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Workforce Update - December 2024

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Latest News

Continuing Resolution passes without WIOA reauthorization

The 118th Congress will conclude without having completed work to reauthorize the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA). This leaves our nation’s public workforce system once again at a crossroads as workforce development boards look ahead to the future. 


Texas Labor Market Continues to Expand, Civilian Labor Force Exceeds 15.5 Million

Texas’ civilian labor force achieved another new record high in November.


Texas had the largest population growth in the US again in 2024, census bureau finds Texas added over 560,000 residents in 2024, according to the bureau's latest population estimates. That's nearly 100,000 more than second-place Florida, and more than twice as many new residents as California, which was third in population growth.


A school voucher program in Texas is more likely than ever. Can lawmakers craft a bill they agree on? Some voucher opponents are ready to compromise; others are hoping supporters will fumble over the program's size, eligibility and accountability.


Trump’s promise of mass deportation throws undocumented Texans into fear, uncertainty The undocumented population represents roughly 8% of the state's workforce, according to a Pew Research Center report.


The Long‑Term Outlook for the US Economy The number of people in prime working ages (25-54) is likely to remain fairly stable, with rapid expansion among those over 65. In addition to the implications for the workforce (and the necessity of simple, sensible immigration), major federal budget items such as Medicare and Social Security are significantly impacted.


2024 TWC Annual Conference Recognizes Exemplary Texas Employers The Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) and local partners recognized employers in Texas that excel in creating opportunities for workers during the 27th Annual Texas Workforce Conference. 


Governor Abbott Announces Over $15 Million In Career Training Grants Across Texas These Jobs and Education for Texans (JET) grants awarded through the the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) will help public junior, state, and technical colleges; school districts; and open-enrollment charter schools buy equipment for career and technical education (CTE) programs that help students across the state go into high-demand industries.


Fitch Reports ‘Deteriorating’ Outlook for Higher Ed The higher education sector is expected to face “a deteriorating credit environment,” according to a 2025 outlook report from Fitch Ratings, a major credit ratings provider.


Texas leads the country in net migration Domestic migration is contributing to the population boom in Texas. Between people moving in and those moving out, Texas gained more than 133,000 new residents from other states last year.

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 earlier this year.

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.

Best Practices/Success Stories

TAWB is always on the lookout for information about innovative programs that can be

shared and duplicated by other local workforce boards through the TAWB website.

Descriptions may be submitted in narrative form, such as articles and news releases, or

through the TAWB Best Practices Form that can be used to provide basic information

about your program. Recent features include:


Bechtel Energy Inc. Honored as 2024 Local Employer of Excellence Workforce Solutions Southeast Texas is thrilled to celebrate Bechtel Energy Inc. as the 2024 Local Employer of Excellence for the region. Bechtel received the prestigious award during the Texas Workforce Commission's (TWC) 27th Annual Texas Workforce Conference, held December 4-6, 2024, in Grapevine, Texas.


Mitas Electronics Honored as Local Employer of Excellence by Workforce Solutions Rural Capital Area The award honors employers actively involved with Texas Workforce Solutions Rural Capital Area (WSRCA) that has a positive impact on employers, worker and community.


Canadian Solar Wins Award at Texas Workforce Conference Workforce Solutions Greater Dallas is proud to recognize Canadian Solar as WFSDallas’ 2024 Local Employer of Excellence.


Lil’ Cats Daycare and Lil’ Indians Daycare Wins Texas’ Small Employer of the Year Award Lil’ Cats Daycare and Lil’ Indians Daycare, nominated by Workforce Solutions of West Central Texas, won the 2024 Texas' Small Employer of the Year Award.

Texas Legislature

State legislators have already begun pre-filing bills to be considered in the 89th Texas

Legislature that convenes on January 14, 2025. Among the filed bills that TAWB is

following are:


HB 20 - Rep. Gates

Relating to establishing the Applied Sciences Pathway program.


HB 753 - Rep. Gervin-Hawkins

Relating to the offering of certain high school courses for which students may earn college credit.


HB 1313 - Rep. Hickland

Relating to the use by a school district or a school district employee of public funds for lobbying activities.


HB 1702 - Rep. Lozano

Relating to eligibility for the Lone Star Workforce of the Future Fund grant program.


SB 42 -Sen. Zaffirini (companion HB 358, Rep. Bucy) 

Relating to providing free full-day prekindergarten for certain children. 


SB 59 - Sen. Zaffirini (companion HB 322, Rep. Guillen)

Relating to the use of funds awarded under the Jobs and Education for Texans (JET) Grant Program.


SB 654 - Sen. West

Relating to a franchise tax credit for certain child-care centers that increase their capacity to care for children.

Workforce Development Resources

Developing a resilient, adaptable workforce for an uncertain future

A key task for 21st-century leaders is to develop their own capacity for change while also fostering resilience and adaptability in others across the organization. Here’s a blueprint for doing that.


Segregation in the Low-Wage Workforce Over the past 50 years, the composition of the low-wage workforce has changed: more than half of low-wage workers are now people of color. Yet these workers—disproportionately Black, Latino, and women—continue to be overrepresented in lower-paying, less secure jobs. Our latest analysis examines this persistent racial and gender segregation and its impact on workers and the economy.


What Students Want: Students’ Experiences and the Implications of Enhanced Holistic Supports for Non-Degree Pathways What Students Want: Students’ Experiences and the Implications of Enhanced Holistic Supports for Non-Degree Pathways unveils that students and workers pursuing non-degree pathways are navigating higher education systems not designed with their realities in mind, and provides insights on the supports they need to succeed.


December 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.


Craft Education System is the leading education technology company focused on apprentice-based programs, establishing and facilitating on-the-job training aligned with degree programs and work-ready skills. Craft is developing the ecosystem platform for enabling work-based pathways across higher education, employer partners and the workforce system.


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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