Workforce Solutions Coordinates First South Texas Career Road Show

Workforce Solutions for South Texas September 11, 2019

Families are invited to attend ‘Parent Night’

LAREDO, TEXAS — (September 2019) — The Careers in Texas Industries is a Texas Workforce Commission Initiative implemented during September around the State. Traditionally, this is done by planning a large career awareness day where local and rural schools are invited to attend. This year Workforce Solutions for South Texas (WSST) decided to take their show on the road.

The WSST team has decided to visit 8th graders in participating South Texas school districts, including Webb, Jim Hogg, and Zapata counties.

“In 2017 and 2018 we organized the Youth Career Exploration Event, and we received close to 1000 students, educators, and parents, in a two days event,” said Andrea De La Garza, Project Director. “This year, to make a greater impact, we are the ones visiting the middle schools.”

The South Texas Career Road Show will consist of web-based interaction, hands-on activities and the take-home of valuable information during each visit at the Laredo and United ISD’s eighth-grade students, besides Hebbronville Middle School and Zapata Middle School.

“We prepared interactive games about the Labor Market Information, the Texas Career Check, service information booths, and a “Picture Yourself” area where the students will be able to dress up as their future selves and take a selfie,” said De La Garza.

With these resources, WSST hopes the students will start thinking of a future career, as stated in House Bill 5 (HB5) that makes a priority for students to choose a “specific pathway toward a highly specialized technical field, a community college or a four-year degree,” according to the Texas Education Agency (TEA).

The South Texas Career Road Show is looking to pique the students’ interest in local industries and will provide clear and sufficient information about the five endorsements areas available, Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM), Business and Industry, Public Service, Arts and Humanities, and Multidisciplinary Studies.

“Students will be able to learn about the endorsements and which jobs they lead to,” said De La Garza. “What

they could continue studying after high school unless they are ready to go straight into the workforce. They will learn how much money they can expect to make, and everything else that goes with making these important life decisions in a fun interactive way”

PARENT NIGHT

Since parent participation is essential, WSST has also scheduled a couple of Parent Nights. These events will be free and open to the public, independently of which school district their children are attending.

The first Parent Night will take place on Tuesday, September 17, 2019, from 6 pm – 8:30 pm at Texas A&M International University (TAMIU) – Western Hemispheric Trade Center, Rm 111\, and the second one will we on Tuesday, September 24, 2019, from 6 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. in Laredo College (LC, Ft. McIntosh – Falcon Executive Conference Center).

WSST will provide the same information and interactive activities given to the students, plus the participation of community agencies, partners, financial institutions, and representatives from the different magnet schools.

“We want to help students to have the needed information and to select an endorsement with confidence,” said De La Garza. “This is the reason we are bringing career awareness to each school and their parents.”

De La Garza added that the partnership with the schools and districts has always been positive, and this year, with the new approach, the anticipation is even better.

“With communication there’s understanding,” De La Garza said. “We hope to enlighten the students, with a very informative event, where not only the students but educators and parents will get a chance to get access to different resources we have available for them.”

For more information contact Workforce Solutions for South Texas at 956-794-6500.