Workforce Leaders Discuss Strategies to Increase Skilled Trades Workforce in Austin

In Austin, a panel of workforce leaders recently convened to discuss strategies to enlarge the skilled trades workforce, aiming for the growth of more than 10,000 workers annually to meet the demands of major construction and production projects in the area.

Workforce Solutions Capital Area CEO Tamara Atkinson reflected on the city’s pressing need for plumbers in the winter freeze of 2021, a shortage which emphasized the importance of forward-planning in workforce training. “We should have started at least two years ago,” shed light on the challenge.

Addressing the Employment Imbalance

Panelist Nestor Ho, Chief Legal Officer of Silicon Labs, brought attention to the prevailing employment imbalance, with 62,000 jobs available for only 52,000 unemployed people. Ho encouraged redirecting middle school students towards promising skilled trades careers, noting that without qualifications in fields such as welding, many young people will struggle to earn a living wage.

Strengthening Ties with Schools

Norris Sebastian, the Career and Technical Education Director for Del Valle ISD, stressed the importance of establishing strong relationships with local schools. Firms in need of specific skills could work with schools from as early as eighth grade onwards, guiding curriculum development to better align with the needs of the job market. Sebastian stated, “We want to train with specificity for what you need. And we have the capacity to do that in most of our high schools in the region.”

Expanding the Worker Pool

With current training programs producing only about 3,000 of the more than 10,000 needed trades workers per year, Atkinson underscored the need for significant changes, including diversifying the workforce. At present, women make up only 14% of infrastructure workers. Atkinson suggested implementing childcare options and other social services to appeal to a larger pool of potential employees. “The only way we’re going to close the gap is if we as an industry embrace workers that historically we have not attracted or retained in these different industries,” she said.

Moving Forward

As Austin embarks on an era of significant infrastructure growth with projects such as the Interstate 35 reconstruction, the Project Connect mass transit system, the expansion of Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, and numerous semiconductor manufacturing plants, the input from the workforce leaders underscores the necessity for a proactive and comprehensive approach to skilled trades training. Planning should have early starts, nurture strong ties with local schools, and embrace an inclusive outlook for workforce development. These are all critical strategies to ensure Austin can meet its ambitious growth plans with a robust, skilled workforce.

The panel discussion provides a valuable roadmap for creating a skilled trades workforce capable of tackling Austin’s upcoming development projects. Recognizing and addressing these challenges now can pave the way for a prosperous future, not only for Austin’s infrastructure but also for its workforce.