It’s been projected that Austin has needed to add tens of thousands infrastructure and mobility jobs to meet workforce demands. But in 2026, workforce development leaders say the demand for these jobs hasn’t been as strong as expected.
Category: In the News
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ACC purchases 560,000-square-foot facility to house Austin Infrastructure Academy
The Austin Infrastructure Academy officially has a permanent home after the Austin Community College District (ACC) purchased a facility that is expected to become the College’s second-largest campus.
According to a Thursday morning announcement from ACC, the 560,000-square-foot facility will also be a hub for workforce training in advanced manufacturing, building construction technology, automotive technology and collision repair, welding technology, and heating, air & refrigeration technology (HART).
It was acquired on Wednesday for $130,500,000, funded through the College’s 2022 General Obligation Bond, per the ACC announcement.
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Travis County $75M affordable child care initiative underway with scholarships, expansion plans
Child care scholarships, after-school care and other efforts are underway to grow a voter-approved initiative to provide more affordable child care for low-income families in Travis County.
In 2024, voters approved increasing the county’s tax rate to generate $75 million for Raising Travis County. So far, the county has awarded more than $28 million to the Workforce Solutions Capital Area nonprofit as well as local school districts and other community organizations.
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Gov. Abbott launches Texas Jobs Council to address skilled worker shortage
In June, Austin Mayor Kirk Watson said the Austin area currently has about $25 billion in infrastructure projects, including expansions of I-35 and the city’s airport. The mayor said about 10,000 people per year are needed to fill those jobs. However, Watson said if leaders allowed people to be trained for those jobs organically without additional training efforts, they’d only be about 4,000 people short.
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How many Texas students actually go to college?
The Austin community college system has partnered with the city and local nonprofits to boost skills training opportunities for Austinites. For instance, the Infrastructure Academy, a public-private partnership between the city, Workforce Solutions Capital Development, and ACC, provides job training for the infrastructure and mobility sector as Austin embarks on major construction projects.
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Education officials look to grade schoolers to overcome state nursing shortage
Texas does not have enough nurses to meet demand.
According to the Texas Department of State Health Services, a report shows that from now through 2036, some popular nursing careers like registered nurses and certified nurse midwives will be in a deficit compared to the ideal projections of nurses Texas should have.
For registered nurses, the Texas Center for Nursing Workforce Studies (TCNWS) reports that the state will be over 50,000 short by 2036. The deficit for midwives isn’t as drastic, but the center still reports that Texas will be over 270 midwives short.
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Travis County considers expanding affordable child care offerings with designated slots, nontraditional hours
Travis County is looking to provide guaranteed child care availability for low-income families and expand child care options for families working during nontraditional hours.
The $75 million Raising Travis County initiative—approved by voters in November 2024—is expected to support several programs aimed at increasing affordable child care for around 9,800 children, according to previous Community Impact reporting. The county has awarded nearly $29 million in annual funding to the Workforce Solutions Capital Area nonprofit, local school districts and other community organizations, according to county documents.
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Workforce Solutions Capital Area lands on permanent CEO
One of Austin’s leading workforce development organizations has found its permanent CEO.
Workforce Solutions Capital Area, a nonprofit that supports workforce development efforts like the Austin Infrastructure Academy, announced on Feb. 25 that it had chosen Yael Lawson as its full-time CEO. Lawson had been serving as the interim CEO since last September after the previous CEO, Tamara Atkinson, left the nonprofit to join Goodwill Central Texas.
Lawson is very familiar with Workforce Solutions’ operations because she was previously its chief operations officer and has worked in various roles at the nonprofit since 2000.
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Austin Infrastructure Academy career expo to be held Feb. 4 at ACC Highland campus
Area residents seeking careers in the infrastructure and mobility sector can attend an Austin Infrastructure Academy career expo Feb. 4 at Austin Community College’s Highland Campus.
The academy’s next infrastructure career fair will allow job-seekers to meet with area employers and explore career opportunities in fields like transportation, construction and other skilled trades. Workforce resources, and in-person interviews for open positions, will be offered.
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Career opportunities in transportation in Austin
As you sit in traffic or drive through a construction zone, perhaps your next career move could bring you behind the scenes of the Austin transportation world.
Movability, CapMetro and Workforce Solutions are hosting a networking event on Thursday on National Transit Career Day.