April 2023
From the Top: CEO Report
We’re excited to help fuel the economies of our Central Texas communities by empowering local employers to grow their operations with a talented, world-class workforce of all ages, abilities, and backgrounds.
This is a pivotal time in workforce development. The ongoing digital revolution, advancements in automation and artificial intelligence, and the emergence of new industries are transforming the way we work and the skills needed for success in the modern workforce. This creates both challenges and opportunities for workers, employers, and policymakers.
In order to keep pace with these changes and ensure that workers have the skills and knowledge they need to succeed, it is essential that we invest in workforce development initiatives. This includes providing access to education and training programs, encouraging lifelong learning, providing access to high-quality child care, and supporting initiatives that promote innovation and entrepreneurship. By doing so, we can help ensure that Central Texas workers are prepared for the jobs of today and tomorrow, and that our economy remains strong and competitive.
Together we’re delivering results to strengthen opportunities for Central Texans.
Paul Fletcher
Chief Executive Officer
Workforce Solutions Rural Capital Area
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Apprenticeship is an industry-driven, high-quality career pathway where employers can develop and prepare their future workforce, and individuals can obtain paid work experience, classroom instruction, and a portable, nationally-recognized credential.
This vital training pipeline is a key element in connecting Central Texans with local employers for sustainable careers in high demand.
Apprenticeship is an “earn and learn” model that provides workers with income while they learn on the job. Through an apprenticeship program, you can obtain paid, relevant workplace experience while acquiring the skills and credentials that employer’s value.
Explore some local advanced manufacturing apprenticeship opportunities currently recruiting candidates:
WSRCA was recently awarded a Department of Commerce grant for its new skills development initiative, REINVEST. REINVEST will enable our rural counties to generate high-quality jobs across sector partnerships in: Healthcare, Skilled Trades, Finance, and Information Technology. The population and demand for services are growing, employers are struggling to hire, and rural workers are struggling to access the quality training and support systems they need to thrive.
The goal of REINVEST is to build a clear, barrier-free pathway for job seekers to enroll in training programs that focus on high-demand skills. REINVEST will then connect those job seekers to employers offering quality jobs. This will bolster workforce opportunities in high-demand occupations while building opportunities for people in rural communities who have historically been underserved.
To better empower our Rural Capital Area communities and industries, WSRCA has launch a new information series on its blog to increase awareness of solutions available for many of the workforce challenges faced by Central Texans. Explore some of the topics below:
The Future Ready Career and Education Engagement Team is focused on providing Central Texas students with information about educational opportunities, local labor market demand, and career information to help them make sound career decisions that lead to marketable skills after graduation.
Future Ready Specialists work with each of the 36 school districts in the 9-county region to provide virtual and in-class presentations and services to provide career guidance, career preparation, and workforce information to participating students regarding:
- High-growth, high-demand occupations
- Opportunities and training in middle-skill jobs
- Pre-apprenticeship and Registered Apprenticeship (RA) programs
- Internships
- Technical and/or community colleges
- Career-readiness preparation
 Virtual Reality Career Exploration Simulations
WSRCA has launched a new virtual reality upskilling program designed to help Central Texas students explore a range of career and technical education (CTE) options. The program connects students to career pathways through hands-on, immersive career exploration simulations that offer real-world experience in a variety of fast-growing local jobs and industries.
This innovative approach to career exploration brings to life the dynamic career opportunities that Rural Capital Area employers have to offer, vividly recreating the world of work in ways that students rarely experience.
Interested in bringing the Future Ready Specialists and Virtual Reality Career Exploration to your school or community event? Please fill out the Workforce Career & Education Engagement request form:
The WSRCA Child Care Services team celebrated the Week of the Young Child, April 1-7, to focus public attention on the needs of young children and their families and to recognize the early childhood programs and services that meet those needs. On May 12, the Team will join with its community partners across the Central Texas region to recognize National Providers Day, an annual celebration set aside to honor child care providers, teachers, and other educators of young children, who nurture and educate our youngest citizens while supporting parents who want or need to be part of our nation’s workforce.
Join us for a hiring experience across Central Texas on Thursday, April 13 to launch your career in manufacturing and skilled trades:
- Gain access face-to-face with hiring employers in skilled trades, construction, manufacturing, logistics, and transit
- Explore on-the-job training and apprenticeship opportunities
- Tune into career prep workshops to fine tune your resume + interview skills
Gain in-person access to employment and training opportunities from Round Rock to San Marcos!
Where + When:
- Thursday, April 13 • 9 a.m. - 12 p.m.
- Multiple Locations at Workforce Solutions Offices
Next Steps - Register to Attend: https://www.wfscapitalarea.com/future/
We're grateful for the opportunity to empower Central Texans with customized solutions to achieve their workforce dreams, and honored when our customers are excited to share their WSRCA experience to inspire others.
Customer testimonials are a powerful tool to help workforce development Boards, such as WSRCA, build credibility, trust, differentiation, and advocacy for our dynamic public workforce system in Texas.
Had a great experience with WSRCA and ready to share how our teams empowered you to reach your goals? Share your story:
 
Our next Workforce Solutions Rural Capital Area Board of Directors meeting is on Wednesday, April 19, 2023 at 12:30 p.m. at our Workforce Solutions of Williamson County workforce center, located at 575 Round Rock West Drive, Building H, Suite 240, Round Rock, TX 78681. We hope to see you there!
WSRCA has joined with the Round Rock Express to celebrate the workforce development professionals empowering our Central Texas communities.
Please join us for Texas Workforce Solutions Appreciation Night at the Dell Diamond as the Round Rock Express face off against the Albuquerque Isotopes.
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What: Special recognition at an upcoming Round Rock Express baseball game with discounted tickets for all members of the Texas Workforce Solutions Network and their families (Board Members, staff of Workforce Solutions Rural Capital Area (Board & Contractors), WFS Capital Area, Texas Workforce Commission, Texas Veterans Commission, Texas Workforce Solutions-Vocational Rehabilitation Services, and community partners
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When: Saturday, April 29, 2023 - first pitch: 7:05 pm
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Where: Dell Diamond - 3400 E Palm Valley Blvd, Round Rock, TX 78665
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How: Discounted Tickets available (Use code: worktx ) - Reserved seats: $17 / Lawn seating: $11
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Ticketing Link: https://bit.ly/wfsbaseballnight
Bonus: First 1,000 fans through the gates get a Texas Shaped Whataburger Blanket
The number of Central Texans filing new claims for unemployment benefits rose moderately in February 2023, overshadowed by sharp climbs in the overall labor force and employment across the region, according to figures released by the Texas Workforce Commission. February’s unadjusted unemployment rate crept up to 3.8 percent from the 3.4 percent rate recorded in January, within the nine-county Workforce Solutions Rural Capital Area (WSRCA), reflecting 24,867 residents seeking employment, with more than 26,306 recent online job postings across all industries. The region’s unemployment rate remained below both the Texas (4.5 percent) and national (3.9 percent) rates, fueled by a swelling labor force of over 21,560 new workers and an employment recovery of 17,869 jobs filled across the region compared to the same time last year. Rural Capital Area Employers have added 2,347 new employees since January.
See the full release and additional February labor market data for each county:
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