A dozen Austinites are about to embark on new careers. It's thanks to a broad partnership aimed at retraining local men and women for an ever-changing job market.
Friday was graduation day at Skillpoint Alliance. All the graduates are starting new careers thanks to the training that leads to jobs available in Austin right now.
The latest happy bunch of new Certified Production Technicians are graduating with more than a piece of paper. They've got manufacturing skills they can take immediately to the workplace.
On graduation day we ran into Eric Beilke. His training prepared him to control robots on a worksite. That means he can leave his fast-food jobs behind. How hard was the training? Beilke says, “It's challenging for sure. But if you're in here every day paying attention, it'll come to you."
This graduating class includes both men and women and a wide range of ages. Some are fresh out of school. Others are more experienced with the public and private sectors working together to keep them up with the times.
Austin City Council Member Kathie Tovo explains the goal is to keep local workers competitive for new jobs that come along whether it's new businesses coming to Austin or existing businesses expanding. “Make sure we're providing individuals with the skills and the education and the training they need to compete successfully for those jobs and be successful," she says adding, "That's what Skillpoint is doing really well, and has been since 1994."
And with partnerships with local employers, the Skillpoint alliance is promising to continue to connect low-income individuals with the career pathways they only thought were out of reach.