Moving Central Texas Forward

The Mobility Authority is serving our community through more than mobility solutions. Earlier this month, our agency launched MoveFWD, a Workforce Collaborative of Central Texas, to help people who are disadvantaged achieve life-changing, long-term employment, and career-building opportunities in the roadway construction and customer service fields. 

The goal of this program is twofold: address the labor shortage in the roadway construction and customer service industries, while helping disadvantaged or displaced workers in our community achieve a better quality of life. The target job candidate population includes veterans, individuals experiencing homelessness or near homelessness, millennials, reentry (ex-offenders), those lacking training, certification, or necessary education, as well as the under-employed in our community.

A Launchpad for Success

We celebrated the program launch earlier this month at the Austin Community College(ACC) Eastview Campus together with our collaborating partners: ACC, City of Austin, Goodwill, Texas Department of Criminal Justice Reentry and Integration, Travis County, and Workforce Solutions. We want to thank our partners for coming together and making this program possible. Individually and collectively, these organizations bring valuable resources and expertise to MoveFWD that will, in turn, translate to economic opportunities for disadvantaged and displaced workers in the region.
 
Travis County Commissioner Jeffrey Travillion was in attendance and spoke in support of our efforts. “I believe that Travis County residents can be better prepared for local jobs when we provide a one-stop-shop for learning career and life skills. I want to commend the Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority for bringing this initiative to fruition. Their MoveFWD program has the potential to be an important tool to fight poverty and help those in need.”     
 

A Holistic Approach to Workforce Integration

We all know that integration into the workforce is dependent upon access to basic living necessities. The MoveFWD program helps people establish careers that provide job stability and benefits by assigning a case manager to connect them with all the resources necessary to achieve economic independence and establish a better quality of life.
 
Recognizing that every job candidate may have unique needs, career managers will work to provide candidates with a broad range of guidance and assistance, beginning with the most basic needs such as housing, food, clothing and transportation, and extending to services such as job training, career counseling, and hands-on training programs. Interpersonal skills training in areas such as job applications and resumes, interviewing, time management, and money management will also be provided. Holistically, this approach will prepare participants for the workplace and ensure they are well-positioned for the jobs currently available.

From Entry-Level to Lifelong Career

One of the most important points we want our job candidates to know is that the construction and service industries have more to offer than jobs; stable and rewarding careers are available in these growing industries. As an agency committed to enhancing mobility and quality of life, we need qualified and trained candidates to build our projects. That’s where the roadway construction training comes in. Equally important is providing quality customer service for the drivers who use our roads every day, and our customer service training will help us expand the pool of qualified candidates to staff the call center that handles our toll payment processing.
 

Success Stories

Hear firsthand success stories from five individuals who have established careers in the roadway construction and customer service industries. With entry-level beginnings, each has worked their way up the ranks in their respective industries to leadership positions. These video testimonials prove that the path to success begins with suiting up and showing up every day, taking initiative, and showing commitment. The MoveFWD program can help job candidates get their foot in the door just as these folks have done, opening new pathways to opportunity. Visit our website to hear the stories of these five Central Texans and get their insight on the path to a rewarding career.
 

Customer Service Representative Training Begins September 24 at ACC

For those interested in pursuing a career in customer service, ACC’s Customer Service Representative certificate program begins September 24, and scholarships are available! Visit their website for more information and to get registered.