WSRCA Launches Enhanced Upskilling Initiatives, Additional Training Tools to Empower Central Texans
Jul 20, 2021
Workforce Solutions Rural Capital Area
CEDAR PARK, Texas ⎯ Workforce Solutions Rural Capital Area (WSRCA) has launched a new suite of upskilling initiatives and training tools to expand the availability of free resources to empower Central Texans at any stage of their workforce journey.
The WSRCA team is proud to play a leading role in fueling the region’s economic recovery by delivering customized workforce solutions to employers and job seekers. By consistently identifying best practices in workforce development and providing programs and tools to leverage customers’ existing knowledge and skills, WSRCA helps Central Texans build a sustainable pathway to career success. Among the array of innovative new resources now available to bolster opportunities for our world-class workforce are Interactive Skill-Based Career Progression Lattices, the Rural Healthcare Initiative (RHI), PATHS for Texas (PATHS), and Skillup Rural Capital.
“Our local employers and industries are finding new ways every day to expand their operations and compete at a global level, and our talented workforce must continue to upskill to meet these growing needs,” said WRCA CEO Paul Fletcher. “These new tools and training resources are focused on enabling our workforce to see direct pathways to sustainable careers through skill-based certifications and to connect with training providers and employers to make their goals a reality.”
WSRCA worked with its partners at Headlight Data to enhance its existing Skill-Based Career Progression Lattices to help visualize better the dynamics of strategic career mobility and the importance of a skilled workforce. The innovations made the career lattices interactive, allowing users to click on occupations from any lattice and be taken to a detailed profile page of that occupation. The profile pages include links to videos and contextual information on each career path.
Relevant information provided for each position includes regional job outlooks for the next five years, earning potential, educational requirements, and a list of industries that are the top employers for that specific occupation. The improved content aims to add clarity to work related to the position in high demand and helps lattice users to see the required skills in action within a work environment. In total, more than 380 occupations are profiled as part of the WSRCA Interactive Skill-Based Career Progression Lattices, which include references to regional target occupations for which training funds and education opportunities may be available with eligible providers.
For Texans looking to jumpstart their healthcare career, WSRCA has launched a Rural Healthcare Initiative (RHI) partnership to increase the supply of healthcare professionals in Blanco, Burnet, Llano, and Lampasas counties over the next four years. The RHI program brings together local training providers and healthcare employers to train unemployed, underemployed, and incumbent workers for jobs focusing on direct patient care in the healthcare industry in these targeted areas of Central Texas. The coronavirus pandemic has increased the need for frontline workers across the country, particularly in rural communities, where the demand for healthcare professionals was already rising. The public-private RHI partnership utilizes both federal and state funding streams and investments from the private sector, working together to continue building a skilled healthcare workforce for Texas.
For Texans looking to earn a recognized industry credential to enhance their current career track, WSRCA encourages them to explore no-cost online training for employees and jobseekers through PATHS For Texas (PATHS). PATHS is a statewide initiative to provide industry and nationally recognized training opportunities to improve employee retention, support career advancement, and promote success for workers in customer-facing industries. Specific and individualized training options are available that offer certifications and degrees offered by industry-recognized providers. Classes are online and self-paced, and all at no cost to the participant.
There is no better time to ramp up your skills and marketability for local careers in high-demand industries. Skillup Rural Capital provides free access to workplace, business, and information technology courses and offers Texans the ability to explore career pathways in over 200 occupations. For those looking to update their skills, change industries, find a new career, or gain better employment in another sector, Skillup Rural Capital offers resources to deliver solutions, including access to local job postings and workforce services through WSRCA. Employers, if you are struggling to find qualified candidates for open roles or looking to update your employees’ skills, Skillup Rural Capital can help facilitate candidate matching and connect you with WSRCA business specialists to design customized hiring and training solutions to boost your operations.
“Through our strong partnerships and innovations, WSRCA now offers immediate access to more than 20,000 free online courses in various occupations through Skillup Rural Capital, Metrix Learning, LinkedIn Learning, and the Dynamic Works Institute’s 5-Minute Countdown Series,” said WSRCA COO Diane Tackett. “With the launch of these new resources and tools, we are proud to continue expanding our service offerings to maximize our ability to deliver customized and sustainable outcomes for Central Texans.”
The WSRCA team is eager to help all Central Texans find workforce solutions. All Rural Capital Area career centers are open and accepting appointments across the nine-county region to empower your workforce journey. Services continue to remain available virtually to meet your immediate workforce needs. For more information on these new resources, tools, and training opportunities, please visit WSRCA at www.workforcesolutionsrca.com, call toll-free at 1-844-344-2780, and begin your job search on www.workintexas.com.
Workforce Solutions Rural Capital Area is a non-profit community partnership providing no-cost recruitment, employment services, and childcare assistance to businesses, employers, and job seekers in the Rural Capital Area of Central Texas. This nine-county region includes Bastrop, Blanco, Burnet, Caldwell, Fayette, Hays, Lee, Llano, and Williamson counties. For more details on WSRCA and the services it offers, visit www.workforcesolutionsrca.com.
