new to an area
and they they don't have a place to interview,they can use our our resources there. um they can
use our staff to help um kind of whittle down thetalent pool that's available and bring bring the
best and the brightest in to see to see thoseemployers and hopefully make some good some good
(29:28):
matches there. Then the other side of the coinwhere we have opportunities for job seekers. So
when you walk in the door of a workforce center,the first thing you really see once you once you
sign in and and get started is our resource room.
And that resource room is comprised of um not justum not just computers, not just paper resources,
(29:50):
but an array of both. Um so you can access thematerials that you are comfortable with, whether
it's on paper, whether it's on the computer. Umtools are available there, copy copy machines,
fax machines in order to to send your resume outto things. But we have staff there that can help
connect you to the available jobs in in the area.
um kind of advise you based on your work history,your skill sets, where would you best fit into the
(30:13):
local labor market and then how to how to reallyengage, how to get your information out there,
put yourself in the best possible light and andmeet up with employers that could provide the best
opportunities for you. I think one thing I wantedto touch on which Sarah has been working really
hard on is our um business consultants. They goout and talk to the employers directly. So if you
explain what the resources are for that. Yeah. So,we have business liaison and recruiters and
(30:38):
they are really the customer service rep forour employers. They're helping them to understand
what resources are available to them through theworkforce board or even through the funding
that's available through the Texas WorkforceCommission for businesses, but they're also
just listening and they're making sure thatthey're understanding and getting a beat on what
(31:00):
the concerns of industry are and employers are.
and then they're going back to to the larger teamand to the workforce board here and they're coming
up with smart solutions. So we're happy to saythat we have liaison that represent each of our
nine counties and are building deep relationshipswith the chambers with the economic development
(31:22):
corporations with the community members and mostimportantly the businesses and industries either
through one-on-one relationships or through theindustry sector partnerships that we talked about
earlier. So, we talked a little bit earlierabout how our workforce board is made up of
of individuals from private business and how theyuse their business expertise to advise the board
on how we how do we propel ourselves, how do wehow do we utilize the resources we have to meet
(31:45):
the needs of the employers through throughout thenine county area. Um, but we're not just advised
by those board members that are actually on ourboard, but we we work with the communities at
large to find employers throughout our nine countyarea um and get their feedback, get their opinion,
get their needs for the talent that they'reseeking in order to to fill their their workforce
(32:07):
needs within their own business. Um but we alsowork closely with our chambers of commerce,
with our economic development partners, umand other stakeholders within the community
to really connect to the business community. Umgreat connection that we have here with our uh
the Austin Regional Manufacturers Association. Umvery it helps us connect uh more more deeply with
the manufacturing community in a lot of ways. Andthen and we're engaged with our partners with the
(32:32):
Capital Area Workforce Board and with Arma toreally um to be connected and be part of that
manufacturers association. Um so we're we'rea team member for them. We're we're there to
help support what they need. Um and but it's agreat avenue for us to hear directly from those
manufacturers and from others um you know maybeoutside of our nine county area what those what
(32:56):
those talent needs are and how how they seenthose talent needs filled in other parts of the
state other parts of the country. So we're able toget best practice kind of information from those
um from those industry associations whetherit's manufacturing or healthcare. Um you know
connecting in with those groups that already existto tap into best practices I think is is a really
(33:16):
good uh a good tool for us and helps legitimlegitimatize the u the work that we do. Um,
so we're not relying just on our labor marketdata, which could be a little aged. Um,
but we're getting real world information, realreal time information back from our employers
and our industry associations. Yeah, Paul bringsup a good point. uh labor market data and h making
(33:40):
that available to our businesses and our jobseekers in the nine counties is one of our roles
and responsibilities as a workforce board. Butit's not enough to use labor market data when you
do smart workforce development planning for thefuture. And so as an example, we we are part of
the Central Texas Healthcare Partnership, which isanother uh industry sector partnership that serves
(34:01):
the 5count MSA. And one of the things that we hearfrom all of those industry partners are, you know,
if you look at the labor market data, you're goingto see that uh certified nursing assistants and
nurses are examples of very high needs uh rolesthat we need to fill. However, while those are
important roles for us to fill, where we need yourexpertise is actually not in those two categories
(34:24):
where we have the highest demand. We need yourexpertise with our imaging conundrum. We cannot
find MRI tech. we cannot find uh our um rad techs.
We need solutions. We need you to help us build astronger pipeline. And sure, the numbers might be
smaller, but we're having to pay for travelers tocome in from other countries and from other
(34:45):
parts of the nation. And we're paying three,four times what we would be able to pay if
we had folks who are local. And by the way,they those roles might even make more money than
a nurse. So all of this is information that wereceive from partners and we wouldn't have that
just from looking at the labor market data. Oneother area that we're working with is with uh
the skilled trades uh union and non-union as tohelp encourage people to move into those fields
(35:10):
to build that pipeline out that starts not onlyin our K12 system and showing showcasing the
different opportunities for the students butalso as job seekers are maybe transitioning to
different opportunities and things. These aregreat ways to get into a new career pretty quickly
and have it all paid for you. You don't have togo put that money out front. Uh these skill trades
(35:30):
are very important for the growth of Central Texasas more and more companies are moving in here. As
I mentioned earlier, we got to have someone buildthe buildings and the homes and the hospitals
and which also leads to those as hospitals asyou were talking about all the growth and the
different needs because as we're growing theseall these industries, these support industries are
growing throughout the region and we need workersand people to move into those skill sets to help
(35:52):
meet the need of our employers and our communitiesat whole because we all want to have the nurses as
Paul and I talk about as we're getting older. Wewant people who know nursing so they can take
care of us as we speak for yourself. So, um,but you know, we want these things and it at the
end of the day, it helps raise us all up. It helpsthe entire community, the economy here to grow
(36:13):
and thrive and people want to be in this region.
I believe we're in a really unique time. I'vesaid this before and it there is so much happening
right here and so many opportunities in this9ounty region that we're here to help you find
that opportunity and you will be successfulhere. You know, put in a little hard work,
but you're going to get there and we're goingto help you make you get there. And as a from
(36:34):
an employer perspective, we'll help you findthose employers. We're going to develop those
training whether it's through a union trainingapprenticeship or some other type of training.
We'll get you to that point and help your staffget there and then it becomes repetitive and then
we can just you just keep building your your yourown family and growing that that talent inside.
So you should promote internally and then youbring the next level in. So this team here with
(36:54):
our partners can make it happen for you. Justreach out. We've talked about a lot of things
so far in today's podcast, but I think one ofthe things I'm really excited about about future
podcasts is going to be sort of the um out in thefield element of what we're going to be doing.
you know, man on the street interviews and beingable to really showcase the day in the life for
(37:18):
a lot of these jobs because uh the concept ofof workforce and workforce development can be
very complex as I think we've demonstrated in thisconversation. Uh but our goal is to make it very
easy for job seekers to envision themselves inthese new careers. And I think that's a lot of
what we're going to be doing in this podcast inthe upcoming months. So this relaunch is about
(37:41):
being clear, visible, and useful to the regionas a workforce board. The biggest thing I want
out of this podcast series this year is for us todemystify a workforce, make it easier for everyone
to understand and how to utilize the services thatare available to you free of charge. You know,
this is available from fally funded and statefunded dollars. So we're here to serve you. So
please reach out to us and let us help connect.
And if there's something you're interested inlearning about more about these podcasts, reach
(38:05):
out to our team. We'll have a a link at the endof this podcast on how to reach out to us because
we want to know what you want to know because ifwe don't know, we can't help you. But so please
reach out to us to take care of that. I do thoughhope that you enjoyed our podcast and we're
looking forward to more podcasts coming thisway. But meanwhile, if you need support, please
reach out and thank you for your time. The FutureReady Next Force podcast is brought to you
(38:27):
by Workforce Solutions Rural Capital Area.
Developing talent for employers by coaching Texansto employment. The future ready next force podcast.
If you wait until the communities are built andthen you decide to build the roads, it's very
difficult to build the roads. And if we wait untilthose jobs are sitting there waiting to be filled
to start training people, then it's very difficultto to complete that task because it just takes it
takes time and and employers don't have time towait. No. Are you ready? But are you future ready?
(00:26):
Be a part of the force. Future ready. Of course,the future ready. Next Force Podcast, identifying
barriers to career success. Next force, findingsolutions to empower businesses. Next force,
helping central Texans avoid child care distress.
Next Force, the Future Ready Next Force Podcast.
(00:50):
The Future Ready Next Force podcast is broughtto you by Workforce Solutions Rural Capital Area.
Developing talent for employers by coachingTexans to employment. Welcome to the Future
Ready Next Force podcast. We're excited torelaunch this show and really explain what
it's going to be about this year, why it exists,and who it's for. So, this isn't just a sitdown
(01:11):
conversation. We're creating a space to talkhonestly about what's changing for employers,
workers, and families across Central Texas,and what people can actually do about it.
So, the exciting thing about this year, Diane,is that we're going to be doing multi- format
storytelling in different ways to help tell ourworkforce story and commit it and connect it to
the local community. We're very excited aboutbeing able to pull back the curtain and share
(01:33):
the resources we have for our employers and ourjob seekers that are available for all Texans. So,
get ready to hear a lot of different ways totell our stories and help us share the purpose
of workforce for all communities. Yeah. and reallyboiled down the main goal for this podcast is to
help us be future ready which is why we're callingit next force so that we are ready for the future
(01:54):
for our job seekers for our employers and forall of central Texas. This is a new year uh
new workforce efforts going on and uh you knowjust want to spend a few minutes today talking
about how do we communicate that to the community?
How do we share our vision for what the workforcecould look like um for the next five years? How
do we how do we communicate that to the community?
(02:14):
How do we share that with our stakeholders? Howdo we work with our educators and our employers
to to really kind of get the vision that wesee about what's coming uh to our area? Well,
and I think what's really interestingabout that, Paul, is that this isn't the
workforce of the past. There's been so muchgrowth and so many new and exciting things.
um not only innovation in the community but umnew industry coming in and more partnership with
(02:41):
uh school districts and more partnership withhigher education partners. And I think that's
one of the key things that's going to be reallyimportant to focus on as we move forward is how do
we build that collaboration and how do we continueto meet the needs of the business community as
they look at our communities and our our towns inthe rural capital area as a place to move to and
(03:03):
how are we doing that to support our citizens inthose communities to be able to have a place where
they like to work, live, and grow. Yeah. Some ofthe interesting trends that we're seeing right
now are that there's relatively obviously a amajor growth in semiconductor industry in our
counties. Also, manufacturing in general isis growing significantly, but we're seeing a
(03:27):
bunch of data centers come in too, which presentsnew opportunities for new roles that we haven't
really seen in this region before. So, just asan example of one of the things that we're doing
is we're helping to come up with pathways intodata center operator roles and and maintenance
technician roles so that our workforce is preparedand that our employers have what they need
(03:50):
uh to be able to be ready to do that good work.
Uh we're also looking at things like significantwater needs in our area, which means we have a
a bunch of new initiatives around water reuse.
We're looking at water operator roles. Uh there'sa lot of new development that's happening in sort
of energy and resources. Uh we're also looking atsignificant growth in health care. So that means
(04:14):
trying to fill a lot of those entry level to midsskill level roles that are very important for our
region like radiation technologists, MRI techs,imaging techs in general, surgical technicians,
uh certified nursing assistants, certified medicalassistants, you name it. We're gonna have a lot of
needs uh this year and upcoming years to be ableto meet the needs of our healthcare industry too.
(04:37):
So Sarah, this is a lot coming into our areaand it can sometimes feel disconnected and how
to connect with workforce and what what we cando about that. So we're walking this road with
you and providing and listening to what yourchallenges and concerns are and then building
relationships to figure out how we can helpyou get where you want to be. And so we're on
this journey with you through the entire processwhether it's to improve your business or your your
(04:58):
job your career. Um, we're here to help you and wehave the tools available to make that happen. So,
we're not so disjointed. We're making that pathwayavailable for you. That's right. You know, it's
interesting here that our our population from in2024 was about 1.3 million people. We're projected
to grow to another quarter million people by 2029,which is a lot, which will be bigger than uh the
(05:19):
Travis County area. And when when it when it growsthat fast, it creates demands on the workforce
system very quickly. And the real questionbecomes, can opportunity keep up with demand?
Because workforce is not just about existing jobs.
It's about whether people can access them andsucceed in them. That's right. I'm particularly
proud of one initiative we have this year aroundthe creation of a website that is actually going
(05:39):
to help connect our job seekers to those trainingopportunities to get them into the jobs of the
future. uh those entry level roles to midsklllevel roles that are going to be high demand
and also high job quality for our region. Uhso we're going to be launching that this year and
that's going to make it easy for our folks comingout of the K12 system, our job seekers who want
(06:03):
to retool or reskill to get into some jobs thatmaybe they've never even heard of before with the
fastest possible training pathway and potentiallysome financial support from their workforce board.
You know, I think I think it's critical that we welook at what those needs are going to be now and
for the next five years so that we can plan forthe creation of skill upskilling opportunities
(06:27):
for people so that they can obtain the skillsthey need in order to accept the be able to
fill the jobs that our employers are goingto have. We think they're going to have over the
next 5 years. If you wait until the communitiesare built and then you decide to build the roads,
it's very difficult to build the roads. And if wewait until those jobs are sitting there waiting
to be filled to start training people, then it'svery difficult to to complete that task because
(06:51):
it just takes it takes time and and employersdon't have time to wait. No. I mean, you're
talking about the importance of forecasting,Paul, and that's so important for our employers
as well because when they are having to be onthe reactive and they don't have the job seekers
that they need in the market, then that means thatthey're relying very heavily on our temp agency
(07:12):
partners who do great work, but they are also muchmore expensive and costly to our employers. So,
one way that we can really help our economy is byreally helping to provide those employers with the
workforce. And then, of course, it provides greatopportunities for our job seekers when we forecast
correctly about the needs of the workforce. Thatkey to forecasting is also backing it back into
(07:36):
the K12 system and educating our parents and ourstudents about the different opportunities that
are available. College is not the only pathwayto have a productive career and successful career,
but unfortunately, we don't always know that. So,we're taking great efforts to create marketing
collateral around that to educate our familiesand our students about the different opportunities
available that you don't have to go to college,but you can have these amazing careers with
(07:58):
very low cost entry and get started workingpretty quickly. You know, I think it's important
as we as we face this growth that we look at allof the potential sources of of workforce talent
and not not just what's coming out of K through12 or not just what's coming out of higher ed,
but but we made great inroads in connecting withum folks coming out of the military as they
as they come back into our communities and howthey can enter the workforce and use the skills
(08:21):
that they obtained in the military. Um but we'vealso looked at at reintegration of offenders,
people that have been engaged with the justicesystem. How do they come out and how do they
get re re-engaged um in in the workforce andbecome some of those talent needs that that are
become the talent that our employers need. So wehave shared why workforce matters and how this
podcast will help. We want to take some time anddive deeper into the future skills conversation.
(08:43):
Skills are not just one thing. They're a mix oftechnical and personal skills and the ability to
adapt as your job changes. We've heard about AItaking away a lot of jobs. It's also going to be
creating a whole bunch of new jobs. We don't evenknow what those are looking like. But so these for
forecasting is very important for us to listen toour partners on how that's going to be doing. So
let's dive deeper into this conversation. Paul,what do you think that what are your thoughts
(09:04):
on future skills? Well, I I think you know youhave we have to continue to evolve our skills
over over time. We have to take advantage ofnew technology as it becomes available. We
have to continue to be lifelong learnersum with with everything that we do. Um whether
you're in a white color job or a blue color job,uh it it really it really doesn't matter. Things
things change over time. I always say, you know,artificial intelligence will not take your job,
(09:28):
but someone who uses artificial intelligencemight take yours if you're not using AI. Y um so
it's important to to take advantage of that newtechnology, learn things to help you be more more
efficient, be more valuable to to your employer,to your to your own business if you're if you own
your own business. Um but that that technologyand the the use of those things as they come out
will will enable you to be much more efficientand much more effective. Great point. You know,
(09:53):
that makes me think of us this year. We've beenadopting some usage of AI as a workforce board and
um been having to really think about the best waysto do that and how to integrate that technology
into our work and realizing how it can really bea boon to us and with our efficiency uh if used
correctly. And then also to our job seekers whoreally have application fatigue, who have a hard
(10:18):
time adapting their resumes for every single jobin their cover letter and find that um our AI
tools can be very helpful to them and beingable to put in more of those applications quicker
um and to represent themselves professionally. Ithink it also helps our employers because you
can helps you write those job descriptions andreally dive down and say, "Do we really need this
(10:41):
bachelor's degree to do this job?" because that'sone of the things we've gotten bachelor heavy on a
lot of our employment or the job descriptions, butsometimes you don't really need that bachelor's
degree. What is the actual skill set you need todo this job and let's break that down and AI can
help with that tool, right? You know, I think oneof our one of our one of our real challenges is
helping the community at large, whether you're ineducation or you're a parent or you're a student
(11:05):
in K through 12 or wherever you are in the system,is really understanding what jobs what those jobs
of the future look like. U what kind of industriesthey're in. What do I want to be in that
industry? I mean, if we're talking about advancedmanufacturing, are we talking about pouring molten
steel out of a big vat into a mold? Probably not.
(11:28):
We're probably talking more about putting on abunny suit and working in a clean room or doing
a lot a lot of other things that that people mightnot necessarily associate manufacturing with. So,
I think career awareness is very important. Iknow we've been doing a lot of work to help put
resources out into the into the world to helppeople understand what those jobs look like,
(11:50):
what the career paths look like within thoseindustries, what skills are needed in order
to to have an entry point into that particularindustry. and then how your career can advance
over time. What skills will you need to improveand upgrade over time and just where you could
where you can go with your career, whether it'sin advanced manufacturing or it's in healthcare
or logistics or whatever whatever that might be.
Um, I think our role is really to to paint thatbig picture and and put the the pathways out there
(12:15):
for people to to see how they if they follow thepath. This is where my career could take me and
maybe I get halfway through my career along thispath and decide I really don't want to be in that
career anymore. I want to do something differentand how do I transition the skills I have into
a different industry that can help me, you know,trans transfer laterally rather than continue
to move up up over time. I think we'd be remissin not forgetting about our skill trades,
(12:40):
the tried and true, you know, our plumbers,our electricians, and the other uh construction
workers and things. We still desperately needthose workers as well. Uh as uh we're growing here
in central Texas, we're very blessed to be wherewe're located. A lot of companies are moving in
here and expanding as well. So, they need thosebuildings built, they need houses built, you know,
all the support systems that come along when youbring a big employer into the site. So those trade
(13:00):
skills are very profitable in a career and they'reeasy to get into. It's an easy transition if
you don't like your current career. There was anarticle in the Wall Street Journal this week about
um degreed individuals who are having troublefinding jobs and they switched into a plumbing or
electrician and are doing great and it's an easyand then you think about they have this background
with their college a lot of times in a business orsome other type of engineering degree and they're
(13:24):
able to take that skill set into this new fieldand grow in that field and maybe even start their
own companies. So I think we have to be verycareful to know that those are still there and
still needed and so there's all kinds of thingsopen to people. It's just let us know what you're
interested in. Yeah. Yeah. Campaigns are part ofthat, right? Marketing is important and we put
heavy emphasis on internships as well. Being ableto get real life experience or even just on on the
(13:48):
job training access experiences by going on tours,doing job shadowing. There are so many ways
that we can help give access to learners andjob seekers uh to these new jobs and give them a
picture of what it's like to be in that bunny suitor to consider biio manufacturing if they've never
considered anything in the life sciences before.
(14:11):
Uh there are so many exciting ways that we'retrying to give access to that that learner or that
job seeker so that they know what it's like touh spend a day in the life uh in these new roles.
It's also an opportunity for employers tomeet future staff and get vet them out and see
how that works and show and yeah networking andshowcase what you do. A lot of times we don't know
(14:32):
what goes behind that big building. We don't knowwhat's going on there. So, but when you bring them
in, they're like, "Oh, I could work here." So, youknow, employers need to market themselves as well.
So, I had an opportunity to go to a uh achamber event in the Marble Falls area a
couple of weeks ago, and I met with one of ourcounty commissioners. Um, and he was t talking
to me about some uh some success he had had umin getting some of his employees to go through um
(14:58):
truck driving training. Uh we sponsored them to gothrough truck driving training. Uh it enabled his
employees to be able to fill roles that he neededto have filled within his organization without
having to go out and bring in new talent. He wasable to use existing talent to uh to to meet the
needs of what what they needed to do there atthe county. That's great. We also have an example
(15:19):
here in the Round Rock area of a manufactursemiconductor manufacturer who went after skills
development funds uh through TWWC and is ableto get training along with to help train them on
some new equipment they're bringing in which willhelp them grow. They also awarded a grant from the
governor's office in the semiconductor world. So,it's exciting to see how they're using our tools
to help build their staff and they're upskillingthose staff and then keeping and retaining them,
(15:42):
which is more important. Uh, their retention rateis amazing because they're investing in their
employers so they don't have to keep going out andfinding new staff. Yeah. Yeah. Another one that
comes to mind is just the future needs for growingcommunities, not necessarily with new technology.
Uh, but in Bassrop as an example, we have asignificant growth in the automotive industry
(16:06):
and a desperate need for automotive techniciansout there. And so one of the things that we were
able to help convene was a conversation with atraining partner and these employers around what
the specific needs are and how we could meet thoseneeds while providing earn and learn opportunities
to job seekers meaning they can work in the joband learn at the same time which the employers
(16:27):
love because they get to train in their own wayin their own culture. uh but they also don't have
to worry so much about the technical trainingbecause they have a technical skills training
provider who's partnered with them and providingservices out there in Bassrop partially virtually
partially in person and it works perfectlyfor them because it was designed for them in
partnership with industry and with the trainingprovider and while we didn't design the training
(16:52):
program we are a part of bringing that togetherand we're also going to be the sponsor for that
do registered apprenticeship program so there's arole that each of us play in creating these future
ready pathways. And Sarah, that brings a pointbecause we talk apprentichip all day long. So,
this is something we know about, but I don't thinkeveryone knows what an apprenticeship is. Would
you mind sharing? Sure. What's involved? Yeah. So,the design of an apprenticeship is that someone
(17:17):
would be able to have employment and be able togrow in their technical skills at the same time
without all of the training burden being on theemployer. because we know that those high-skilled
level employees that can do the training arein high demand in the role that they're in. So,
they can't spend all of their time doing training.
So, this brings in a training partner to helpprovide some of that training. And the job seeker
(17:39):
starts off with a certain wage at the beginning ofthe apprenticeship and then as they gain certain
competencies or skills or hit certain milestones,then their wage increases little by little until
they get up to the standard worker starting wage.
uh incentivizing them to continue to learnbut also to stay and grow at the employer
(18:01):
uh with the employer who's investingtheir time and money in them.
You know, I think it's really uh it's reallycommendable how the state of Texas formed their
(18:22):
public workforce system uh back in the I guessthe mid 90s where they kind of revised the the
private industry councils that those morphed intoactual workforce boards. So in Texas, there are
28 workforce boards that cover the entire state.
Um here for us, we are one of those 28 boards. Wecover the nine county area around Travis County
and we are our board staff. Uh we're directedby our board of directors and we have um some
(18:45):
anywhere between 27 and up to 35 board membersthat are nominated by our chief elected officials.
Um and then they're certified by the workforcecommission to be our board members. and the the
rules around who can be on the workforce board.
Um when when it was set up, it was envisionedthat the boards always have at least 51% of their
(19:09):
board members be from private business. So we havecurrently we have right around 30 board members.
So 16 of those board members are from privatebusiness and they cover a spectrum of um skilled
trades both union and non-union u manufacturingu kind of advanced manufacturing and then
(19:31):
um maybe some older technology manufacturing thatmay maybe not be quite as advanced um healthcare
uh individuals from some couple of major hospitalsystems in our area um and and other um aspects of
the healthcare industry as well. Um the the oilfield is covered in that in in that spectrum.
Um so we have a good a good mix of board membersthat have private real real world private business
(19:57):
experience. They know what they're looking forin their workforce and they're able to give us
that vision that they have um so that we can usethe their their insight to help kind of drive what
we what we do as far as workforce efforts go. Umthe other part of our board is then comprised of
individuals from education, from different stateagencies, um from labor unions, from uh community-
(20:24):
based organizations around the area. So we we havea very good mix of board members that are able to
give us u direction and feedback and oversighton the work that we're doing to make sure that
the the public funds that we're been uh we've beenallocated are being used in a very responsible and
effective way. Right now we have a subset of boardmembers who are helping us to design trainings for
(20:46):
other board members about how to best engagethe business community with the resources that
workforce solutions rural capital area has. uhwhich is just one small example of the many ways
that our board of directors help to bring valueto our business community and boost our economy.
One thing I think is unique and I think it's oneor two states that include child care in their
(21:09):
workforce commission. I know we'll dive deeperthat into that in a different podcast later on
this season, but child care is instrumental ongetting our employees into the workforce. So I I
think TWWC and the state of Texas did a great ideaof putting that in with workforce because we have
to have that. They go hand in hand. Absolutely.
So, we serve about 3,000 a little over 3,000children every day are in subsidized child care.
And what that means is at least 3,000 probablysomewhere between 3,000 and 4,500 parents are able
(21:34):
to be in the workforce that otherwise would not beable to be in the workforce because they couldn't
afford the child care and then and and be at workat the same time. So, it's uh it's critical when
you think about the number of people that arein our workforce. And I think in the state of
Texas, we've got just over 15 million people inthat workforce. A little over 30 million people in
(21:54):
the state. But so over over half of the number ofpeople in the state are actually in the workforce.
Um our area corresponds to that pretty well. Butum and then when you take those 3,000 people from
our area, if they couldn't be in the workforce,that would significantly impact our ability
to fill jobs in in our nine county area.
(22:17):
Sarah, uh, can you explain to how the industrysector partnerships work and how, you know, some
of these are our board members that are helpingus on those areas and what does that look like?
Yeah. So, I think one of the smartest modelsthat we employ as a as a workforce board is the
industry sector partnership model, which is a wayfor us to strategically convene industry partners
(22:39):
together and put them at the table and thenhave our community partners around that table
uh to listen. So that would be universities,training providers, the boards themselves, uh,
community- based organizations, uh, you name it.
Any organization that seeks to serve the employeror the job seeker that's getting into those jobs,
(23:00):
they come to the industry sector partnershipmeeting to listen to what industry is bringing
to the table as their deepest concerns and needsand then they're building responsive solutions
outside of that meeting to be able to meet theneeds of industry. And I'll give you an example
of how this has been employed for us recently outin the Highland Lakes area, which is our uh Marble
(23:22):
Falls area, Bernick County. We have been a part ofhelping to support a healthc care industry sector
partnership so that industry out there health carerepresentatives feel like they can put their uh
their heads together and their needs togetherinto one pile and that the community partners
(23:43):
can be responsive to those needs to ensure thatwe're preparing the students in the K12 system
and the job seekers who need more skills to beable to work in those fields. uh whether it be
the hospitals or um care facilities out there,outpatient clinics, uh dentistry, we need to be
able to meet the needs of all of the healthcareindustry out there. And because that consortium
(24:08):
is coming together and expressing those needs,we've been able to build some solutions
specifically out of their concerns. I thinkI also want to you mentioned K12 system and we're
spending a lot of time doing career explorationwith our K12 and we also have events called
bridging the gap where we're bringing employers into meet with this career and technical education
(24:29):
departments at the schools to hear directly fromemployers what they need these students to have
the skill sets to do and then the employers arecoming in and providing opportunities either
speaking tours providing equipment differentresources so the student can see what a real life
of what that job looks like. uh our K12 system isour future workforce and so it's imperative
to us to be able to give that opportunity forstudents to see the different ways that they can
(24:52):
get employed but also for employers to see whatis coming up from the K12 system because we have
amazing young people when we get the privilege togo out and work with them every day at I stand in
awe a lot of them we hear a lot of bad press butit's really not there because when you meet these
young people their passion their skills what theywant to do with their lives is incredible so
just exposing these opportunities and havingthis opportunity for employer to actually
(25:15):
see the students is really critical, I think,for success in building the talent pipeline. One
section of the talent pipeline. Yeah. You know,one of our former workforce commissioners used to
always say, talk about the secret sauce for Texas,and that was getting employers and educators and
economic development to all get around the sametable. Talk about what their needs are. Listen to
the employers talk about what their skill needsare, what they see those needs being going into
(25:37):
the future. have educators hear that message sothey're able to craft skills training that that
gives the the right skills to to folks to beable to meet those employers needs. And having
economic development at the table, they betterunderstand then here's what our workforce looks
like. Here's what it could look like. And theirjob is to go attract industry and opportunity to
(25:58):
come to the area that can utilize that workforceand and bring that workforce to bear to be an
asset for that for that new enterprise that maybe coming to our area. I think one thing we keep
touching on and it's pretty obvious probably is uhit takes lots of partners. It's not just us doing
something. We have a huge amount of partners thatwe work with across all industries, government,
you name it because all of us working together iswhat's going to make this happen and be successful
(26:23):
in central Texas and the nine county region is allcoming into the same place and helping get
the talent that we need to meet the needs ofour employers. That's right. Yeah. I I think one
thing we haven't mentioned that's really importantis that workforce is significantly impacted by
current events and by policy makers. And so,uh, you know, just this year, we learned how these
(26:44):
changes in tariffs impact the workforce and how,uh, onouring manufacturing, bringing it back
to the United States, impacts the initiativesthat we have that are local as it relates to
finding rare minerals and refining them. Um,bringing more manufacturing back. uh being able to
have the parts that we need to make the productsthat we need to for our technological advancements
(27:09):
for our um defense as well. So there are so manythings that are happening just this year alone
and we also play the role of um advocating forfor what is best for workforce in the area but
also learning uh from our partners who do thattype of work too. So workforce is really at the
intersection of so many different elements of ourdaily life. And I think one of the things that's
(27:32):
really important about the workforce board is thatwe are sort of the one-stop shop for anyone who
has a workforce need. So when you think about,you know, how am I going to solve this complex
workforce problem that's impacted by tariffs andby the supply chain and by then and I don't know
the right training provider, you should think ofworkforce solutions rural capital area as your
(27:52):
go-to place so that you don't have to do all ofthat research, all of that networking. I have a
friend who runs a business where he helps folksto take advantage of credit card points so
they can get free honeymoons. And he's like,I know it's not that people can go out there and
and do their own research about credit cards. I'mjust going to save them about 15 hours of time
(28:14):
because I've done all the work and I can tellthem in 30 minutes the best path for them. And
that's kind of what we do as a workforce board. Uhyou don't have to do all of the hard work. We're
going to make it easy for you. So throughout ournineount area, we have uh America Job Centers.
We call them workforce centers here in Texas.
Um, we've maintained a workforce center in eachof our nine counties for a very long time. Um,
(28:39):
and you'll find many different services withinthe walls of those workforce centers. Um,
not that you have to physically go to one ofthose workforce centers to access all of those
services. Most of them can be accessed virtuallyif that if transportation is a problem or or time
is an issue. Um, so those those services are canbe available virtually, but there are services
there for employers for employers to post theirjobs to get a look at what the current talent
(29:05):
um pool looks like for the skills that they'retrying to hire for. Um, they can utilize
resources like um an office to do interviews.
If they don't have a physical site in an area,maybe they're maybe they're new to an area
and they they don't have a place to interview,they can use our our resources there. um they can
use our staff to help um kind of whittle down thetalent pool that's available and bring bring the
best and the brightest in to see to see thoseemployers and hopefully make some good some good
(29:28):
matches there. Then the other side of the coinwhere we have opportunities for job seekers. So
when you walk in the door of a workforce center,the first thing you really see once you once you
sign in and and get started is our resource room.
And that resource room is comprised of um not justum not just computers, not just paper resources,
(29:50):
but an array of both. Um so you can access thematerials that you are comfortable with, whether
it's on paper, whether it's on the computer. Umtools are available there, copy copy machines,
fax machines in order to to send your resume outto things. But we have staff there that can help
connect you to the available jobs in in the area.
um kind of advise you based on your work history,your skill sets, where would you best fit into the
(30:13):
local labor market and then how to how to reallyengage, how to get your information out there,
put yourself in the best possible light and andmeet up with employers that could provide the best
opportunities for you. I think one thing I wantedto touch on which Sarah has been working really
hard on is our um business consultants. They goout and talk to the employers directly. So if you
explain what the resources are for that. Yeah. So,we have business liaison and recruiters and
(30:38):
they are really the customer service rep forour employers. They're helping them to understand
what resources are available to them through theworkforce board or even through the funding
that's available through the Texas WorkforceCommission for businesses, but they're also
just listening and they're making sure thatthey're understanding and getting a beat on what
(31:00):
the concerns of industry are and employers are.
and then they're going back to to the larger teamand to the workforce board here and they're coming
up with smart solutions. So we're happy to saythat we have liaison that represent each of our
nine counties and are building deep relationshipswith the chambers with the economic development
(31:22):
corporations with the community members and mostimportantly the businesses and industries either
through one-on-one relationships or through theindustry sector partnerships that we talked about
earlier. So, we talked a little bit earlierabout how our workforce board is made up of
of individuals from private business and how theyuse their business expertise to advise the board
on how we how do we propel ourselves, how do wehow do we utilize the resources we have to meet
(31:45):
the needs of the employers through throughout thenine county area. Um, but we're not just advised
by those board members that are actually on ourboard, but we we work with the communities at
large to find employers throughout our nine countyarea um and get their feedback, get their opinion,
get their needs for the talent that they'reseeking in order to to fill their their workforce
(32:07):
needs within their own business. Um but we alsowork closely with our chambers of commerce,
with our economic development partners, umand other stakeholders within the community
to really connect to the business community. Umgreat connection that we have here with our uh
the Austin Regional Manufacturers Association. Umvery it helps us connect uh more more deeply with
the manufacturing community in a lot of ways. Andthen and we're engaged with our partners with the
(32:32):
Capital Area Workforce Board and with Arma toreally um to be connected and be part of that
manufacturers association. Um so we're we'rea team member for them. We're we're there to
help support what they need. Um and but it's agreat avenue for us to hear directly from those
manufacturers and from others um you know maybeoutside of our nine county area what those what
(32:56):
those talent needs are and how how they seenthose talent needs filled in other parts of the
state other parts of the country. So we're able toget best practice kind of information from those
um from those industry associations whetherit's manufacturing or healthcare. Um you know
connecting in with those groups that already existto tap into best practices I think is is a really
(33:16):
good uh a good tool for us and helps legitimlegitimatize the u the work that we do. Um,
so we're not relying just on our labor marketdata, which could be a little aged. Um,
but we're getting real world information, realreal time information back from our employers
and our industry associations. Yeah, Paul bringsup a good point. uh labor market data and h making
(33:40):
that available to our businesses and our jobseekers in the nine counties is one of our roles
and responsibilities as a workforce board. Butit's not enough to use labor market data when you
do smart workforce development planning for thefuture. And so as an example, we we are part of
the Central Texas Healthcare Partnership, which isanother uh industry sector partnership that serves
(34:01):
the 5count MSA. And one of the things that we hearfrom all of those industry partners are, you know,
if you look at the labor market data, you're goingto see that uh certified nursing assistants and
nurses are examples of very high needs uh rolesthat we need to fill. However, while those are
important roles for us to fill, where we need yourexpertise is actually not in those two categories
(34:24):
where we have the highest demand. We need yourexpertise with our imaging conundrum. We cannot
find MRI tech. we cannot find uh our um rad techs.
We need solutions. We need you to help us build astronger pipeline. And sure, the numbers might be
smaller, but we're having to pay for travelers tocome in from other countries and from other
(34:45):
parts of the nation. And we're paying three,four times what we would be able to pay if
we had folks who are local. And by the way,they those roles might even make more money than
a nurse. So all of this is information that wereceive from partners and we wouldn't have that
just from looking at the labor market data. Oneother area that we're working with is with uh
the skilled trades uh union and non-union as tohelp encourage people to move into those fields
(35:10):
to build that pipeline out that starts not onlyin our K12 system and showing showcasing the
different opportunities for the students butalso as job seekers are maybe transitioning to
different opportunities and things. These aregreat ways to get into a new career pretty quickly
and have it all paid for you. You don't have togo put that money out front. Uh these skill trades
(35:30):
are very important for the growth of Central Texasas more and more companies are moving in here. As
I mentioned earlier, we got to have someone buildthe buildings and the homes and the hospitals
and which also leads to those as hospitals asyou were talking about all the growth and the
different needs because as we're growing theseall these industries, these support industries are
growing throughout the region and we need workersand people to move into those skill sets to help
(35:52):
meet the need of our employers and our communitiesat whole because we all want to have the nurses as
Paul and I talk about as we're getting older. Wewant people who know nursing so they can take
care of us as we speak for yourself. So, um,but you know, we want these things and it at the
end of the day, it helps raise us all up. It helpsthe entire community, the economy here to grow
(36:13):
and thrive and people want to be in this region.
I believe we're in a really unique time. I'vesaid this before and it there is so much happening
right here and so many opportunities in this9ounty region that we're here to help you find
that opportunity and you will be successfulhere. You know, put in a little hard work,
but you're going to get there and we're goingto help you make you get there. And as a from
(36:34):
an employer perspective, we'll help you findthose employers. We're going to develop those
training whether it's through a union trainingapprenticeship or some other type of training.
We'll get you to that point and help your staffget there and then it becomes repetitive and then
we can just you just keep building your your yourown family and growing that that talent inside.
So you should promote internally and then youbring the next level in. So this team here with
(36:54):
our partners can make it happen for you. Justreach out. We've talked about a lot of things
so far in today's podcast, but I think one ofthe things I'm really excited about about future
podcasts is going to be sort of the um out in thefield element of what we're going to be doing.
you know, man on the street interviews and beingable to really showcase the day in the life for
(37:18):
a lot of these jobs because uh the concept ofof workforce and workforce development can be
very complex as I think we've demonstrated in thisconversation. Uh but our goal is to make it very
easy for job seekers to envision themselves inthese new careers. And I think that's a lot of
what we're going to be doing in this podcast inthe upcoming months. So this relaunch is about
(37:41):
being clear, visible, and useful to the regionas a workforce board. The biggest thing I want
out of this podcast series this year is for us todemystify a workforce, make it easier for everyone
to understand and how to utilize the services thatare available to you free of charge. You know,
this is available from fally funded and statefunded dollars. So we're here to serve you. So
please reach out to us and let us help connect.
And if there's something you're interested inlearning about more about these podcasts, reach
(38:05):
out to our team. We'll have a a link at the endof this podcast on how to reach out to us because
we want to know what you want to know because ifwe don't know, we can't help you. But so please
reach out to us to take care of that. I do thoughhope that you enjoyed our podcast and we're
looking forward to more podcasts coming thisway. But meanwhile, if you need support, please
reach out and thank you for your time. The FutureReady Next Force podcast is brought to you
(38:27):
by Workforce Solutions Rural Capital Area.
Developing talent for employers by coaching Texansto employment. The future ready next force podcast.
Popular Podcasts
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
The Breakfast Club
The World's Most Dangerous Morning Show, The Breakfast Club, With DJ Envy, Jess Hilarious, And Charlamagne Tha God!
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.