From the CEO's Desk:
Greetings,
As we end January it is hard to believe that 1/12 of 2021 is already in the books. The new administration in Washington has proposed new and increased workforce funding that will help our economy continue its rebound, and we are preparing to be ready to ramp up services in our workforce centers. In child care, we continue to work to increase our capacity for quality early childhood care and education, so that if and when additional child care funding is allocated, we are prepared to ramp up the numbers of children supported by our programs. Our overall unemployment rate continues to drop and is currently less than half of what it was during the April peak. That still leaves us with twice as any unemployed people as we had in January, but the good news is we have plans and resources to help them upskill and get back to work.
- Paul Fletcher
Chief Executive Officer, Workforce Solutions Rural Capital Area (WSRCA)
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The WSRCA team is proud to share with you our WSRCA 2020 Annual Report, which outlines our Board’s collective vision, strategy, and achievements for the previous year, told primarily through spotlight testimonials from our customers throughout the nine-county region.
You can review a digital copy now on our website.
The development of this report was truly a collaborative effort involving every department within our organization, and reflects our shared vision of demonstrating poof of performance by celebrating our intentional efforts to deliver world-class services.
This publication goes beyond the data, to highlight how our teams are transforming lives every day by empowering our businesses, employers, and job seekers within our communities, by creating sustainable solutions to bolster their opportunities.
Thank you for helping us prove why the Rural Capital Area of Central Texas is the best pace in the country to live, work, and do business.
Click to review the WSRCA 2020 Annual Report
WSRCA, the nonprofit community partnership providing no cost recruitment, employment services and child care assistance, to businesses and job seekers in the Rural Capital Area of Central Texas, has released a draft of the 2021-2024 Local Workforce Development Board Plan and is encouraging public comment from businesses, labor organizations, institutions of higher education, primary stakeholders, and the general public.
The plan is available for review on WSRCA’s website and is open for public comment for 15 days, through February 14, 2021.
Public comments on the plan should be submitted to eugene.ratliff@ruralcapital.net
WSRCA carries out the vision of its chief local elected officials across the region and the WSRCA Board of Directors by coordinating, administering, and advancing the work of the public workforce development system. Their work strengthens the economy of the nine-county Rural Capital Area by identifying skill gaps between jobseekers and employment opportunities, fostering data-driven decision making, and connecting workforce development partners into a cohesive, collaborative, and effective network.
The Plan describes the current and future economic and workforce needs of our region and lays out how WSRCA will utilize its resources to meet those needs.
Once finalized, the 2021-2024 Local Workforce Development Board Plan will help guide regional solutions for workforce development throughout the Rural Capital Area.
Click to review the plan
WSRCA was awarded a $2.5 million Rural Healthcare Initiative (RHI) grant to address rural healthcare workforce shortages in communities within its workforce development area. WSRCA is the only organization in the Great State of Texas to be awarded the prestigious grant.
The grant money will be spread across four years and the goal is to provide the region’s healthcare employers with trained workers. This will be accomplished by:
- Assisting unemployed individuals seeing entry or reentry into the workforce and underemployed workers in need of new skills and full-time employment opportunities; and
- Serving incumbent (already employed) workers who need to increase their skills to remain competitive and advance along a career ladder; and
- Focusing on equity and affirmative outreach to include veterans, military spouses, transitioning service members, and underrepresented populations, including women, people of color, former justice involved individuals and individuals with disabilities.
The grant will provide assistance with the cost of tuition and training materials and other appropriate support services to individuals who are interested in working in the healthcare industry in Burnet, Blanco or Llano counties.
WSRCA, as the lead applicant, will provide the overall project and financial management, and will work in partnership with the organizations listed below to plan and implement the project over the next several months.
Marble Falls Economic Development Council; Bluebonnet Trails Community Services; Baylor Scott & White Health; Hill Country Memorial; Central Texas College; Texas Tech University; Central Texas Allied Health Institute; Texas State University; Workforce Network, Inc.; Community Resource Centers of Texas, Inc.; and Community Action, Inc. of Central Texas.
Click to read more in the news release
Media coverage of the project: $2.5M job training grant to address local healthcare worker shortage
WSRCA would like to recognize our Board of Directors for their continued service to our communities, and have launched a new spotlight campaign to help you learn a little more about the amazing people dedicated to creating opportunities in Central Texas, where Business and Careers Meet.
WSRCA is a nonprofit community partnership led by an all-volunteer Board, comprised of recognized community leaders across many areas of expertise, including: business; community-based organizations; economic development; education; government; literacy; labor; and vocational rehabilitation.
Our Board of Directors contribute significant amounts of time, talent, and energy to further our organizational mission of empowering the workforce of our nine-county Rural Capital Area. Please help us thank them for their commitment.
The new MyTXCareer.com portal launched by our partners at TWC is live, and provides a faster, easier registration than WorkInTexas.com. MyTXCareer is designed specifically for job seekers; Think of this system as a new, easier doorway into WorkInTexas. Individuals who register through the portal will have their information in WorkInTexas.
WorkinTexas.com is a comprehensive online job search resource and matching system developed and maintained by TWC. WorkInTexas.com provides recruiting assistance to Texas employers of all types and sizes, and job search assistance to anyone seeking work in Texas.
See TWC's Press Release: MyTXCareer.com Helps Texans Find Jobs, Return to Work
Your WSRCA team is eager to help you in person, and has begun a phased reopening of our career centers and offices, for customers with curbside, or in-office appointments, across the nine-county region. Our services will continue to remain available virtually to meet your immediate workforce needs.
Visitors with appointment are required to wear a face covering and engage in appropriate social distancing.
See the menu of services and book an appointment on the WSRCA website.
Join us online every Wednesday, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., for our Workforce Wednesdays Virtual Career Expo. Register to virtually connect with dozens of hiring recruiters from multiple local companies. Learn about their exciting career, apprenticeship and internship opportunities in the Rural Capital Area, and take part in free virtual career-enhancement workshops right from your own computer, or mobile device. All job seekers welcome.
If you're not hiring employees with disabilities, you're limiting your reach! Recruiting talented workers of all abilities and experiences can have a positive impact on your bottom line. Our partners at Texas Workforce Solutions-Vocational Rehabilitation Services can help you get started.
All you need to remove barriers that limit hiring and accommodating an employee with a disability is an innovative spirit. Visit our website to learn more.
Employers Wanted! Be a hero for your community and join the Summer Earn & Learn (SEAL) program, which provides students with disabilities (14-22), work readiness training & paid work experience.
WSRCA is hosting a SEAL employer information webinar on Wednesday, Feb. 3, at 1 p.m.
Throughout the SEAL program, students receive work readiness training and connect with local employers where they have the opportunity to do hands-on work for five weeks or more. The students learn about the employer’s industry and develop skills and work experience that will prepare them for successful transitions to postsecondary education and employment. Upon completion of the program, some students are presented with the opportunity to become employed full time.
The SEAL program is a partnership between the TWC, WSRCA and Texas Workforce Solutions-Vocational Rehabilitation Services.
Benefits For Employers
As the demand for a high-skilled labor force grows, consider students with disabilities to meet those labor demands. When it comes to doing business, including workers with disabilities into your human capital strategies can offer you a competitive edge. SEAL offers you a risk-free pipeline to meet your recruitment needs and allows you an opportunity to mentor a pipeline of future talent.
Offered to employers at no additional cost:
- Employees for short-term summer projects (approximately 5-8 weeks)
- Wages and Workers Compensation paid directly to participants
- Reasonable accommodations provided
- Additional on-the-job training if needed
- Site visits to monitor participants and ensure your satisfaction.
Register to attend the employer information webinar on Wednesday, Feb. 3, at 1 p.m.:
We understand that the success of your business is largely dependent on the ability to find qualified candidates to fill your staffing needs. Yet, the task of finding and maintaining employees with the right skills, training and education can be daunting.
That's where we come in. Our WSRCA Business Services Team assists employers like you at every stage of your workforce needs:
- Recruiting, Interviewing & Hiring Candidates of All Abilities
- Virtual Job Fairs
- Job Postings on WorkInTexas.com
- Customized Skills Training
- Labor Market Information
- Layoff Assistance
Visit www.workforcesolutionsrca.com to learn more, or email businessservices@ruralcapital.net.
WSRCA is committed to connecting you to best practices, resources and thought leaders to empower your business or career.
Explore some of the webinars we've hosted with workforce, business and education experts from across Texas, and the nation:
Through federal, state and local funding, our Child Care Services (CCS) team is able to provide financial aid for eligible families and connect them to professional development opportunities. The Texas Rising Star child care providers that partner with us, voluntarily meet requirements that exceed the state’s minimum Child Care Licensing standards. Your child deserves the best. Visit www.workforcesolutionsrca.com to learn more about the CCS program.
Our partners at Austin PBS are a recipient of a 2021 outreach grant from Sesame Street with a focus on rural child care providers in our region serving children ages 2-5.
Our collaborative goal is to empower at least 100 of these child care providers in our nine-county region through two upcoming training webinars in March and April.
In these webinars, Austin PBS will be walking providers through the resources available from the free, bilingual Sesame Street in Communities collection, with a particular focus on school readiness resources and fostering health and well-being.
Click to learn more about Sesame Street in Communities program
Veterans, you've served your country—now let Texas serve you! Whether you want to know more about transitioning into a civilian career, job search assistance, educational resources such as the College Credit for Heroes program, or other veterans' training benefits, our Veterans Services Coordinators are here to help. Visit www.workforcesolutionsrca.com for more on our priority services for veterans.
Veterans, transitioning military, and spouses, register to virtually connect with military-friendly recruiters from multiple companies, eager to hire our nation's heroes. Don’t miss the American Legion Department of Texas Virtual Veterans Career Fair on Feb. 9, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The event is co-hosted by TWC, and the Texas Veterans Commission.
Register now:
UpSkill your career! Our online workshops offer in-depth interactive learning to build critical skills and knowledge—and give you the tools to succeed.
Virtual Workshops include:
- Introduction to Workforce Services
- Find Your Path: Career Exploration
- How to Create Effective Resumes and Cover Letters
- Customizing State and Other Applications
- Effective Job Search Strategies
- How to Have an A+ Interview
- So What if You Are 40 or Older
- Making Work in Texas Work For You
- Job Search in the Digital Age
- Coping With a Job Loss
- Managing Money While Unemployed
- Upskilling for Success
Visit the events calendar on www.workforcesolutionsrca.com to find a training workshop near you. Can't attend a session? We have video workshops for you to enjoy on our website.
Review our Skill-Based Career Progression Lattices to see where you are now and what it takes to upskill and reach your goals.
The WSRCA Skill-Based Career Progression Lattices are designed to visibly highlight the dynamics of strategic career mobility and the importance of a skilled workforce.
The Rural Capital Area career progression lattices flow from an anchor or entry-level occupation and encompass all 39 of the approved Target Occupations identified as most in demand in the region, that also pay a self-sufficient wage of at least $18.00 per hour.
Review the Skill-Based Career Progression Lattices Below:
Learn more about the Lattices on our website, and download "The Future Is Ahead of You" report on Career Progressions in the Rural Capital Area.
We are pleased to announce that unlimited access to LinkedIn Learning is now available to WSRCA participants at no cost.
For more information about LinkedIn Learning, please contact us: 1-844-344-2780
Our Talent Development Team will get you set up through The Academy learning portal so you can begin to take advantage of free online training.
Our partners at TWC have joined with Metrix Learning to offer over 5,000 online courses free to all Texans. These courses count as work search activities. Individuals wishing to sign up can do so through their WorkinTexas.com account.
The virtual platform delivers a convenient course experience developed by industry-leading learning experts, to empower job seekers to develop skills in training tracks for 100+ industry certifications that employers are looking for most.
Learn more about the program: https://tx.metrixlearning.com/sd/index_tx.cfm
WSRCA is proud to partner with Kalahari Resorts Texas to help continue building their amazing workforce in Round Rock. Kalahari Resorts has already created new career opportunities for more 1,400 Central Texans, and they are looking to recruit more local talent through their upcoming career fair on Thursday, Feb. 11 from 3-7 p.m.
Join the team operating one of the largest resort, convention and theme parks in the world. Apply today through your MyTXCareer.com or WorkinTexas.com accounts.
Welcome to the Rural Capital Area, Kalahari Resorts, and thank you for your continued investments in our community.
WSRCA is looking for participants to join the National Dislocated Worker Grant Program (NDWG). Through this program you will have access to job opportunities with employers that are working to minimize the impact of COVID-19 in your community.
You can qualify if you are:
- Receiving unemployment benefits due to being temporarily or permanently laid off, or having drastically reduced hours at work
- A long-term unemployed worker
Additional benefits for participating in program:
- Individualized career counseling, job search assistance, and
support assistance for work related expenses
- Job skills workshops, career assessments, and career
planning
- Opportunities to enroll in training or certification programs
for some of the most highly sought occupations
*Must show proof of age, authorization to work, and selective service registry*
Contact your Rural Capital Area NDWG representative today: wioa@ruralcapital.net
The unadjusted unemployment rate of the Rural Capital Area of Central Texas rounded out 2020 by dropping to 5.1 percent in December, down from 5.8 percent in November, with 3,604 jobs added, according to figures released by TWC. The 5.1 percent unemployment rate in the nine-county WSRCA represented 28,870 residents seeking employment. The region’s unemployment rate remained below both the Texas (7.1 percent) and national (6.5 percent) rates.
All counties within the Rural Capital Area region saw unemployment rate drops in December. Among them, Blanco County recorded the lowest unemployment rate at 3.8 percent (down from 4.0 percent in November), followed by Lee County at 4.5 percent (down from 5.1 percent), and Burnet County at 4.7 percent (down from 5.2 percent). Williamson County was at 5.0 percent (down from 5.7 percent), while Hays County was at 5.2 percent (down from 6.0 percent). Bastrop and Fayette counties were at 5.3 percent (down from 6.1 percent and 5.9 percent, respectively), while Caldwell County was at 5.8 percent (down from 6.5 percent) and Llano County was at 6.0 percent (down from 6.5 percent).
Click to review the full release and additional December 2020 labor market data.
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