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October 1, 2002
The Honorable Gary L. Walker, Chair
House Committee on Land and Resource Management
P.O. Box 2910
Austin, Texas 78768-2910
Dear Chairman:
This letter provides follow-up information concerning an issue
raised by Representative Mowery regarding economic development,
job creation, and job growth opportunities in rural Texas. The
major lesson the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) and the local
workforce boards (Boards) learned as a result of our Rural Expansion
Initiative is that local leadership and local partnerships are
key to developing rural prosperity and job growth in rural communities.
The Commission and local Boards discovered several successful
strategies that now address the needs of communities where previously
few jobs existed. TWC began the Rural Expansion Initiative as part
of a welfare reform strategy to ensure job opportunities for rural
Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) recipients. Boards
engaged communities in activities to prepare individuals for jobs
and coordinated programs with many groups to ensure that jobs existed
in rural areas. The strategies described below proved successful,
and I believe that many of these and evolving approaches will help
address the needs of the rural areas described by Representative
Mowery. These approaches are now being applied to the general population
in rural areas to meet the workforce needs of employers and residents.
Local Leadership and Partnerships: Keys to Success
Successful strategies must be locally designed creating an environment
for business growth through partnerships among local leaders
and commitment of all community groups. As a result of the Rural
Expansion Initiative, many communities have formed successful
partnerships of local leaders, employers, schools, local Boards,
and economic development interests to augment training resources
and create jobs. These new jobs cross an array of occupations
and industries and many are expanding operations.
Entrepreneurships: Successful Strategies for Rural Job Growth
A grandmother in Ira, Texas serves as an example of rural business
ingenuity. Using her ability to network and her industrious nature,
she established a small manufacturing operation that designs
point of purchase fixtures for exclusive wristwatch boxes, such
as Fossil Watch Boxes. She credits her success to local partnerships,
including the West Central Texas Workforce Development Board,
for helping her obtain skilled employees and the Texas Skills
Development Program for helping her with job creation and expansion
efforts. Her products may now be found in department stores throughout
the nation. Also, this employer is working with the Texas Engineering
Extension Service and other partners in the Rural Expansion Initiative
to create more jobs as her business grows to new markets.
A Jasper, Texas entrepreneur established
the Heritage Provisions Company, which bakes pies and distributes
to worldwide markets
via the Internet. This new company’s first employee was a
former welfare recipient referred by the Deep East Texas One-Stop
Center. This employer has since created ten additional jobs. Also,
the local Board provided information about the Work Opportunity
and Welfare Tax Credits - tools used for cost savings and expansion.
Community Service Work: A Path to Learning Skills and Obtaining
a Good Job
In areas where few jobs exist or skilled workers reside, another
strategy to help create jobs and a skilled workforce is the creation
of community service jobs. Community service work offers job seekers
the chance to learn important job skills that may be transferred
to many private sector jobs. These jobs may be created within the
local school district or city or county governments. Community
service jobs offer opportunities for skills attainment, such as
workplace learning and computer skills to help prepare individuals
for work. Our Boards are empowered to work with local organizations
to create community service work for certain individuals, such
as welfare recipients, so that they will have increased opportunities
to obtain skills in a workplace environment.
Technological and Workforce Skills Innovations: Business@Access
In-Home Learning System
Technology is imperative to rural prosperity, and there are many
avenues to building technological skills in rural areas. In my
testimony, I made reference to Business@Access, an in-home technology-based
distance learning system that is utilized by several Boards to
help individuals learn and upgrade basic and workplace skills and
also obtain a GED at home. A computer is placed in each client’s
home and family members, including children, also have access and
gain benefit from the computer. I have enclosed a brochure for
your review that describes this system that holds much promise
for rural Texas. This learning system has been demonstrated to
the Senate Subcommittee on Border Affairs Committee and, should
you be interested, I will be happy to arrange a demonstration for
you or your committee.
Rural Telecommuting Opportunities: Connecting Economic and Workforce
Development
The Business@Access system would be an excellent complement to
rural Texas by connecting community service activities to prepare
unskilled workers for jobs with a future. Economic development
entities could recruit companies that accomplish work by telecommuting,
and workforce boards could recruit the workers trained in computer
skills to fill these jobs. The Texas Cooperative Extension Service,
a partner in the Rural Expansion Initiative, is also available
to help rural communities develop home-based and small and mid-sized
businesses, adding jobs and meeting the needs of rural employers
and workers.
These approaches represent only a few
of the strategies that local Boards are deploying to engage rural
communities. To provide an
overview of the initiative, I have enclosed a copy of the “Texas
Rural Expansion Initiative Phase I. The Commission continues to
work with the Office of Rural Community Affairs and partner agencies
to ensure that employers and job seekers in rural Texas are afforded
opportunities for growth and prosperity.
Sincerely,
Cassie Carlson Reed
Enclosures
mc: Members, House Committee on Land and Resource Management
Diane Rath, Chair and Commissioner Representing the Public
T. P. O’Mahoney, Commissioner Representing Labor
Ron Lehman, Commissioner Representing Employers
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