3-minute read
Good afternoon Austin friends,
In this edition: The hottest jobs and talent supply projections amid Austin’s tech hiring surge, and how a Texas Mutual and WFS-funded program is bringing well-paying career opportunities to students in Del Valle.
On our radar: In March, the number of jobless claims filed by Texas workers — a proxy for layoffs — increased for three straight weeks after falling in February.
- In Travis County, there were 13,269 new jobless claims in the 30 days ending March 27, nearly double the count from a month prior.
- Texas Workforce Commission is scheduled to release the March unemployment report on April 16.
🎙️ “Technology underpins just about every business across every industry sector across every state, and we’re seeing that in the hiring data.” — Tim Herbert, executive vice president for research and market intelligence at CompTIA. Read more.
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In partnership, Tamara.
Hottest tech jobs amid Austin’s hiring surge
With more tech companies now calling Austin home like Oracle, Tata Consultancy, and Tesla, it confirms the broad-based demand for tech talent.
Driving the news: The Austin metro ranks No. 4 in the country for tech job postings as it tallied over 1,400 additional positions in March, according to a new CompTIA report.
- The gains came as the industry showed more strength overall in the U.S. during March.
- U.S.tech companies added 9,700 jobs in March, and employers across all sectors boosted their base of IT workers by an estimated 50,000 positions.
- Of note: Texas had the highest increase in new tech jobs posted out of any state in the country, grabbing over 4,000 additional positions in March.
Austin’s tech industry, by the numbers:
- 6,202 tech jobs were posted in the Austin metro in March (+1,450 from February), according to the CompTIA analysis.
- In the Austin metro, there are4.8x more open IT job postings than jobless residents previously in this industry as of January 2020.
- What are the available tech jobs in the Austin metro, and who’s hiring?
- Top tech job postings in the 30 days ending April 5 were for Software Developers (1,328), Computer Occupations, All Other(1,100), Web Developers (276), Information Security Analysts (236), and Computer Systems Analysts (232).
- Top employers posting these tech jobs include IBM (259), Dell (90), Facebook (89), Deloitte (88), and Amazon (82).
Yes, but: A JobsEQ projection over the next decade shows Austin’s ten most in-demand tech occupations — including software developers, network administrators, and information security analysts — will be short 8,800 skilled workers.
- 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.
- For the ten most in-demand tech skills — including SAP and JAVA, JobsEQ projects 5,000+ fewer people with these skills than needed in the regional market over the next decade.
❗ Bottom line: Economic recovery in Austin will mean jobs. Good jobs require skills.
- Now is the time to invest in job training programs and services that get people back to work and keep Austin affordable and safe.
- WFS’ proven training effectiveness: In 2020, 78% of our trainees found employment in the field in which they were trained.
Worth your time: Markaaz Inc., which makes an artificial intelligence-powered small business platform that helps connect those kinds of companies to clients and services, adds to a list of at least 18 companies that have relocated their headquarters to metro Austin in recent months.
- As has been the case with dozens of companies relocating to Austin, Markaaz cited Austin’s talent pool as a prime driver of its move from Los Angeles.
- The startup plans to hire 70 people by the end of the year, and it’s aiming to have a team of 150 by the end of 2022.
What else: Austin is a top market for people moving from L.A., Silicon Valley, and San Francisco, according to a new Zillow report.
- Austin ranked No. 3 on Zilllow’s list of Top 5 Metros for Net Inbound Moves. Phoenix ranked first, Charlotte ranked second, DFW ranked fourth, and Sarasota, Florida, ranked fifth.
‘Truly groundbreaking opportunity’: CTE program funded by Texas Mutual through Workforce Solutions paves the way for first high school students in Texas to earn a Paralegal Certification through state program
Funded by a grant from Texas Mutual through Workforce Solutions Capital Area, Del Valle ISD’s Legal Studies program enabled two 12th grade students to set a path to a legal career that starts with high school graduation.
- Emma Castro and Miles Diggs each received their Paralegal Certification. The Center for Legal Studies and the Career and Technical Association of Texas believe these are the first such certificates awarded to high school students in the state’s new Career & Technical Education (CTE) Legal Studies Program.
“This will help me in the future, by becoming a young black man with an established plan. Oftentimes, young men like myself are delayed in establishing a career.”
Miles Diggs, Del Valle High School senior
The initial cohort of students was supported through collaboration with local businesses, state agencies, higher education institutions, certifying entities, and local school districts.
- Students attended virtual classes through Huston-Tillotson University for their instruction and training.
What they’re saying:
- Miles Diggs, Del Valle High School senior: “This will help me in the future, by becoming a young black man with an established plan. Oftentimes, young men like myself are delayed in establishing a career.”
- Norris Sebastian, Del Valle ISD director of career and technical education: “This is a truly ground-breaking opportunity for the students, not just in Del Valle, but in Texas.
- “When we develop partnerships, like the ones in this initiative, we can offer clear pathways to relevant certifications, internships, higher education opportunities, and valued careers.”
- Mike Cunningham, Del Valle High School teacher: “This program demonstrates we are prepared to provide opportunities for students who deserve, and desire, cutting-edge educational opportunities.
- “We are bringing well-paying career opportunities to our students, and we are changing how others view the traditional high school.”
