Southwest Key Programs, an Austin, Texas nonprofit enterprise, recently received $700,000 to help create new jobs in Austin throughout the eastern part of the city. Southwest Key Programs is among 44 other community development corporations (CCDs) across the nation to be awarded such a prize from a Community Development Grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, and the Office of Community Services. This funding is given to aid programs that address economic self-sufficiency of suffering communities. The grant money will be awarded over a period of three years.
Funds will be used to support Southwest Key Maintenance, a program created by the organization with the goal of creating 71 new Austin jobs for low-income residents. These new jobs will provide a range of commercial Maintenance, janitorial, and landscaping services to Central Texas business for affordable prices while simultaneously aiding the economy.
The organization's founder and CEO, Dr. Juan Sánchez says that the program "Will Benefit the residents of Govalle/Johnston Terrace, a high-poverty neighborhood, and surrounding low-income communities in East Austin by creating entry-level jobs with opportunities to advance and move toward self-sufficiency." He went on to say that Southwest Key Maintenance is "providing job opportunities right here where East Austinites live and work. The revitalization program will set the stage for lasting economic benefits."
The nonprofit organization provides housing for the children of illegal immigrants, causing it to be the subject of criticism by those who oppose using government funding to aid those who are here unlawfully looking for jobs in Austin. Despite controversy, Southwest Key Programs received millions in federal contracts last year alone.
The Austin-based organization is the third largest nonprofit in the area. In the coming months it will celebrate it's 20th anniversary with the grand opening of it's new 30,000 square foot East Austin Community Development Center, where it's job creating Southwest Key Maintenance will be located.
Austin, Texas has been a center for technology and all the jobs this sector creates for some time now. With Advanced Micro Devices and Dell brand computers both operating out of the area, some of the best talent the information technology field has to offer can be found in Austin. As computers continue to move from luxury to necessity, those who are in the process of searching for information technology jobs in Austin should find many opportunities.
A recent survey showed that the hiring outlook for the fourth quarter for this industry was favorable to those searching for information technology jobs. Approximately 14 percent of those polled plan on making additions to their existing staff and only 2 percent plan on decreasing the number of individuals they employ.
Although Information technology jobs in Austin should be fairly easy to locate, certain positions will be more abundant that others. Some of the specialties that will be in the highest demand this quarter include networking, help desk and end-user support, and application development. Positions in project management and systems analysis will be some what harder to locate as under 10 percent of companies planning to hire will be looking for these skills.
The reasons behind hiring intentions for information technology jobs in Austin will vary from company to company, but 45 percent of those polled said that they felt they would need more employees due to corporate growth. Another 18 percent said they hoped to increase customer satisfaction and 15 percent plan on installing enterprise applications.
The real problem in locating an information technology job in Austin will lay in the level of competitiveness often associated with this field of expertise. If one hopes to rise head and shoulders above other jobseekers, possessing a variety of needed skills is necessary.
Those who have experience in more than one type of job in this sector will find that they have and easier time locating a new job. For those who wish to increase their marketability, taking additional certification courses can make a noticeable difference.
Austin area job-seekers can take solace is the fact that, despite the recent layoffs in the mortgage industry, the area's economy is actually fairing better than most cities are. According to Brian Kelsey, the assistant director of the Capital Area Council of Government, the “regional job growth is the Austin-Round Rock area was above 2.5 percent during the past seven years, outpacing both state and national job growth rates during that time period.”
Within the last year, there have been 1,275 new manufacturing jobs in Austin. In a time when many cities throughout the nation are experiencing a cut back in this industry, Austin's statistics seem especially promising.
As the world becomes smaller through the use of technology, it is no surprise that many new Austin jobs were added in the IT sector. With the addition of 64 new computer programming firms, 1,261 new Austin jobs were created last year. The computer systems design sector saw the opening of 48 new firms, which brought approximately 440 new jobs to the area in 2006. Wired telecommunications firms added 45 new businesses and 939 new employees. Over the past year there has been 33,100 new Austin jobs generated. There have also been 36 corporations to announce plans to relocate to the Austin area, which will bring a sizable number of jobs to the city.
At a recent CAPCOG meeting, an updated version of the five-year workforce strategy plan was presented. This plan discussed the creation of new Austin jobs and the city's plan to attract corporations with relocation in mind to the area, in hopes of diversifying the city's economy. The chamber plans on creating 72,000 new Austin jobs and is aiming to entice at least 100 new businesses to the city.
The population of Austin, Texas seems to be growing and generally getting older faster than area nurses can be trained. When you add to that the number of nurses that retire every year a city wide shortage is created. This leaves plenty of open health related Austin jobs that need to be filled as quickly as possible so that the quality of care provided does not decrease.
To make matters worse, the number of quality instructors in the Austin area is too low to make rapid training of replacement nurses a fast process. Currently to the ratio of students to nursing instructors leaves a lot to be desired. Part of the reason it is difficult to find enough teachers is the salary gap between nurses and nursing instructors in Austin. The average teacher makes only $35,000 a year compared to the students they are training who can easily expect to make anywhere from $40,000 to $70,000 directly after school.
Another factor contributing overwhelming number of nursing related jobs in Austin unable to be field at this time, is the fact that there is the extremely high burn-out rate experienced by individuals in this. According to Yvonne Van Dyke of Seton Family Hospitals of Austin Texas, “As many as 60 to 65 percent of nurses will leave the profession within two years of having entered it.”
Area hospital officials are currently putting a huge focus on residency and on-the-job training programs to try to avoid future nurses experiences this level of burnout. During any of these 18-week OJT programs nurses usually spend an average of 25 percent of their time in a classroom environment and the rest is spent working with patients under the tutelage of experienced nurses.
Right now employers of nurses in the Austin area should begin to consider different incentives to entice nurses toward the city. If the nursing shortage continues not only in Texas but in the US, then the most qualified nurses will have their pick of hospitals throughout the country. Most will choose whichever employer is offering the most money and/or benefits.
