Workforce Solutions Cameron honored at the Texas Workforce Commission Board Awards

March 2, 2021 (Brownsville, TX) Virtual – Workforce Solutions (WFS) Cameron was honored at the Texas Workforce Commission’s Board Awards presentation that was held virtually on January 12, 2021. WFS Cameron was among three boards that were recognized with the Texas HireAbility Award.  The Award honors Boards that have successfully promoted employment opportunities for talented and dedicated Texans with disabilities.  The purpose of this award is to recognize outstanding local HireAbility campaign efforts that have benefitted both job seekers with disabilities and employers who hire them.

AV Lopez Supermarket Honored at Texas Workforce Conference Virtual Employer Awards

TWC Employer Awards -  AV Lopez Supermarket received the Local Employer Award of Excellence at the Texas Workforce Commission’s (TWC) 24th Annual Texas Workforce Conference Employer Awards held Virtually on December 9, 2020.    The award honors private sector employers that are actively involved with Texas Workforce Solutions and have made a positive impact on employers, workers, and their community.

Virtual Town Hall

Workforce Solutions Cameron in partnership with Texas Workforce Commission hosted a VIRTUAL TOWN HALL via ZOOM to discuss Workforce Solutions services for Employers and to address updates on employment regulations, business services, and resources amid COVID‐19.

A Call to Action: A New Standard of Clean

Grant Funded Program aims to tackle COVID-19 with new initiative

Cameron County Education Initiative (CCEI), a non-profit career training school recently collaborated with the “Breaking Bad” actor and philanthropist RJ Mitte and Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service (TEEX), a member of The Texas A&M University System, to create a disinfectant and cleaning-training program.  The program, to be funded in part by 200 scholarships from Workforce Solutions Cameron through a Texas Workforce Commission grant program, which aims to safeguard working and living conditions as communities begin to reopen during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The three part program consists of online or web based instructor led training for workers (2 hours) and leaders (4 hours).  There is a decal system to showcase “new standard of clean” training was completed; however, to earn the decal the workers and leaders must have successfully completed the training.

RJ Mitte, a resident of Cameron County who lives with cerebral palsy, was instrumental in the program development and has become a passionate advocate on this topic. “This Call to Action is vital in that it allows us to keep Texas open safely and raise the standard of clean for healthier communities” stated Mitte.

Despierta Brownsville Workforce Development Update

Join the Brownsville Chamber of Commerce for an early morning opportunity to chat about the great things going on at Workforce Solutions Cameron!

Workforce Solutions Cameron strives to meet the needs and demands of our workforce community by educating, employing and empowering for a better quality of life. Pat Hobbs, Executive Director of Workforce Solutions Cameron, will give an update regarding

• An overview of Texas Workforce Commission Grant opportunities for employers
• Review workforce services available for employers at Workforce Solutions Cameron offices
• New industries locating to the area

Opportunities for new training programs and apprenticeships

2019 Hiring Red, White & You! Statewide Veterans Hiring Fair to Take Place November 7

AUSTIN – For the eighth year, the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC), in partnership with 28 local workforce development boards and the Texas Veterans Commission, will host veterans hiring fairs in 31 cities throughout Texas on Thursday, Nov. 7. TWC’s eight annual Hiring Red, White & You! statewide hiring fair is a joint initiative supported by the Office of the Governor, the Texas Medical Center (TMC) and the Texas Veterans Commission (TVC) to connect veterans and their spouses in Texas with employers who are seeking the exceptional skills of veterans and their spouses.

WFS Cameron to Observe National Disability Employment Awareness Month

HARLINGEN, TX – Workforce Solutions (WFS) Cameron announced its participation in National Disability Employment Awareness Month, an annual awareness campaign that takes place each October. The purpose of National Disability Employment Awareness Month is to educate the public about disability employment issues and celebrate the many and varied contributions of America's workers with disabilities. This year's theme is "The Right Talent, Right Now"

Texas Workforce Commission Partners with Workforce Solutions Cameron, Lower Rio Grande Valley and the U.S. Department of Labor for $1,225,502 Re-entry Project

AUSTIN ⎯ The Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) was recently awarded a $1,225,502 grant from the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) for the "Texas Pathways to Re-entry" project to offer career pathway options for former offenders in high demand sectors in South Texas using a combination of basic skills, technical skills, and post-secondary opportunities toward successful employment.. The project, a partnership alongside two regional Boards:  Workforce Solutions Cameron and Lower Rio Grande Valley, kicked off with an announcement event (and tour) in Weslaco attended by TWC Commissioner of Labor Julian Alvarez.

3RD ANNUAL FOSTER SUCCESS YOUTH CONFERENCE
Conference to Empower Foster Youth

BROWNSVILLE, TX. – Workforce Solutions Cameron, in collaboration with the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services’ Preparation for Adult Living Division (DFPS-PAL), the Housing Authority of the City of Brownsville (HACB) and the National Court Appointed Special Advocate Association (CASA), will host the 3rd Annual Foster Success Youth Conference on August 8th from 9:00 A.M. to 4:00 P.M. at the Brownsville Event Center located off Paredes Line Rd.

The Texas Economic Development Council (TEDC) has announced the recipients of our 2019 Workforce Excellence Awards. The awards will be presented at a special awards breakfast held Thursday, June 14, 2018, at the TEDC’s Mid-Year Conference in Rockwall, Texas. The two and one half-day conference was held June 12-14, 2019, at the Hilton Rockwall Hotel.

Austin, Texas, April 26, 2019 — The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB), creators of the Generation Texas (GenTX) college-going movement, announced that GenTX Decision Day 2019 will be held on May 3 in support of a statewide, daylong celebration to inspire students to pursue and achieve a higher education. The first goal is to have at least 1,200 Texas High Schools accept the challenge and register for #GenTXDay to support students with activities, events and outreach across the state. The second goal is to prepare graduating seniors to make better financial decisions.

AUSTIN ⎯ The Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) has awarded three individual grants: a $49,900 High Demand Job Training (HDJT) grant to Workforce Solutions Cameron in collaboration with Harlingen Economic Development Corporation; a $155,721 Skills Development Fund grant to Texas State Technical College – Harlingen in partnership with a manufacturing consortium; and a $116,412 Jobs and Education for Texans (JET) grant to Harlingen Consolidated Independent School District. These grants will benefit workers in the Workforce Solutions area of Cameron.

“Today reflects the state’s ongoing commitment to employee development and helping Texas workers find rewarding, 

AUSTIN ⎯ Valley Regional Medical Center has partnered with Texas State Technical College (TSTC) to provide job training using a $202,162 Skills Development Fund grant from the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC). The grant will benefit workers in the Workforce Solutions Cameron area.

“The partnership between Valley Regional Medical Center and Texas State Technical College on this Skills Development Fund grant will benefit both the local community and its workforce,” said TWC Commissioner Representing Labor Julian Alvarez. “Our labor force is among the most talented and skilled in the world, and we continue to seek and implement strategies to improve the skills of Texas workers.”

Technical Education (CTE) Signing Day event! On Tuesday, March 5, 2019 at 10 a.m. Representative James White will be reading resolution HR 241 on the House Chamber Floor designating a Career and Technical Education Letter of Intent Signing Day for the next 10 years.  A Signing Ceremony will follow with Lamar Institute of Technology and four students who will receive scholarships. Please look for more to come on this on TWC social media channels

Spectrum Honored at Texas Workforce Conference

AUSTIN – Spectrum received the Employer Award of Excellence for the Workforce Solutions Cameron area at the Texas Workforce Commission’s (TWC) 22nd Annual Texas Workforce Conference held Nov. 28 – 30 in Houston. The award honors private sector employers that are actively involved with Texas Workforce Solutions and have made a positive impact on employers, workers and the community.

Job Fair for Former Felons

Jesús Peña had a very tough time looking for a job. No one would hire him. However, many people like Peña, who were convicted of a felony, eventually found a job.
For those convicted of a felony it can be very challenging to get a job once they're out of jail. But some employers who hire them say they're actually their best employees. It ends up being a win-win for both the employee and the employer.
Peña now works at a septic tank collection business in Brownsville. He says it's a dirty job, but the grimes of the job is way better than his past.

MCALLEN, RGV – An absorbing conversation took place at a Texas Workforce Commission Regional Stakeholders Meeting about whether too much emphasis has been placed on getting students to take four-year degree programs, rather than learn technical skills.

As in the past, the catalyst for the discussion was Pat Hobbs, executive director of Workforce Solution Cameron. After listening to the remarks of local industry leaders and educators whose job it is to align courses with the needs of the workplace, Hobbs said he was where things appear to be headed.

“I am sitting here really heartened by the fact the world has finally come full circle.