Table of Contents 4
CEO Letters
Mission and Vision
5
Board of Directors
Our Values, Strategic Goals and Pillars
6
Regional Snapshot
7
Performance
8
Independant Auditor’s Report
10
Models and Initiatives
12
Success Stories
13
Spirit of Excellence
14
Expenditures and Giving Back
15
Locations
16
Shining Moments
Chief Elected Official Mayor John F. Cook As Chief Elected Official for the Upper Rio Grande Workforce Development Board, it gives me great pleasure to share with you the Board’s accomplishments for 2010! This past year was remarkable! I was glad to be in the midst of the largest Summer Youth Program in Texas, putting more than 5,200 youth in our region to work and the largest Job Expo in the state with more than 5,000 jobs available to 10,000 job seekers. Stretching our dollars and maximizing our resources has been key this year in making the most impact. In addition, our efforts with the Texas Back to Work Program put more than 600 people
back to work, ranking us 3rd in the state for the better part of 2010! Special thanks to my counterparts in the six counties, the county judges for Brewster, Culberson, El Paso, Hudspeth, Jeff Davis and Presidio. It is through our remarkable collaboration that we are making great strides toward a successful future! Sincerely,
Mayor John F. Cook
Chief Executive Officer Lorenzo Reyes, Jr. As you take a look at the accomplishments of your workforce development board, I want to thank all of our customers who came through our doors in 2010, counting on us to help them achieve a better tomorrow. We would not be here without you!
I am proud to say that we were the only workforce board in Texas that met the Claimant Re-employment within 10 Weeks measure during this last program year. Our efforts put the unemployed to work faster and saved the state more than $33 million dollars in unemployment insurance!
I also want to recognize the employers, key stakeholders and partners in our six-county region. We have been able to accomplish so much by leveraging resources and working in collaboration. In addition, the successes on the following pages could not have been accomplished without all workforce system staff!
We are committed to doing all that we can to help our region succeed! Sincerely,
Lorenzo Reyes, Jr.
County Judges Brewster County Judge Val Clark Beard Culberson County Judge Carlos G. Urias El Paso County Judge Veronica Escobar Hudspeth County Judge Becky Dean-Walker Jeff Davis County Judge George E. Grubb Presidio County Judge Paul Hunt
Our Mission To provide skilled workers for employers by advancing education, employment and economic development opportunities
Our Vision A strong network of strategic alliances which builds a gainfully employed workforce based on employer needs in a competitive global economy
Officers for the Board of Directors
Board of Directors Mary Margaret Adame HHS Commission-EP Region Steven Blanco Blanco Ordoñez & Wallace, P.C. Irma Bocanegra AT&T Javier Casas El Paso Central Labor Union
Tracy Bristol 2011 Board Chair Marcus, Fairall, Bristol + Co., L.L.P.
Henry Gallardo Board Vice-Chair Strategic Wealth Advisors
Luis Enrique Chew Volar Center for Independent Living Cille D’Ascenzo Paso Del Norte Association For the Education of Young Children Leo A. Duran, Sr. L&J Café Dr. Ana Huerta-Macias, Ph.D. Paso Del Norte Literacy Council Debra Koch The Boeing Co.
Bertha A. Gallardo Board Secretary
Patricia Villalobos 2010 Board Chair
Las Palmas & Del Sol Regional Healthcare System
Barnhart-Taylor, Inc.
Judy H. Ledbetter Chihuahuan Desert Research Institute Jesus M. Martinez El Paso Independent School District Lane G. Mills B-P Construction
Our Values
Integrity
. Accountability . Customer Focus . Open Communication . Teamwork Our Strategic Goals
Goal 1 A Better Educated and Skilled Workforce in the Board’s Region Goal 2 High-Skill, High-Wage Employers in the Board’s Targeted Industries Goal 3 Creation of Jobs with Higher Incomes as Targeted by the Board
through Meaningful Alliances
Goal 4 Achievement of a Fair Rate of Return on the Taxpayer’s Investment Goal 5 Recognition of the Board as the Strategic and Innovative Leader of
the Regional Workforce System Download Progress Report Here
Our Pillars Finance
.
Growth
. Services . Quality . People . Community
Dr. Gilda Morales, M.D. Southwest Wellness and Fitness Leticia Paez YWCA Foundation Gloria E. Pena El Paso Specialty Hospital Fernando Peña, Jr. El Paso Pro Sportswear, Inc. Sotero Ramirez, III Texas Workforce Commission TeleCenter Dr. Richard Rhodes, Ph.D. El Paso Community College Dr. David Schauer, Ph.D. University of Texas at El Paso– Institute for Policy & Economic Development David Wilson Sul Ross State University
Regional Snapshot Unemployment Rates 2010 by County
Fastest
Growing Industry Projections: (2006-2016)
Health Care and Social Assistance Professional and Business Services Educational Services Trade, Transportation and Utilities Administrative and Waste Services Administrative and Support Services Leisure and Hospitality Accommodation and Food Services Elementary and Secondary Schools Ambulatory Health Care Services Food Services and Drinking Places Retail Trade Goverment (except post offices), State/Local Education/Hospital Public Administration Home Health Care Services *The criteria used to select the fastest growing industries was based on absolute employment change instead of relative employment percentage change. Sources: Sites on Texas and www.tracer2.com (Spring 2010 estimates)
For additional labor market information visit the LMI tab at www.urgjobs.org.
781,443
Upper Rio Grande Region Population
Workforce Solutions Upper Rio Grande Region By the Numbers: Population......................................................................................781,443 Square Miles.........................................................................................21, 708 Educational Attainment: Age 25+ Population.............................................................................. 457,326 Grade K - 8.............................................................................. 82,526 Grade 9 - 12............................................................................. 49,645 High School Graduate............................................................... 112,537 Some College, No Degree............................................................ 93,323 Associates Degree........................................................................ 30,601 Bachelor’s Degree...................................................................... 58,733 Graduate Degree........................................................................ 29,961 Total Households.................................................................................. 251,256 Average Household Income................................................................... $49,981 Per Capita Income................................................................................ $16,647 Median Age.............................................................................................. 31.5 Unemployment Rate................................................................................. 9.5%
9.5
%
2010 Annual Unemployment
Rate
Source: Dallas Federal Reserve
274,960
Total Customers Visits*
ADULT.............................................................................. 1,318 BASE REALINGNMENT AND CLOSURE...................................... 410 TANF/CHOICES................................................................. 4,027 DISLOCATED WORKER........................................................ 1,971 SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM EMPLOYMENT & TRAINING........................................... 738 NON-CUSTODIAL PARENT EMPLOYMENT DEMONSTRATION PROJECT.....................................................................229 ONESTOP ....................................................................... 52,989 PROJECT RIO RE-INTEGRATION OF OFFENDERS..................... 1,298 SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING AND MATH GRANT......... 65 TRADE ADJUSTMENT ASSISTANCE PROGRAM........................... 680 TEXAS BACK TO WORK ......................................................... 235 YOUTH ............................................................................. 5,910 CHILD CARE ....................................................................13,821 JOB FAIR JOB SEEKERS ..................................................... 10,001 EMPLOYERS ..................................................................... 5,301 MIGRANT AND SEASONAL FARM WORKERS.............................. 678 VETERANS ...................................................................... 5,819 EMPLOYMENT SERVICES ................................................... 65,463 CUSTOMER VISITS........................................................... 52,989
Total ...........................................................223,942 Source: The Workforce Information System of Texas (TWIST); Workforce Solutions Upper Rio Grande Participant Counter System 7/1/09-6/30/10 Note: Totals include duplicates if participant was in more than one program.
GED 186 High school diploma 139 1st year of college 1 Associate degree 131 Bachelor’s degree or equivalent 139 6th year of college, Master’s degree 4 Other credentials 47 Advanced training/vocational skills 29 Advanced training/technical school 4 Advanced training/business school 1 Apprenticeship 1 Occupational skills license 197 Occupational skills certificate or credential 689 English as a Second Language 39
1,443 Participants Obtained Degree or Credential For the Period 7/1/2009 To 6/30/2010
Performance *Number of visits includes duplicates for multiple visits.
Workforce Solutions Upper Rio Grande works to meet or exceed the 17 performance targets set forth by the Texas Workforce Commission to measure the effectiveness of the services we provide to our customers. Workforce Solutions Upper Rio Grande is tied for 2nd and was the only board that met the Claimant Re-employment within 10 Weeks measure saving the state more than $33 million in unemployment insurance!
Ranked
in the state
#2
Source: MPR June 2010 Final Release 7/01/09-6/30/10
Page 7 Workforce Solutions Upper Rio Grande 2010 Annual Report
Independent
Auditor’s Letter
Rene D. Peña, CPA Mary Carmen Briones, CPA James R. McDaniel, CPA MEMBERS OF AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF CERTIFIED PUBLIC ACCOUNTANTS
4171 N. MESA, SUITE Bl00 EL PASO, TEXAS 79902-1498 PHONE: 915-542-1733 FAX: 915-544-5440 E-MAIL: cpa@cpaelpaso.com
Board of Directors Upper Rio Grande Workforce Development Board, Inc. EI Paso, Texas We have audited the accompanying financial statements of Upper Rio Grande Workforce Development Board, Inc. (URGWDB) (a nonprofit organization) as of and for the year ended June 30, 2010, as listed in the table of contents. These financial statements are the responsibility of URGWDB’s management. Our responsibility is to express opinions on these financial statements based on our audit. We conducted our audit in accordance with auditing standards generally accepted in the United States of America and the standards applicable to financial audits contained in Government Auditing Standards, issued by the Comptroller General of the United States. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement. An audit includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. An audit also includes assessing the accounting principles used and the significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall financial statement presentation. We believe that our audit provides a reasonable basis for our opinion.
In our opinion, the financial statements referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the URGWDB as of June 30, 2010, and the changes in financial position for the year then ended in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. In accordance with Government Auditing Standards, we have also issued our report dated February 25, 2011, on our consideration of URGWDB’s internal control over financial reporting and on our tests of its compliance with certain provisions of laws, regulations, contracts, and grant agreements and other matters. The purpose of that report is to describe the scope of our testing of internal control over financial reporting and compliance and the results of that testing, and not to provide an opinion on the internal control over financial reporting or on compliance. That report is an integral part of an audit performed in accordance with Government Auditing Standards and should be considered in assessing the results of our audit. Accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America require that the management’s discussion and analysis and budgetary comparison information on pages i through viii and 6 be presented to supplement the basic financial statements. Such information, although not a part of the basic financial statements, is require by the Governmental Accounting Standards Board, who considers it to be an essential part of financial reporting for placing the basic financial statements in an appropriate operational, economic, or historical context. We have applied certain limited procedures to the required supplementary information in accordance with auditing standards generally accepted in the United States of America, which consisted of inquires of management about the methods of preparing the information and comparing the information for consistency with management’s responses to our inquires, the basic financial statements, and other knowledge we obtained during our audit of the basic financial statements. We do not express an opinion or provide any assurance on the information because the limited procedures do not provide us with sufficient evidence to express an opinion or provide any assurance. Our audit was conducted for the purpose of forming opinions on the financial statements that collectively comprise of URGWDB’s basic financial statements as a whole. The combining statements of financial position and activities and the statement of functional expenses are presented for purposes of additional analysis are not a required part of the financial statements. The accompanying schedules of expenditures of federal and state awards are presented for purposes of additional analysis as required by U.S. Office of Management and Budget Circular A-133, Audits of States, Local Governments, and Non-Profit Organizations and the State of Texas Single Audit Circular, and are also not a required part of the financial statements. The combining financial statements, functional expenses and the schedules of federal and state awards are the responsibility of management and were derived from and relate directly to the underlying accounting and other records used to prepare the financial statements. The information has been subjected to the auditing procedures applied in the audit of the financial statements and certain additional procedures, including comparing and reconciling such information directly to the underlying accounting and other records to prepare the financial statement or to the financial statements themselves, and other additional procedures in accordance with auditing standards generally accepted in the United States of America. In our opinion, the information is fairly stated in all material respects in relation to the basic financial statements taken as a whole.
February 25, 2011
Page 9 Workforce Solutions Upper Rio Grande 2010 Annual Report
Models and Initiatives New Mexico Job Expo
Career Connections Job Expo This annual job fair brings together employers with qualified jobseekers in the heart of Downtown El Paso. This year the event attracted employers with 5,001 jobs and 10,000 job seekers. This event was the biggest event of the year and the largest ever orchestrated by Workforce Solutions Upper Rio Grande. The event was held November 10, at the Judson F. Williams Convention Center.
Workforce Solutions Upper Rio Grande teamed up with New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson, the City of Las Cruces, New Mexico State University, New Mexico Workforce Connection – Southwestern Area, New Mexico Department, Workforce Solutions, Dona Ana Branch Community College and the New Mexico Economic Development Department for the Governor’s Southern New Mexico Job Expo in September. “ As we work through these financial times, I want to ensure that residents in Southern New Mexico have access to all possible resources to help them find a job,” New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson said. This isn’t the first time the workforce boards across state lines partnered for a job fair; the entities have joined forces multiple times to impact the regional economy. “New Mexico is our neighbor and part of our economic dynamic,” said Workforce Solutions Upper Rio Grande CEO Lorenzo Reyes, Jr. “We have seen benefits from working collaboratively and understand leveraging our resources can magnify our efforts toward a successful future.” Workforce Solutions Upper Rio Grande assisted with marketing, staffing and recruitment and took the state-of-the-art mobile unit on-site as a resource to print resumes, research online or complete online applications. Testing Support for Nurses
BRAC (Base Realignment and Closure) Workforce Solutions Upper Rio Grande enhances services for military spouses by partnering with the U.S. Army Community Services Employment Readiness Program. The two are colocated on post at Fort Bliss and in 2010 partnered for two job fairs on post that assisted over 600 military spouses. In addition, the Board’s annual Job Expo was targeted, in part, to military spouses. Each received a job search kit and att to on-site workshops specifically about challenges they may be encountering. To further assist, an online job bank caters to the military spouses: www.elpasojobregister.com. The tool is in partnership with the Greater El Paso Chamber of Commerce.
Workforce Solutions Upper Rio Grande is helping get more nurses into our community. Since 2007, the Board has provided financial support to those nursing students who are in the final semester of their studies and preparing to take the National Council Licensure Examination for nurses (NCLEX). The students may be enrolled in either a licensed vocational nurse or registered nurse training program at the local community college or university. Nursing students at the University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso Community College, Sul Ross State University and now Texas Tech University students have been assisted. NCLEX passing rates have skyrocketed. This past year we were able to assist 143 participants with their certification.
Breaking Barriers The “Breaking Barriers” summer youth with disabilities program works in collaboration with key organizations that serve the disabled-Volar Center for Independent Living and the Texas Department of Assistive and Rehabilitative Services. The initiative started in 2008 with 30 youth; in 2009, youth numbers doubled and employers tripled. In 2010 the program involved 82 youth. The program emphasizes tools that engage youth with disabilities facing employment barriers, and educates employers regarding the benefits of employing individuals with disabilities. Jobs & Economic Growth Forum Workforce Solutions Upper Rio Grande, the City of El Paso, the Greater El Paso Chamber of Commerce, the El Paso Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, the U.S. Small Business Administration and the Women’s Business Border Center partnered to sponsor a Jobs and Economic Growth Forum in January. The forum was used to gather ideas for continuing to grow the economy and putting Americans back to work. As a result of the meeting, grants were collaborated upon for submission, resources were leveraged and the Upper Rio Grande Renewable Energy and Efficiency Network (URGREEN) was born. The group is a collaborative of business, industry, organized labor, government, education, workforce development, community-based and non-profit organizations dedicated to supporting the growth of clean energy businesses and jobs in the West Texas/Southwestern New Mexico region. They provide valuable connections for entrepreneurs; resources for educators (secondary through post-secondary); a sounding board for local government and utilities; and, help facilitate conversations spanning employer needs, creating awareness of green options and economic development opportunities.
Summer Youth Program Workforce Solutions Upper Rio Grande provided job opportunities for 4,603 youth with the assistance of 1,336 employers, resulting in a program that was double the size of 2009 in both El Paso county and the outlying five rural counties. The Board counted on critical regional partners to assist in the outreach and recruitment efforts, including the University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso Community College, Sul Ross State University, the Housing Authority for the City of El Paso, Centro de Salud Familiar La Fe, Department of Assistive and Rehabilitative Services (DARS), regional school districts, and chambers of commerce. Particular attention was placed on new employers, large employers, small businesses, faithbased organizations and economically depressed areas. Youth were placed in positions according to their interests to facilitate career exploration and career development. In addition, many were exposed to post secondary education by working within the higher education environment. The matches resulted in long-term effects in more than 100 cases where youth were permanently hired. Each youth earned minimum wage and worked additional hours if they were high risk, out-of-school, or had the possibility of being hired permanently. To target high demand industries like healthcare, the Board worked with local hospitals, doctors and clinics in the six-county region. To ensure a true regional economic impact, the Board focused on the needs of each individual county and did not allow state lines to stop service as youth in New Mexico were also included. Child Care – American Recovery and Reinvestment Act Dollars Hundreds of Workforce Solutions Upper Rio Grande Child Care Services (CCS) providers in our six-county region have new learning centers to increase their quality of care thanks to money available through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act Quality Expansion Grant. More than $200,000 was used to enhance care provided to children with disabilities and to improve safety on provider playgrounds. “It’s been about 10 years since we’ve seen additional quality care money so this will definitely help us fulfill our school readiness goal for pre-school children,” said CCS Administrator Barbara Alspaugh. “Learning centers entice children to learn and increase the quality of interaction between staff and children.”
Career Cruising- Virtual Career Exploration
Tech Prep
Thousands of high school students in the Upper Rio Grande Region have access to a valuable career tool for a fourth straight year, thanks to Workforce Solutions Upper Rio Grande. The Board renewed the license for 119 schools in the region from middle schools to academies and colleges, an investment of $59,500. “We know education makes a difference for our youth,” said Workforce Solutions CEO Lorenzo Reyes, Jr. “This online tool helps our future workforce better prepare for the career of their choice by exploring their future options in a virtual manner. It is a critical tool in career guidance,” he said. The Upper Rio Grande Region has 103,075 active students registered on the Career Cruising Website in grades 4-12.
More than 90 students received their GED through Workforce Solutions Upper Rio Grande’s Tech Prep Program. Two cohorts graduated in 2010 from the self-paced program. Tech Prep is funded through the Workforce Investment Act and aims to assist those in need of obtaining a GED through individualized teaching methods. This innovative program was implemented in 2007 providing students of all ages the opportunity to obtain their GED at their own pace.
Early College High School Students The initiative helps support students from the early college high school with funding for tuition and supplies for two semesters. The goal of this initiative is to assist those participants enrolled in dual classes, both high school and college. This program compresses the time it takes to acquire a high school diploma and complete the first two years of college. This initiative increases the number of Upper Rio Grande customers completing and attaining educational goals. Currently we have seventy -six participants of the program enrolled at the University of Texas at El Paso. STEM Challenge Competition This innovative initiative addresses the growing need to fill future indemand STEM related careers in the region and create STEM awareness in area youth. In May of this year we joined forces with the University of Texas at El Paso to put on the inaugural STEM Challenge. The unique educational competition provided a real world opportunity for regional high school students to develop innovative ideas in a business plan approach to solve critical issues facing our six-county region. The top ten teams presented their plans to a panel of leading experts for the opportunity to win money, prizes, scholarships, internship opportunities, and school recognition.
Page 11 Workforce Solutions Upper Rio Grande 2010 Annual Report
Success Stories “Falling down is not what makes you a bad person; it’s what you do to get up that makes you a success. You have to have the appetite to succeed; the hunger to live a second opportunity. I started at nothing and it was because of the program I was able to come up.”
“I choose to come to Workforce to get my GED because I refused to fail at life and many times I did not think I would get my GED because let’s face it - math is hard. I am happy to say that I can now be a better example to my daughter and most of all, myself.” Diana Cordova Tech Prep Graduate
Kenneth Anderson Project RIO Participant, Licensed Barber
“We got such quality people that we were able to offer opportunities that I didn’t think we would even be able to offer and that’s a big deal.” Judy Wendt President Laser Tech
“It’s pretty awesome. I knew nothing about paint when I came here. I painted like one room when I was ten.” (Now the Army Veteran and new Alpine resident knows how to mix paint and assist customers with their color selection – something he is now doing on a permanent basis.) Andrew Cameron Lee Alpine Summer Youth Participant
“We’re very thankful that we have this opportunity to increase our quality of care. It’s not only about watching the kids; it’s about developing productive adults.” Maggie Viramontes Owner Fantasy Daycare Inc.
Spirit of Excellence Awards Workforce Solutions Upper Rio Grande on November 11th recognized 25 key stakeholders in the region with the Spirit of Excellence Award. The award recognizes partners that have gone above and beyond in their contribution to the workforce system – capturing the “Spirit of Excellence.” Honorees were in one of four categories: community partners, employers, staff and training providers. Criteria considered during the selection process varied, according to category, but included state and board reports, in-kind contributions and return on taxpayer investment.
Workforce Solutions Upper Rio Grande Board Member Judy H. Ledbetter received the 2010 Visionary Award. Every year workforce staff is presented the opportunity to vote for a board member that has truly made a difference with their contributions of support, strategic guidance and innovation. This year, staff nominated Ms. Ledbetter as recipient of the Visionary Award. She accepted the award during the Spirit of Excellence Awards ceremony, November 11th.
Teresa Vasquez
El Paso Community College
The Cleaners
Ana Cabral
Yolanda Espinoza
Western Refining
El Paso Electricians Joint Apprenticeship and Training
ACS Employment Readiness Program
Walmart
Laura Frias
Sul Ross State University
YWCA
Belt Con Construction
Alorica
El Diario de El Paso
KINT TV
The University of Texas at El Paso
Rodrigo Jacquez
Walgreens Dennis McEntire
Sylvia Vargas
AARP Foundation
Page 13 Workforce Solutions Upper Rio Grande 2010 Annual Report
Expenditures Program
Total
Child Care
24,564,250
Other
2,419,797
SNAP E & T
577,325
TANF/Choices
5,068,404
Trade
3,493,866
TX Back to Work WIA Adult &
WIA Adult & Dislocated Worker 13% Child Care 48%
247,372
Dislocated Worker
6,840,342
WIA Youth
6,821,060
TANF Summer Youth
1,567,774
Grand Total
Total
WIA Youth TANF Summer Youth 3% 13%
51,600,190
TX Back to Work .48% 0% Trade 7%
TANF/Choices 10% SNAP E & T 1%
Other 5%
July 1, 2009 - June 30, 2010
Giving Back In November, staff delivered blankets to the Opportunity Center for the Homeless and the Severe Weather Task Force. This is not the first donation of blankets from Workforce Solutions Upper Rio Grande Staff for these two organizations. The winter tradition is now five years old. Workforce Solutions Upper Rio Grande Staff and Workforce Solutions Upper Rio Grande works daily to Santa Claus delivered toys to children currently living in bring job seekers and employers together, but takes time out to the Reynolds House on December 18th. It was the tenth give back to the community throughout the year. year staff donated gifts to the children staying at the Staff strapped on their walking shoes to help fight homeless shelter for women and their families. Cancer. Teams participated in the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure and The American Cancer Society Relay For Life. Staff walked for, and in memory of, those affected by the deadly disease. Extra kudos to the team that participated in the relay as each team was asked to have a representative on the track at all times during the event. Because cancer never sleeps, relays are overnight and are 24 hours in length.
Administrative Staff also has the option to contribute to the Reynolds House throughout the year by having any amount they choose be deducted from their paycheck which emphasizes the importance of education and vocational training. In 2010, staff contributed $1, 862. An additional $2,235 was donated to the United Way.
In April, staff donated Easter baskets and all the needs During the holidays, system staff also participated for a fabulous picnic for more than 200 foster children in El in Operation Boot Box with gifts for 63 children living in Paso and all the children living at the Reynolds House, a shelter for homeless women and their families. Staff also volunteered area colonias. The annual effort is led by Texas Tech. their time to grill burgers and provide a party atmosphere with pi単ata and games for the children.
Mobile Unit Activated for Aid Our mobile unit was activated by the Texas Workforce Commission to assist with the response to the damage caused by the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. The mobile unit left June 20th and returned August 15th. During that time, two staff members were stationed in Cutoff, Louisiana with the career center on wheels, alternating every week. A total of 231 people were assisted with our unit. The Workforce Solutions Upper Rio Grande mobile unit is one of only five that exists among the 28 Boards in Texas and one of three activated by Texas Workforce Commission to aid in this disaster. It is equipped with 10 computers and a satellite for internet connectivity. In this effort, it was used to assist those affected by the oil spill with filing for Unemployment Insurance in addition to making referrals to food, lodging, social service and charitable agencies and the BP Claims Office and Information Center. Locally, the unit typically assists by providing mobile career and rapid response services. This isn’t the first time the Workforce Solutions Upper Rio Grande Mobile Unit has been activated during a disaster recovery effort. In September 2005, staff and the mobile unit assisted in recovery efforts for hurricanes Rita and Katrina and in September 2008, the unit and staff assisted in the recovery effort following Hurricane Gustav.
Administrative Offices 221 N. Kansas #1000 El Paso, TX 79901 (915) 772-2002 West 5070 Doniphan El Paso (915) 887-2730 Downtown 300 E. Main El Paso (915) 313-3000 Northeast 9740 Dyer El Paso (915) 887-2820 Ft. Bliss 2494 Ricker Road El Paso (915) 566-8649
Locations East 1359 Lomaland El Paso (915) 887-2000
Fabens 206 S.E. 8th Street Fabens (915) 764-4285
Bassett Place 6101 Gateway West, Suite 605 El Paso (915) 781-7600
Van Horn 704 W. Broadway Van Horn (432) 283-8327
Sin Fronteras 201 E. 9th Avenue El Paso (915) 532-1059
Alpine 500 West Avenue H Centennial Building, Rm 108 Alpine (432) 837-9800
Ysleta Del Sur Pueblo 11100 Santos Sanchez Socorro (915) 872-8648
Presidio 100 Market, Unit 6B Presidio (432) 229-1170
Page 15 Workforce Solutions Upper Rio Grande 2010 Annual Report
Shining Moments
Lt. Governor David Dewhurst visited El Paso and the Norman Haley Employment Center October 25th to promote the Texas Workforce Commission’s job creation initiative, Texas Back to Work. This job creation initiative provides incentive payments to businesses that hire unemployed Texas workers. The program surpassed a milestone in the Fall of 2010 by helping more than 6,500 individuals across the state secure employment.
Texas Workforce Commissioner Ronny Congleton was in El Paso August 12th to award a Skills Development Fund grant for nine El Paso-area construction companies that partnered with El Paso Community College. The $343,928 grant from the Texas Workforce Commission will be used to custom train 65 new and incumbent workers in photovoltaic design used in solar energy technology installation and application to work on renewable energy projects. The construction consortium includes: Avilas Plumbing, Coefficient Systems Testing Inc., Dawco Builders LLC, El Paso J.A.G. Inc., E M Commercial and Industrial Electrical Services Inc., Longhorn Electrical Services Inc., Oscar Lara Electric LLC, Solar Smart Living LLC and Sun City Electric Co. Inc. Texas Workforce Commissioner Representing the Public, Andres Alcantar was in El Paso twice in 2010. He was a judge in the inaugural STEM Challenge and met with key stakeholders and officially opened Job Expo 2010 on November 10th. Here he is joined by Board Members Sotero Ramirez III, Jesus Martinez, Tracy Bristol and Patricia Villalobos along with Chief Executive Officer Lorenzo Reyes, Jr.
Click covers to download previous annual reports.
Copyright © 2011 Workforce Solutions Upper Rio Grande. Workforce Solutions Upper Rio Grande is an Equal Opportunity Employer/ Program. Auxiliary aids available upon request to individuals with disabilities. Relay Texas: Telecommunication Device for the Deaf (TDD) “711” or (800/735-2989), *800/735-2988 (Voice). Ayuda y servicios están disponibles para personas con discapacidades. Relay Texas: Sistema de comunicación para personas con problemas auditivos (TDD) “711” o (800/735-2989), *800/735-2988 (Tel.) Funding comes from the U.S. Department of Labor through the Texas Workforce Commission.