Latest news with #AustinInfrastructureAcademy
Yahoo
22-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Workforce Solutions to host veterans job fair in Austin this week
Workforce Solutions Capital Area is hosting a job fair this week for veterans. On Thursday, interested veterans can swing by Workforce Solutions Capital Area's office on Webberville Road to hear from over 20 local employers who have jobs open. Workforce Solutions is the Austin and Travis County's data-driven workforce development arm that provides free specialized support to job-seeking Austinites. Workforce Solutions recently launched the Austin Infrastructure Academy, a joint effort with the city and Austin Community College to meet growing infrastructure industry job demands. In partnership with the Texas Veterans Commission, Workforce Solutions is inviting job-seeking veterans to meet with local employers from various industries including law enforcement, security, health care, government, hospitality, education and more. More: How a new Infrastructure Academy could help meet Austin workforce gaps, deliver high wages Workforce Solutions listed 24 employers who will be in attendance on Thursday, including: Austin Police Department City of Austin Pflugerville ISD Sonesta International Hotels Texas Parks & Wildlife Department Travis County Sheriff's Office U.S. Border Patrol Those interested can register in advance online using this link. The event is open to the public, and Workforce Solutions notes that all job-seekers are welcome. The job fair is from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Thursday at Workforce Solutions' East offices, which are located at 3401 Webberville Rd., Building 1000. This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Job-seeking veterans can head to Workforce Solutions for career fair
Yahoo
26-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Austin launches Infrastructure Academy to build workforce for $25B in upcoming projects
AUSTIN (KXAN) — Austin has roughly $25 billion of infrastructure projects in its pipeline right now, according to city leaders. Think the airport expansion, the convention center rebuild and the I-35 project. But to make those major infrastructure projects happen, the city needs a workforce, and is hoping to keep that workforce as local as possible. A couple years in the making, Austin's Infrastructure Academy launched to the public Wednesday to help accomplish just that. 'Our economic development paradigm for a long time in Austin has been, 'look at the number of new jobs that get created this year'…what was missing in that, in my opinion, was the person,' Austin Mayor Kirk Watson said. Gale McNelty was one of the hundreds of people who showed up to the Infrastructure Academy job fair Wednesday. McNelty said she walked away with six potential interview opportunities. 'I learned that there's a lot of jobs out there, you just have to have the skills. I found what I need,' McNelty said. PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Austin Infrastructure Academy tees up spring launch as billions in transit projects progress The Infrastructure Academy is run by Workforce Solutions. Think of it as a career navigation all-in-one which wraps in training opportunities and support services (transportation or child care, for example). 'We're creating 10,000 jobs a year in mobility and infrastructure industry. That means that to build out the airport, I-35, the light rail system, we need skilled workers and what we want is we want local Austinites to be able to have the skills to compete and get these great jobs,' said Tamara Atkinson, the CEO of Workforce Solutions Capital Area. No surprise, that sentiment was something Austinites at the event told us was important to them too. 'Because a lot of people are without jobs and you're losing your homes and stuff because you don't have employment and don't know how to go about getting employment,' McNelty said. You can find more details about the Infrastructure Academy and how to get involved here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
26-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Austin Infrastructure Academy tees up spring launch as billions in transit projects progress
Editor's Note: The above video is from June 2024 when funding was secured for Austin Infrastructure Academy. AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Austin Infrastructure Academy will host its inaugural expo event later this spring to build up a local pipeline of infrastructure workers to support billions of dollars' worth of mobility projects underway. PAST COVERAGE: Austin mayor announces new infrastructure academy to build construction workforce Mayor Kirk Watson said the academy will host its launch event on March 26 at 10 a.m. at Workforce Solutions Capital Area, with networking efforts available to introduce Austinites to potential careers and career readiness opportunities. Watson confirmed the news at an event alongside Austin Transit Partnership Wednesday morning, with the organization seeking local workers to help develop the city's first light rail line under Project Connect. That 9.8-mile, 15-station network is one component of roughly $25 billion in mobility infrastructure projects currently underway or in development, Watson said. City, county and transit officials alongside regional partners established the Austin Infrastructure Academy as an anticipated 10,000 workers annually will be required to build out those mobility projects. The academy comes at a substantial time in the city's history, Watson said, deeming it a 'pivotal' moment. 'Right now, we're making the most significant investments in infrastructure in modern history in Austin, Texas,' he said. As both Austin's economy and its population size continue to bolster, Watson added it's critical that local job opportunities are made available to keep Austin affordable while helping employ local talent. It also comes as the mobility and infrastructure industry is burgeoning, with city estimates anticipating the sector will grow more than 80% by 2040. Austin Transit Partnership's event Wednesday also connected small and large firms interested in contractual work on the light rail system. Brad Cummings, senior vice president of procurement and contract management at ATP, said hundreds of businesses in Austin and more than 2,000 in Texas are eligible to provide the goods and services needed to build the first phase of light rail. Cummings added ATP anticipates issuing its Request for Qualifications (RFQ) solicitation process for final design and construction work in June, with the hope that employing local talent will help create a sense of ownership over the project and its redevelopment opportunities for Austin. 'It is a momentous project,' said Greg Canally, executive director of ATP. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
