Commissioner Andrade comes to Tarrant County

We are very excited to have the new Commissioner Representing Employers for The Texas Workforce Commission (TWC), Commissioner Hope Andrade join us at the June Board Meeting. 

Commissioner Andrade is in town to attend and speak at the Executive Briefing and Luncheon hosted by Alliance Texas. The Event is called: Innovations in Workforce Skills Development in Texas. We are very honored to have her join our meeting. 

Governor Rick Perry appointed her to the three-member Commission in March, 2013. Commissioner Andrade serves as the advocate for more than 460,000 Texas employers. In this role, she ensures employers' interests are considered in all Commission actions.

Andrade was an entrepreneur and leader in the San Antonio business community for more than three decades. She has served in multiple leadership roles in San Antonio civic causes, including the Greater San Antonio Chamber of Commerce, the San Antonio Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, the Free Trade Alliance of San Antonio, United Way, the Board of Christus Santa Rosa, the San Antonio Symphony, and the Board of Trustees for Our Lady of the Lake University.

In recognition of her service to Texas, Andrade has received a number of accolades including the San Antonio Business Journal's Leadership Legacy Award, the San Antonio Leadership Hall of Fame Award, the Lifetime Achievement Award from the San Antonio Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, and the Trefoil Award from the Girl Scouts of America.

Additionally, she has been named the Woman of the Year by the Houston Chapter of the Women's Transportation Seminar and Small Business Advocate of the Year by the Small Business Administration.

Andrade resides in San Antonio with her husband of more than 40 years.

 Workforce Development Chair, Buddy Puente, Commissioner Representing Employers, Hope Andrade and Executive Director,Judy McDonald at the 100,000 Jobs Hiring Event. 

A Big Tarrant County Welcome to the Commissioner!

As you know it is SUMMER TIME! We are rolling out our YOUTH WORKS program information as we speak. As you may remember from years past this program helps youth ages 17-21, especially those from diverse and low-income communities, get their first work experience and an on-ramp to career success.   

We have a very exciting new page on our website. It is devoted to all the wonderful new Tech Tools we are using to help Keep Tarrant County Working! I encourage you to check it out and follow us on social media. Visit: www.workforcesolutions.net/Social_Media_Toolbox.html to connect with us.

This month's Board meeting will also feature a briefing on efforts to maximize technology to increase our services to Tarrant County residents, which is at the heart of the Board's strategies for Accessibility and Convenience. C2 GPS embraces the use technology in the centers and has been developing ways to make interacting with workforce more seamless through the technology most of our customers carry with them. Ramsey Olivarez, Director of Performance and Innovation with C2 Global GPS, our workforce center contractor will present some of the innovations C2 and the Board are about to roll-out in our centers that will to increase efficiency and accessibility for our center customers.

Scott Eychner, Manager, Workforce & UI Policy and WorkInTexas.com for the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) will also be joining us from Austin, at the Board meeting to help give insight into some of the advances TWC is making with technology and their future plans. 

New Workforce Center Computer Training Labs

We are excited to unveil pictures from the first of many Computer Training Labs in our Workforce Centers. The pictures below are from the Training Lab at our Eastside Workforce Center. Our IT Staff will be busy this summer setting up similar labs in our other Workforce Centers throughout Tarrant County. Better training facilities to help Keep Tarrant County Working! Below are the first pictures from the new labs at the Eastside Workforce Center. 

Job Fair Update

Workforce Solutions for Tarrant County is involved in many job fairs throughout Tarrant County on a monthly basis. All job fairs that we take part in can be found on our website under the calendar of events. More detailed information about the Job Fairs that we help host can be found on a new page on our website called Job Fair Information. Here is an update on some of the most recent job fairs we participated (or will participate in):

• Our spring job fair, in partnership with Arlingtonanswers.com, Grace Community Church and The City of Arlington, was held on April 25, 2013, at The Bob Duncan Center. Thank you to the City of Arlington for donating the space.  More than 90 employers and resource agencies were on hand to meet with the 1,000 job seekers that attended.  There were more than 3,000 jobs available that day for job seekers to take advantage of as well as workshops and resume critiquing.  Mayor Cluck also stopped by to visit with employers and job seekers and provide words of encouragement for those that are still looking for work. Thank you to Mayor Cluck and the City of Arlington for being our biggest supporter of this event!
   
   

• The Alliance Texas Hiring Fair was held on May 9, 2013 at Texas Motor Speedway.  With more than 40 local Alliance companies in attendance, there were many opportunities available including Amazon jobs for the new location that opens soon.  More than 2,000 job seekers attended the event.

 

• The Mansfield Hiring Fair was held on Saturday, June 1, 2013 at the First United Methodist Church.  The event was sponsored by the church, Mansfield Economic Development Corporation and Workforce Solutions for Tarrant County.  There were 18 local employers there to recruit and more than 300 job seekers attended.

Hire Information from these events takes some time to gather, we will make sure and update you with information as it becomes available.

Fatherhood Buzz

Workforce Solution's FACT Project team is excited to participate in President Obama's 2013 Fatherhood Buzz Initiative taking place Father's Day weekend, (Saturday, June 15), in partnership with a few local barber shops.  This initiative is an effort to promote responsible fatherhood and disseminate parenting information to fathers, families, and the community-at-large via one of the most trusted community resources for men-- barbershops.  Free materials for dissemination at participating barber shops all over the country are being provided by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services through the National Responsible Fatherhood Clearinghouse to provide fathers with critical parenting tips and information that especially focuses on "New Dads."  FACT project representatives will also disseminate information locally about the responsible fatherhood grant administered by Workforce Solutions.  Services through this grant are offered by Workforce Solutions along in collaboration with nine partner agencies to support fathers and families around goals of gainful employment, responsible parenting, and healthy relationships.

Why focus on "New Dads?"

A number of studies suggest that fathers who are involved, nurturing, and playful with their infants have children with better linguistic and cognitive capacities.  Toddlers with involved fathers go on to start school with higher levels of academic readiness.  They are more patient and can handle the stresses and frustrations associated with school more readily than children with less involved fathers.

Why Barbershops?

Neighborhood barbershops are community hubs for many men that serve far more than their grooming needs.  They are a trusted space to discuss personal and public issues, ranging from family to politics, health, money, and other life issues.  Visit any barbershop and you will find a rich, intergenerational dialogue among men and boys.  This unofficial outlet for peer education provides a unique opportunity to share healthy information about fatherhood and the role of fathers in society.

What do barbershops receive?

Fatherhood Buzz barbershops will receive a toolkit containing facts, advice, talking points, and community resources that barbers can use to promote responsible fatherhood and provide support and information to their customers.  Each participating barbershop will also receive:

• Save the Date flyers to distribute and display in the shop
• Information to disseminate to fathers (practical tips and information)
• National Responsible Fatherhood Clearinghouse Certificate of Appreciation
• Information on connecting to Workforce Solutions and the FACT program as local resources

For additional information about this initiative or the FACT Responsible Fatherhood program, please contact Mervil Johnson, FACT Project Director at 817.413.4438 or visit our YouTube link below.

A Big Thank you to Buddy Puente, Carlos De La Torre and Luis Estrada for helping us get in touch with some of the local barbers in Tarrant County!

CLICK TO LEARN ABOUT "FACT" IN TARRANT COUNTY

http://youtu.be/AX8YiaG5U7I 

Tune in on Father's Day

Co-founders of the Fatherhood Coalition, Charles Scoma (Chairman) and Mervil Johnson (Vice-Chair) were invited to share the importance of responsible fatherhood for radio broadcast on Father's Day, June 16.  Andre Johnson, facilitator of the FACT Project's bootcamp focusing on employment, also shared his perspective on the recipe for becoming outstanding fathers. The interview will air on the following Clear Channel stations on Father's Day at the following times:

"Fathers' Hall of Fame Recognizes Outstanding Fathers"

Each year for the last seven years the Fatherhood Coalition of Tarrant County has highlighted the importance of responsible fatherhood by recognizing fathers who are nominated by friends, family, co-workers and others as outstanding fathers.  In recent years the Coalition has partnered with other community efforts in identifying and recognizing those fathers.  On Saturday, May 18, Larry McDowell, Children and Families Program Specialist with the Regional HHS office, awarded plaques to outstanding fathers in Arlington on behalf of the Fatherhood Coalition at Swiss Elementary School in conjunction with their Papa'-Paloosa fatherhood event. On June 19, Coalition officers will join hands with staff of the Fort Worth Housing Authority (FWHA) to celebrate outstanding fathers nominated by families residing in their properties.  The event will take place Thursday evening at 6:00 p.m. in the FWHA's Hanratty Auditorium located at 1201 East 13th Street in Fort Worth.

Pictures

Alliance Texas Hiring Event

ArlingtonAnswers.com Job Fair (l to r): Amber Gosser, Carey Morgan, Mayor Robert Cluck and his wife Linda Cluck. Thank you again to the Mayor for his encouraging words to the crowd.

SER's annual national conference was held in the downtown Fort Worth Hilton from May 13th through May 15th and hosted over 600 participants and case managers. Workforce Solutions for Tarrant County Board was asked to conduct several conference sessions and Ms. McDonald was acknowledge at their formal reception the evening of May 14th.

Sal Adamski, Workforce Improvement Director, was asked to open the general session for older workers, and provide information on how to successfully market talents and skills in a competitive job market. He conducted a second session for case managers and business service representatives on building business relationships and partnerships. 

George P. Bush keynote speaker for the luncheon discussed "Lessons I learned from my grandfather: The Importance of Public Service" and the challenges faces the post 911 generation.