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| Greetings! |
This month is our first board meeting for our newly elected officers. Congratulations again to: Board Chair, Keith Muskrat, Board Vice-Chair, Estrus Tucker and Second Vice-Chair, Jon Gustafson. We are excited about their new roles and look forward to what they will accomplish this year.
We also want to welcome Joan Grigsby and Jill Werner to our Workforce Development Board.
This month we recognize Disabilities History and Awareness Month, celebrate the Manufacturing Industry, host a community wide collaboration on employment and training designed to help those in need of such opportunities and said farewell to our partner, Chancellor Erma Johnson Hadley. Chancellor Hadley championed the work for those who needed us most.
Please be on the lookout for future initiatives like the Hiring Red, White & You! Job Fair for veterans and their families to be held November 12, 2015, at Globe Life Park in Arlington!
- Judy McDonald
Executive Director
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Welcome to our New Workforce Development Board Members
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This month we welcome two new Board members to our Workforce Development Board (WDB).
Joan Grigsby, M. Ed., is replacing Peter Kleven on the Board. Ms. Grigsby is the Educational Consultant for the Adult Services Division of The Learning Center of North Texas. Joan was nominated by Tarrant Literacy Coalition and her term will be up for reappointment in July of 2018. Joan is also a member of our Tarrant County Adult Education and Literacy Consortium. We are excited to have Joan join our Board and look forward to her sharing her passion for Literacy with the board.
Jill Werner is replacing Jane Goodenough on the Board. Ms. Werner is the Assistant Integrated Service Area Manager for the Texas Workforce Commission. Ms. Werner's term will be up for reappointment in July of 2016, as she is finishing out Jane's term. She was appointed by our Workforce Governing Board on August 24, 2015. We are excited to have Jill join our Board and look forward to her sharing her experience with the board.
Both appointments were certified by the Commission on September 22, 2015. Congratulations to both of you, we look forward to working with you.
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Alliance Opportunity Center - Open House
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On September 16, 2015 we celebrated with a ribbon cutting of our recently opened Alliance Opportunity Center (we recently moved from our original location).
Our Alliance Opportunity Center now houses staff from both Workforce Solutions for Tarrant County, Workforce Solutions for North Central Texas and The Texas Veterans Commission. This partnership was expanded to assist the growing number of companies in Alliance. We are excited about this new partnership and the opportunity to better serve our employers and job seekers.
We were honored to have so many special guests take part in the celebration. Our speakers included: Tom Harris, Congresswoman Kay Granger, Mayor Betsy Price, Tarrant County Judge Glen Whitley, Commissioner Andy Eads, Bill Thornton and Tom Mullens. Mr. Mullens gave a wonderful testimony about working with the staff at the Alliance Opportunity Center.
If you have not visited our new location we encourage you to do so. The Alliance Opportunity Center is located at: 2421 Westport Parkway, Suite 200 Fort Worth, TX 76177
We were honored to have Congresswoman Kay Granger, join our Open House celebration.
From Left to Right: Tom Harris, President, Alliance Air/Aviation Services, Mike Berry, President, Hillwood Properties, Tom Mullen, HR & Recruitment, UPS, David Setzer, Executive Director, Workforce Solutions for North Center Texas, Judge Glen Whitley, Tarrant County, Congresswoman Kay Granger, Mayor Betsy Price, City of Fort Worth, Commissioner Andy Eads, Denton County, Judy McDonald, Executive Director, Workforce Solutions for Tarrant County, Louise Appleman, President Board of Trustees, Tarrant County College and Bill Thornton, President and CEO, Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce.
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4th Annual Hiring Red, White & You! Job Fair
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Mark your calendars and please help spread the word for the 4th Annual
Job Fair
November 12, 2015
9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Globe Life Park (The Ballpark in Arlington)
Both Employer and Job Seeker Registration is open and we encourage you to share this information will all who might be interested. Pre-Registration for Veterans and Job Seekers is encouraged to beat the long lines. All of this information can be found on our website. A copy of the Job Seeker flyer is also in this month's Items of Interest packet.
Veterans, Family Member's and the General Public:
We invite you to join the Texas Workforce Commission, Workforce Solutions Greater Dallas, Workforce Solutions for North Central Texas, Workforce Solutions for Tarrant County and our partners for the 4th Annual statewide Hiring Red, White & You! Job Fair.
Please pre-register online to expedite your entrance to the event. We will also have onsite registration, but to avoid waiting in line and to maximize your time at the job fair we encourage you to pre-register online today!
Veteran, Family Member and General Public Registration Link:
Employers:
Join the Texas Workforce Commission, Workforce Solutions Greater Dallas, Workforce Solutions for North Central Texas, Workforce Solutions for Tarrant County and our partners for the 3rd Annual statewide Hiring Red, White & You! Job Fair, designed to connect you-Texas employers-with Texas veterans and their spouses who can bring valuable experience and discipline to your workplace.
Employer Registration Link:
Please help spread the word to anyone who is currently looking for employment! We will see you on November 12th!
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New Outreach Campaign
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Workforce Solutions for Tarrant County was excited to partner with the Balcom Agency to help develop a new branding campaign for the Young Adult Program. This program focuses on young adults ages 16-24, Balcom developed a campaign around a concept that this age group is passionate about. The concept for the branding came from the highly popular Instagram # (hashtag) "From Where I Stand" a social media campaign which has gained a lot of attention from this age group over the past few years.
"From where I stand" has so much meaning. The world looks very different from our own point of view...literally! The Instagram hashtag, #fromwhereIstand has millions of wonderful images, mostly of people taking pictures looking down at their own feet....the world literally from their own eyes. Each tells a really beautiful story, each with its own special memory!
We have worked with Balcom to produce a solid plan and strategy for reaching Young Adults through social media and other types of mediums. Balcom has produced a new campaign, image and outreach material for the young adult program. We invite you to take your own #fromwhereIstand photo - also use #YAworkforce. Our new flyer can also be found on our website. The image below, is a sample of the "From Where I stand" picture areas we had at our Career Expo. This is a group of Health Sciences students from Crowley ISD that joined in on the fun!
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Tribute to Chancellor Erma Johnson Hadley
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We echo the words of our friends from Tarrant County College. On October 1, 2015 we were all deeply saddened to learn of the passing of an energetic leader and career educator, Erma Johnson Hadley.
Chancellor Hadley was a founding faculty member of the College, beginning her career with us in 1968. She was chosen by the Board of Trustees in March 2010, to serve as the fourth Chancellor of TCC. During her tenure as Chancellor, Tarrant County College realized unprecedented enrollment increases and student success. Because of Chancellor Hadley's vision and leadership, TCC is poised for continued student achievement and success while expanding access to education for residents of all ages.
A Little Girl From Leggett, Texas - IN HER OWN WORDS
Find a job you REALLY love. If this is not the one - find something you love because when you love what you do, you do it differently.
Be really good at what you do. You'll also love yourself more.
Don't whine - do something. If you can't do anything about what you don't like, shut off your whining and use the energy to develop Plan B.
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Presentation at IEDC
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The International Economic Development Council (IEDC) held its annual conference October 4-7, 2015 in Anchorage, Alaska. Tarrant County was well represented at the event.
On Monday, October 5, 2015 Board Member, David Berzina gave the keynote introduction at the Annual IEDC Conference.
Also presenting "The Future of Workforce: WIOA in Action" at this year's conference were Second Vice-Chair, Jon Gustafson and Executive Director, Judy McDonald. Rounding out their panel were
Darrell Auterson, representing Economic Development and Jennifer Worth, representing community colleges.
This session discussed the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) that went into effect July 2015. Designed to help job seekers access the employment, education and training they need to succeed in the labor market, and to match employers with the skilled workers they need. The session explored WIOA's impacts on the workforce development system, as well as discussed innovative approaches communities and their EDOs are putting in place to transform their workforce efforts.
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Disabilities Month
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October Is Disabilities History and Awareness Month
Every October, DARS celebrates the many accomplishments of Texans who have disabilities and recognizes those who have worked toward equal opportunity for people with disabilities. This month has been designated as a time to recognize the progress and accomplishments of people with disabilities.
In Texas, October is designated as Persons with Disabilities History and Awareness Month. This designation was created by the 82nd Texas Legislature to increase public awareness of the achievements of people with disabilities and the public understanding of the disability rights movement.
Additionally during the month of October, you can participate in local events for White Cane Safety Day, which recognizes the importance of the white cane as a symbol of independence for people who are blind. In 1964, President Lyndon B. Johnson proclaimed October 15 every year as White Cane Safety Day. Additionally, House Bill (H.B.) 489 also designates October 15 in Texas as Service Animal Recognition Day. This recognition is to create awareness of the laws relating to the safety and well-being of Texans who have disabilities and require the use of a service animal.
DARS is proud to support all of these initiatives not just in October, but all year long. We encourage you to participate in any activities in your area that highlight the accomplishments of people with disabilities and raise awareness of disability rights. DARS consumers are equal to the task of reaching amazing goals, and we are equal to the task of going the extra mile to assist them.
DARS has a full schedule as we promote events across Texas.
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Manufacturing Day
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WHAT IS MANUFACTURING DAY?
Manufacturing Day is a celebration of modern manufacturing meant to inspire the next generation of manufacturers. Although Manufacturing Day officially occurs on the first Friday in October-this year is October 2, 2015-any day can be a Manufacturing Day.
WHAT ARE WE DOING IN TARRANT COUNTY? Workforce Solutions for Tarrant County is celebrating Manufacturing Month along with Dream It Do It and the Arlington Chamber of Commerce in our Workforce Centers this month. Klein Tools and Mother Parker's Tea and Coffee are our Manufacturers that are sponsoring as well. We will be promoting different manufacturing jobs from WorkInTexas on the Apple TV's all month long in the centers. - We have set up two dates for Klein Tools to have a booth in our centers to talk to job seekers about Manufacturing Careers and the job openings they have. We will have Tarrant County College (TCC) join Klein on those dates to have the CNC simulator and all their career/training information about Manufacturing.
- Those dates are:
- October 20, 2015 - Arlington Workforce Center from 10am-1pm
- We also have a Manufacturing job fair going on that day upstairs with about a dozen other companies
- October 23, 2015 - Alliance Opportunity Center from 11am-2pm - This would be right before our Friday Job Club at TCC at 2. We are inviting all the job club attendees to stop by first and see them first.
- Mother Parker's Tea and Coffee will have a booth at Resource Connection Workforce Center to talk to job seekers about Manufacturing Careers and the job openings they have. We will have The Women's Center join Mother Parker's to have all their career/training information about Manufacturing.
- That Date will be:
- October 20, 2015 - Resource Connection Workforce Center from 10am-1pm.
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Job Fair Update
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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 partner on/ 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:
JOB FAIR UPDATE:
- Young Adult Career Expo (targeting 18-24 year olds)- Wednesday, September 23, 2015 from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at Hurst Conference Center. The Conference Center was set up by industry (based on the 16 Career Clusters). Each of the attendees were able to visit with industry experts and learn more about the career plan/career opportunities within each of the companies. We heard from many of the attendees that they enjoyed the Career Pathways Workshop conducted by Fred Schmidt with TCC as well as visiting each of our picture areas. We learned today (10.6.15) that The Boys and Girls Club of Arlington extended one of the job seekers an offer and she has accepted!
- UTA Job Fair- September 29, 2015 from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at Maverick Activities Center - Workforce Solutions was proud have a booth at the event. This was another awesome event that helped get the word out about the services we offer job seekers.
- ArlingtonAnswers.com Job Fair - Wednesday, October 7, 2015, The Church on Rush Creek. Over 75 employers and 13 resource agencies were on hand to meet with over 519 job seekers about current job opportunities. Mayor Williams also sent a big thank you. He was very impressed with the event and looks forward to attending them with us in the future. He spent a lot of time walking around and talking to the employers, of which many of them he personally knew.
Upcoming Events: - Governor's Small Business Forum- Thursday, October 22, 2015 from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Coyote Ridge Golf Club in Carrollton, TX. More information will be in this month's items of interest.
- HR Southwest Conference- October 25-28, 2015 at the Fort Worth Convention Center. Stop by and see the Workforce Solutions booth.
- 4Th Annual Mansfield Area Job Fair- Thursday, October 29, 2015 from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the Mansfield ISD Center for the Performing Arts. For more information including how to register please visit our website.
- Hiring Red, White and You! Job Fair- Thursday, November 12, 2015 from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. - Registration for Employers and Job Seekers is now open on our website.
New Job Fairs/On-Site Hiring Events are added all the time!
For the latest Job Fair and Event Information/ or to register and get your FAST PASS and avoid the lines please visit our calendar of events on our website www.workforcesolutions.net
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Summit News
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The Tarrant County Alliance for Economic Independence Planning Committee would like to invite you to this important Summit. The Planning Committee is made up of:
Louise Appleman, Tarrant County College ▪ David Berzina, Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce ▪ Mike Doyle (Committee Chair), Cornerstone Assistance Network ▪ Jerilyn Edmonds, Career Solutions ▪ Jon Gustafson, Lockheed Martin Corporation ▪ Tracy Hays, Health and Human Services Commission ▪ Deb Jones, DARS ▪ Peter Kleven, Greater Fort Worth Literacy Council ▪ Jennifer Limas, Girls Inc. of Tarrant County ▪ Tim McKinney, United Way of Tarrant County ▪ Keith Muskrat (Board Chair), Talon Industries ▪ Rosa Navejar, The Rios Group ▪ Tyrone Taylor, Six Flags Over Texas ▪ Estrus Tucker (Board Vice-Chair), Liberation Community, Inc.
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Workforce Alerts & Website Calendar
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Sign Up for Workforce Alerts: Sign up for our Workforce Alerts... to stay on top of all of our Latest News. Some of the items you will see, include: Latest Labor Market Information, Our Newsletter, Calendar Changes and Special Events. Believe me you do not want to miss it!
On our website (www.workforcesolutions.net) you will find a calendar of events: Please make sure you check this calendar as it will have the most up to date Board location and meeting information. You can also find information about the job fairs that we take part in. Board Members, if there are items you would like to see on the website that might make your outreach efforts easier, please contact Lacey Douglas by email at lacey.douglas@workforcesolutions.net
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Pictures
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The Communication & Information Systems section of the Career Expo was a popular area. Job Seekers really enjoyed visiting the different industries.
Do you recognize those shoes? Executive Director, Judy McDonald got in on the fun at the Career Expo, taking her own "From Where I Stand" picture.
A group picture of our speakers during the Alliance Opportunity Center Grand Opening. From Left to Right: Congresswoman Kay Granger, Mayor Betsy Price, Tarrant County Judge Glen Whitley, Commissioner Andy Eads, Bill Thornton and Tom Mullens.
Commissioner Roy Brooks stops by Workforce Solutions table at the 10th Annual Public Health Fair, "Carnaval de Salud" which took place on Saturday, Oct. 3 at the Tarrant County Public Health building.
In addition to information distributed by community organizations, attendees received free health screenings and flu vaccines.
The event was family-oriented and included interactive and entertaining activities for children.
Special entertainment was provided by the Ballet Folklorico de Fort Worth, the North Side High School Mariachi Band, the Steppin' Grannies and Roping ZZ Skippers.
The Tarrant County Veterans' Diversion Court Program, under the direction of Criminal Courts
Judge Brent Carr recently received the Grantee of the Year award from the Texas Veterans Commission at their annual conference September 13-19, 2015.
The Tarrant County Veterans Court Diversion Program (TCVCDP) is an alternative to incarceration to divert non-violent offenders, who are discharged veterans, from prosecution to available treatment venues. The goal of the TCVCDP is to identify those honorably discharged veterans, or Active Duty military, within the Tarrant County Criminal Justice System, which may be expedited through the system and ultimately diverted from further involvement in criminal behavior through the use of alternative sentencing practices such as those supported by treatment and services available through the Veterans Administration and other agencies.
The TCVCDP is 8 - 24 months in length, and has a successful completion rate of 88%. Early records indicate a current Recidivism Rate of 6% of the 107 graduates.
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| Calendar of Events | |
Board and Committee Meetings:
(for the latest information please make sure to check our website calendar)
October
- October 14, 2015 - Workforce Development Board Meeting - 9:00 a.m. - Botanic Gardens
- October 15, 2015 - Inter Agency Workforce Group (IAWG) Meeting- 9:00 a.m. - Goodwill Industries - CANCELLED
- October 21, 2015 - Arlington Chamber of Commerce State of the City Luncheon, featuring Mayor Jeff Williams - 11:30 a.m. - Arlington Convention Center (Workforce Solutions has a table, board members please let Lacey Douglas know if you are interested in attending)
- October 21, 2015 - Workforce Improvement Committee Meeting - Board Offices - 3:30 p.m.
- October 22, 2015 - 2015 DFW Metro Governor's Small Business Forum at Carrollton - 8:00 a.m. Coyote Ridge Golf Club (Board Members please let Lacey know if you are interested in attending).
- October 27, 2015 - Cost of Quality Study Kick-Off Meeting - Sheraton Arlington - 10:30 a.m. to 12noon
- October 28, 2015 - Tarrant County Alliance for Economic Independence - 8:30 a.m. Lena Pope Amon Carter Center
- October 29, 2015 - 4th Annual Mansfield Job Fair - MISD Center for Performing Arts - 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
November
- November 5, 2015 - Workforce Solutions Veterans Luncheon - Sheraton Arlington - 12noon
- November 11, 2015 - Workforce Solutions Workforce Centers will be closed for Veterans Day
- November 12, 2015 - 4th Annual Hiring Red, White & You! Job Fair - Globe Life Park in Arlington from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
- November 12, 2015 - Workforce Delivery Systems Committee Meeting - Board Offices - 11:45 a.m.
- November 17-18, 2015 - EDC / TAWB Meeting - Dallas, TX
- November 17, 2015 - Joint Workforce Improvement / Quality Workforce and Education Meeting - Fort Worth Club from 7:30 a.m. to 9:00 a.m.
- November 18-20, 2015 - Annual TWC Conference - Dallas, TX
- November 20, 2015 - Congressman Marc Veasey's Job Fair - Forest Hill Civic and Convention Center from 8:30 a.m. to 12noon
- November 26-27, 2015 - Workforce Centers and Board Offices Closed in observance of the Thanksgiving Holiday.
December
- December 9, 2015 - Joint WDB/WGB Meeting - Botanic Gardens - 9:00 a.m.
- December 24-25, 2015 - Workforce Centers and Board Office Closed for Christmas Eve and Day
New events are being added all the time!
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| 2015 Board of Directors | 
Workforce Governing Board
Judge Glen Whitley, Chair
Arlington Mayor Jeff Williams
Fort Worth Mayor Betsy Price
Workforce Development Board Keith Muskrat, Workforce Development Board Chair Estrus Tucker, Workforce Development Board Vice-Chair Jon Gustafson, Workforce Development Board Second Vice-Chair Judy McDonald, Executive Director
Board Members:
Louise Appleman
Mark Barberena
David Berzina
Lillie Biggins
Dr. Marcelo Cavazos
Pam Dawson
Carlos DeLa Torre
Mike Doyle
Jerilyn Edmonds
Charlie Galupi
Joan Grigsby
Tracy Hays
Deb Jones
Michael Klein
William Krohn
Jennifer Limas
Tim McKinney
Rosa Navejar
Vickie Powell
Buddy Puente
Dr. Di Ann Sanchez
Leslie Sisk
Tyrone Taylor
Gracie Vega
Jill Werner
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Workforce Solutions for Tarrant is committed to Keeping Tarrant County Working!
More information about our events, services, programs and Workforce Center locations is available on our website.
An equal opportunity employer/program. Auxiliary aids and services are available, upon request, to individuals with disabilities. (TDD/TTY) 1-800-RELAYTX
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