3-minute read

In this letter: Comments on Tesla moving closer to producing their first cars at the Austin Gigafactory, and three main reasons Central Texas is facing staffing shortages.

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1. Comments on Tesla moving closer to producing first cars at Austin-area factory

With more manufacturing and tech companies — such as Tesla and Samsung — now calling Central Texas home, it confirms the broad-based demand for talent in these high-growth industries.

Driving the news: Tesla is close to being able to produce cars at its $1.1B Travis County manufacturing facility, with at least one industry analyst saying the automaker could start rolling out Texas-built vehicles as early as this week.

WFS is pleased to partner with Tesla to post and fill open jobs from the start. And as their operations ramp up, so will the job openings.

Why it matters: For those who want to get connected with Tesla jobs,interested applicants can get a leg up by working with Workforce Solutions Capital Area.

  • WFS has a partnership with Tesla to connect qualified talent directly to apply for their jobs.
  • We will help interested applicants with the interview questions and background Tesla is looking for and link those aligned applicants to Tesla.
  • If applicants need more training to become qualified, WFS has programs and can also connect them to others, like the Tesla START program at Austin Community College.

By the numbers:

  • 129 jobs were posted online by Tesla in the Austin metro last month,according to data collected across all online job boards.
  • 367 Tesla job postings are marked as open in WorkinTexas.com, the state’s premier job board. Job posts could include multiple positions.

Zoom in: Tesla is ramping up their recruiting efforts, and they are currently hiring at all levels, from Production Associates to high-level managers.

  • Tesla will be hiring in waves over the next few months as more departments begin work.

Yes, but: A driver behind the current labor shortage in Austin and across the country is the skills gap between what employers want and what employees offer.

  • Projections over the next decade show Austin’s ten most in-demand trade and manufacturing occupations will be short nearly 3,000 skilled workers.
    • This number likely does not take into account the swash of new jobs to come from more recent developments like the Samsung chip plant.
  • In other words, these jobs are projected to grow quickly, but since there are not enough residents earning certifications to meet the hiring demand, there is a shortage of talent.

Bottom line: Opportunities are available now — if you have the skills. Now is the time to get trained for a job with long-term earning potential.

  • Interested residents can learn more and contact us to get started at our website.

2. Three main reasons Central Texas is facing staffing shortages

Due to Austin’s low unemployment rate, the current job market is great for job seekers, but a struggle for companies. This is because there are more job openings than job seekers, which has led to staffing shortages across many industries in Central Texas.

Driving the news: WFS spoke with KVUE on three big reasons the remaining jobs are not getting filled, which include a skills gap, concern over the omicron variant, and the need for quality childcare.

Top takeaways:

  • 54% of jobs in Texas are considered middle-skill, but only 45% of Texans meet that criteria.
    • Middle-skill jobs require more than a high school degree but less than a college degree, such as an industry-recognized certification.
  • There’s a clear need to find what services and training programs career seekers need to connect diverse populations into these in-demand, high-paying jobs available in our community.
    • WFS offers programs to help job seekers gain different certifications, with multiple offices in the Austin area to help connect employers to people seeking jobs with supports available such as childcare scholarships.
  • Upskilling is a creative tactic to train and retain workers and targets underserved populations.
    • Upskilling is where companies train their current lower-level employees to gain the skills needed for higher-level positions.
    • If we know that individuals don’t have the means for post-secondary training, upskilling in their organization provides the bridge to higher skills and higher earnings.

Go deeper.