Demographics
In Travis County, it is estimated that over 80,000 people (12.9% of
the population) live in poverty. The characteristics of this poverty population
include:
- They tend to lack a high school education (18% of all adults over age
25 did not graduate from high school)
- They are primarily Hispanic or African-American (69% of all people
in Travis County who have less than a 9th grade education are Hispanic
or African-American)
- Many are in single parent, female-headed households (95% of TANF recipients)
In the future, we can expect that these historically excluded populations
will grow.
Sources:U.S. Bureau
of the Census, 1990 U.S. Census Data, C90STF3A database; CACI Marketing
Systems, Sourcebook America 1998; Texas Education Agency,1997-98 District
Profiles; Texas Department of Health, 1998.
While our economy has grown steadily for many years, the percentage
of the population living in poverty has remained constant. This persistent
poverty level is most clearly seen in the percentage of economically disadvantaged
public school students. Over 50% of the students attending Austin Independent
School District, the largest school district in Travis County, (over 76,000
total students) are classified as economically disadvantaged. This rate
has not changed since 1994. In more rural areas of the county, this percentage
is even larger: over 56% in Manor ISD and over 66% in Del Valle. Those
families living in poverty are challenged to reach subsistence in an increasingly
expensive community. Among the indicators of the rising cost of living
in our community are:
- The Consumer Price Index increased 6.8% in the last five years
- The average rent per square foot increased 68% and the average price
of a single family home increased 71% between 1990 and 1998
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Investments
"Preparing the urban work force, and especially inner-city minorities,
to attain skilled and professional jobs…will be a key to urban economic
vitality in the 21st century and will require new and more creative programs
of human resource development and urban investment than those used in the
past."1 Although
a complete picture of the community’s investment in workforce development
is not available, the table below portrays a snapshot of public investments
that total over $36 million. These funds purchase a range of services including
childcare and other wrap-around services, Basic Skills education, School
to Career programs, job readiness and pre-employment skill development,
and higher skills training.
Workforce Development Investments
| Funding Agency |
Total |
Percent |
Capital Area Workforce Development Board 1 |
$21,453,073 |
59.50% |
City of Austin Direct Services |
$6,530,295 |
18.10% |
Austin Community College 2 |
$3,268,802 |
9.10% |
Travis County Direct Services |
$2,830,264 |
7.80% |
Austin/Travis County Mental Health Mental Retardation |
$1,249,157 |
3.50% |
United Way / Capital Area |
$710,327 |
2.00% |
TOTAL |
$36,041,918 |
|
1 Capital
Area Workforce Development Board funding covers various fiscal years and
includes some carryover funds from prior fiscal years.
2 This
represents ACC funding only through its business training and continuing
education and adult education areas.
Additional investors include State and federal agencies, as well as
local non-profit, faith based, and public/private partnerships. These include,
but are not limited to:
- $8.5million (roughly) in veterans vocational and rehabilitation awards
- $7.6million in Smart Jobs funding since 1994 from the Texas Dept. of
Commerce
- $400,000 (approximately) in Skills Development funding administered
by the Texas Workforce Commission
To put this investment in perspective, City, County, and State agencies
spend over $78 million annually on health care, Food Stamps, and TANF for
low-income residents in Austin/Travis County (1997-98). With careful investment
in workforce development, recipients of these services can become self-sufficient,
substantially reducing the demand for these and other services.
With economic growth projected to continue, the pressure to provide
skilled labor will increase. With this pressure also comes an opportunity
– there are now, and should continue to be, good jobs available for
people with adequate skills. If appropriate training and educational opportunities
can be provided and logistical barriers removed, much of today’s poverty
population can become qualified applicants for good jobs and have the opportunity
to achieve self-sufficiency.
Workforce development is a complex system of resources and activities
within a community aimed at optimally developing its most valuable resource,
its human capital. There are two central components of workforce development:
- To foster the economic development of the community
- To promote the economic self-sufficiency of individual residents
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Summary
Workforce development is critical to maintaining a strong economy and
competitive edge in today’s rapidly changing and expanding marketplace.
Today, workers must possess a wide variety of skill sets, a level of adaptability
previously unknown, and the ability and willingness to learn in order to
remain competitive in the job market. Enabling more residents to achieve
employment at a living wage. The term "living wage" means a wage
End Notes
1 "The
Changing Forces of Urban Economic Development: Globalization and City Competitiveness
in the 21st Century" Rondinelli, Johnson, and Kasarda, from Cityscape,
Vol. 3, #3, 1998; US Dept. of Housing and Urban Development
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