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Workforce Update - May 2024

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Latest News

Childcare deserts continue spreading throughout Texas

According to Children at Risk, a childcare desert is any area where there is three times the number of children under the age of six than there are childcare seats in a certain zip code. In Texas alone, Children at Risk recently shared data showing that 333 zip codes represent childcare deserts.


Low-wage states with cheap housing dominated the post-pandemic jobs boom

California and New York fell to the bottom of the heap, according to a Stateline analysis.


Disaster Unemployment Assistance Now Available in Four Additional Counties Impacted by Recent Severe Weather, Flooding

The Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) is accepting applications for Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA) in four additional counties impacted by the severe storms, straight-line winds, tornadoes, and flooding that began on April 26. As noted in the announcement from Governor Greg Abbott, the amended Presidential Disaster Declaration now includes Calhoun, Collin, Cooke, Denton, Eastland, Guadalupe, Hardin, Harris, Jasper, Jones, Lamar, Liberty, Montague, Montgomery, Polk, San Jacinto, Trinity, Walker, and Waller Counties.


TWC Kicks off Annual Program Connecting Students with Disabilities to Meaningful Employment

The Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) is announcing the launch of this year’s Summer Earn and Learn (SEAL) program for students aged 14-22 with disabilities. Through work-based learning, SEAL participants earn a paycheck as they learn new skills and gain professional experience. Employers participating in SEAL benefit from the addition of engaged and enthusiastic team members.


McKenzie: Texas’ third century will require smart education strategies

What recent graduates can tell us about the future of the Texas workforce.


Colorado is launching a teacher apprenticeship program in race to solve chronic staff shortages

The program, launching for prospective teachers next year, will be tailored toward individuals who don’t yet have a bachelor’s degree


Texas Labor Market Continues to Expand in April With More Than 42,000 Jobs Added

Texas added 306,000 jobs from April 2023 to April 2024. Texas’ annual nonfarm growth rate currently sits at 2.2 percent, outpacing the U.S. growth rate by 0.4 percentage points.


Commerce Department Announces Workforce Policy Agenda

On May 14, the Department of Commerce announced a Department Administrative Order (DAO) to establish a workforce policy agenda focused on preparing the workforce with the skills necessary to accelerate the development and deployment of emerging technologies. 


With the rise of AI, workforce planning is critical. But many governments don’t do it.

Long-term workforce planning is crucial, especially with the rise of generative AI. However, despite predictions of significant job changes due to emerging technology, many state and local governments struggle to prioritize such planning. 


Dade Phelan directs House leaders to revisit vouchers, property taxes in the next legislative session

The Beaumont Republican issued his interim charges even as it remains unclear whether he’ll be reelected.


In rural Texas, ERs are facing a growing mental health crisis

The mental health workforce shortage is more acute in rural areas, adding to rising patient loads in hospital ERs.

The Brand Amplifier for Workforce & Education

TAWB is now live with The Brand Amplifier for Workforce & Education course in partnership with Full Capacity Marketing (FCM). You can check out the landing page for all the details of the course curriculum, and view the national press release that was released last month.

The online self-paced course comes with templates, case studies and tools to help you build a tailored and doable marketing and communications plan. Click on the flyer here to access learning outcomes and descriptions.

Free Webinar: Insight into the U.S. 2024 IT Landscape

QS Academy is proud to partner with TAWB to bring you this engaging and compelling presentation. Topics that will be covered:


  • IT Job/Career Training Market Insights
  • 2024 IT Job Market Trends and Key Highlights
  • Addressing IT Skills and Job Gaps
  • Tackling Challenges in IT Career Training
  • Plus, many more!


June 3, 2024

12:30pm – 2:00pm CST


Register now

Workforce Development Resources

Texas Education Agency 2023 Annual Report


The Texas Talent Trajectory (T3)

This report, formerly known as the 8th Grade Cohort Longitudinal Report, allows users to filter data by Texas regions, counties, school districts, campuses, and student characteristics, such as family economic status, ethnicity, and gender.


How Economic Developers Can Support Their Local Workforce

Economic development is intrinsically linked to the strength and adaptability of the local workforce. As economies evolve, it becomes crucial for economic developers to implement strategies that not only address current labor market needs but also anticipate future demands.


May Texas Labor Market Review

Monthly newsletter produced by TWC Labor Market and Career Information Department

covering issues relating to the Texas economy.

TAWB Partners Spotlight

C2 Global Professional Services was founded to offer a viable, and now successfully proven, alternative to what is available in terms of service providers. We look for Workforce Investment Board partners to commit to working beyond workforce dogma to improve communities, invest in staff development to achieve exceptional customer service and invest in innovation and technology to improve the system.


iCEV: Since 1984, iCEV has specialized in providing quality CTE curriculum and educational resources. iCEV is the most comprehensive online resource for CTE educators and students, offering curriculum for several major subject areas, including agricultural science, trade & industrial education, business & marketing, career exploration, family & consumer science, health science, law enforcement and STEM education. Additionally, iCEV acts as a certification testing platform for industry certifications. Nationally and internationally recognized companies and organizations utilize iCEV as the testing platform for their certifications. For more information, visit www.icevonline.com.


The Conover Company has been developing tools for over 40 years to help workforce professionals assess and train their clients with the social and emotional skills for success. Their online tools help you stay focused on outcomes by making sure the assessments drive training so it is meaningful for every individual client you serve and you get the results you are looking for.


Equifax/Carahsoft delivers trusted, unique data, analytics, technology, and expertise to drive innovation and transform knowledge into insights. Equifax empowers government agencies, nonprofit organizations, workforce boards and commercial clients to make more informed decisions, maximize program efficiency, and improve the customer experience. Equifax manages The Work Number®, the largest, centralized commercial repository of consolidated employment and income information for use by the private and public sectors. For customers with a permissible purpose under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (“FCRA”), Equifax enables real-time eligibility decisions by providing verifications of employment and income. Data is updated every pay period (as provided by the employer), so you have access to the most up-to-date information to gauge program success of the individuals who have elected to participate in the program. For more information about the Equifax Products and Services visit the website https://www.carahsoft.com/equifax or contact us at 844.747.6222.


Equus Workforce Solutions: Our dedicated and passionate team of 2,500+ workforce

professionals puts the industry's best practices to work across more than 350 North American locations, assisting approximately 1.9 million job seekers and thousands of employers annually. Together with our partners and collaborators, we work every day to change lives, advance economies, and help communities thrive.


Geographic Solutions is the leading provider of integrated software for state and local workforce agencies in over 35 states and U.S. territories. For 30 years, the company has developed innovative online solutions for job seekers, employers, service providers, and agency staff that enhance service delivery and increase customer satisfaction. Geographic Solutions’ custom software solutions effectively manage all federally-funded partner programs under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act and have been designed specifically to meet the diverse needs of American Job Centers, economic development agencies, human service entities, unemployment agencies, departments of corrections, and educational institutions.


Grant Associates is a national, award-winning workforce development company. Since opening our doors in 1997, we have collaborated with government agencies to develop workforce programs and solutions that create the opportunities that advance job seekers, businesses and local economies, all with exceptional results. At Grant Associates, we know every community's workforce needs are unique. With proven models and in active partnership with government, Grant Associates' mission is to tailor solutions that build workforce capacity, proving over the past two decades that our approach helps a community reach its true potential.


KRA Corporation, a national leader in workforce development for 40+ years, supports workforce boards by delivering WIOA, TANF, SNAP-E&T, and related programs, including initiatives targeting specific employer and jobseeker requirements. A black-owned company, KRA leads efforts to integrate DEI into workforce development. We also lead the industry in delivering a consultative approach to business services, and infuse family-focused principles into everything we do. KRA leverages all available resources, partnering to integrate education, skills development, occupational training, support services, and employment. KRA provides the highest levels of innovative programming, exceptional service, and trusted results for all valued clients, businesses, and jobseekers.


Metrix Learning® is an online learning platform designed to meet the needs of states, workforce boards, and their customers. Learners can assess their job skills, remediate skill gaps, and take over 100 certification training programs to prepare for new employment opportunities. Metrix Learning® offers over 6,000 online courses, career pathways tools, digital badges, gamification, and is integrated with WorkInTexas.


Purpose Co is a workforce consulting firm that specializes in designing and implementing custom workforce solutions and strategies that create sustainable outcomes for people and businesses, including pathways to quality in-demand jobs, economic mobility, competitive businesses and regional economic prosperity, including solutions that address the specific needs of job seekers, workers, employers and practitioners.


QuickStart exists to create world-class technologists by personalizing and individualizing training to address the massive skills gap in the IT industry. Through 20 years of research and data analysis, we’ve learned that a modern learner prefers to learn through multiple modalities such as self-paced online learning, virtual instructor-led training, on-the-job training, implementation and hands-on experience through labs, mentoring, and social and peer-to-peer learning. We packaged all the modalities into a single cloud-based platform called CLIPP.


Texas Economic Development Council: The Texas Economic Development Council (TEDC) is an Austin-based professional association for economic developers across the state of Texas. We are the largest state association of economic development professionals, volunteers, and elected officials. Our membership consists of over 1,000 individuals, representing more than 630 public and private economic development organizations, including more than 400 communities. Our diverse and expansive membership shares a common goal -- bringing new investment and jobs to Texas by developing strategies that promote a positive business climate in our state.





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