WIOA State Plan for the State of Texas

WIOA State Plan for the State of Texas

Two Year Plan Modification

Introduction

The Texas Workforce Commission’s (TWC) Combined State Plan for the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) for Program Years 2016–2019 was submitted to the US Departments of Labor and Education on April 1, 2016, and was approved on October 20, 2016. WIOA §676.145 (a) (1) requires states to submit modifications to the Combined State Plan (CSP) at the conclusion of the first two-year period of a four-year plan. The modifications are to “reflect changes in labor market and economic conditions or other factors affecting the implementation of the Combined State Plan.”

TWC has submitted plan modifications and amendments during the first two years covered by the plan. These modifications included the transfer of the state’s vocational rehabilitation (VR) program from the Texas Department of Assistive and Rehabilitative Services (DARS) to TWC, the combination of the former DARS Division for Rehabilitation Services and Division for Blind Services into one designated state unit, and the redesignation of the Coastal Bend and Alamo local workforce development areas (workforce areas).

II. Strategic Elements

The Unified or Combined State Plan must include a Strategic Planning Elements section that analyzes the State’s current economic environment and identifies the State’s overall vision for its workforce development system. The required elements in this section allow the State to develop data-driven goals for preparing an educated and skilled workforce and to identify successful strategies for aligning workforce development programs. Unless otherwise noted, all Strategic Planning Elements apply to Combined State Plan partner programs included in the plan as well as to core programs.

a. Economic, Workforce, and Workforce Development Activities Analysis

The Unified or Combined State Plan must include an analysis of the economic conditions, economic development strategies, and labor market in which the State’s workforce system and programs will operate.

1. Economic and Workforce Analysis

A. Economic Analysis

The Unified or Combined State Plan must include an analysis of the economic conditions and trends in the State, including sub-State regions and any specific economic areas identified by the State. This must include-

i. Existing Demand Industry Sectors and Occupations

Provide an analysis of the industries and occupations for which there is existing demand.

ii. Emerging Industry Sectors and Occupation

Provide an analysis of the industries and occupations for which demand is emerging.

iii. Employers’ Employment Needs

With regard to the industry sectors and occupations identified in 1 and 2 above, provide an assessment of the employment needs of employers, including a description of the knowledge, skills, and abilities required, including credentials and licenses.

For the Texas economy to grow and prosper, employers must convey to job seekers the skills their businesses need. Conversely, job seekers must recognize and promote the skills they possess, or obtain new or upgraded skills to meet businesses’ needs. The state’s market-driven workforce development system plays a vital role in this process, acting as a hub for sharing information related to jobs and skills, facilitating connections between businesses and job seekers, and providing assistance with job search and training needs. Boards and their contractors work collaboratively to ensure that these services and assistance are available to all employers and job seekers, including veterans, individuals with disabilities, older adults, and others.

The Texas economy continues to outpace the national economy. Over the past year, Texas added jobs in 10 of the 11 major industries.

The opportunities that come with a growing economy and expanding workforce are many and varied. TWC and its workforce development partners will continue to collaborate with community and industry partners to expand these opportunities and find new ways to achieve positive results. The development of innovative workforce services to meet the needs of employers and workers is vital to the success of the workforce system.

As businesses expand their operations and new employers emerge during this period of rapid technology advancements, there is a growing opportunity to assist with workforce skills development and training. The gap between in-demand skills and available labor force skills must be addressed at all levels. This includes the availability of technical training opportunities as well as efforts to increase the number of skilled craft specialists. Increased development of regional collaborations with employers, Boards, community colleges, and other training providers will be engaged to address this opportunity.

TWC uses long-term projections data to identify industries likely to grow the fastest. Growth assumes, in part, an adequate supply of workers with relevant skills. Positive growth continues to drive demand for workers in Texas and across the nation. In some key occupations, local supply has at times struggled to keep up with demand. Texas remains driven by a continued economic shift toward high-skilled jobs in the business and professional services sector, while the state’s rapid population growth and aging baby-boomer population increases demand for service-sector jobs, primarily Leisure and Hospitality and Education and Health Services. These three industries, in addition to Trade, Transportation, and Utilities, account for over 55 percent of the jobs in Texas.

The following industries in Texas are projected to experience the highest growth during 2014–2024.

Industry Title / 2014 Emp / 2024 Emp / Growth / % Growth
Health Care & Social Assistance / 1,430,720 / 1,891,930 / 461,210 / 32.2%
Management of Companies & Enterprises / 108,860 / 143,470 / 34,610 / 31.8%
Accommodation & Food Services / 1,061,850 / 1,377,030 / 315,180 / 29.7%
Construction / 638,530 / 815,920 / 177,390 / 27.8%
Professional & Technical Services / 640,810 / 808,850 / 168,040 / 26.2%
Administrative & Waste Services / 715,960 / 900,900 / 184,940 / 25.8%
Arts, Entertainment, & Recreation / 122,750 / 150,190 / 27,440 / 22.4%
Wholesale Trade / 535,170 / 653,600 / 118,430 / 22.1%
Transportation & Warehousing / 460,380 / 561,080 / 100,700 / 21.9%
Educational Services, Public & Private / 1,188,110 / 1,445,670 / 257,560 / 21.7%
Retail Trade / 1,244,930 / 1,494,870 / 249,940 / 20.1%
Other Services, Ex. Government / 462,090 / 553,990 / 91,900 / 19.9%
Utilities / 47,960 / 56,510 / 8,550 / 17.8%
Finance & Insurance / 487,200 / 572,960 / 85,760 / 17.6%
Real Estate & Rental & Leasing / 193,270 / 226,480 / 33,210 / 17.2%
Government / 679,460 / 767,360 / 87,900 / 12.9%
Information / 195,330 / 219,260 / 23,930 / 12.3%

Of these industries, Management of Companies and Enterprises continues to be an emerging industry because that industry has the second- highest growth rate for employment, but it is among the three smallest industries in Texas when ranked by 2014 employment. Utilities is the smallest industry noted in the chart above. Nonetheless, it is projected to grow at 17.8 percent from 2014–2024, adding 8,550 private- sector jobs during that time. This growth is likely due to the increased infrastructure needs for Texas’ rapidly expanding population.

The occupations within the Utilities industry projected to add the most jobs that pay above the statewide median wage of $35,484 a year are listed below.

Occupational Title / 2014 Emp / 2024 Emp / Growth / % Growth
Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers / 4,580 / 5,400 / 820 / 17.9%
Industrial Machinery Mechanics / 1,150 / 1,630 / 480 / 41.7%
Power Plant Operators / 2,590 / 3,060 / 470 / 18.1%
Customer Service Representatives / 2,170 / 2,550 / 380 / 17.5%
Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators / 1630 / 1930 / 300 / 18.4%
Wind Turbine Service Technicians / 210 / 510 / 300 / 142.9%
Control and Valve Installers and Repairers, Except Mechanical Door / 1,460 / 1,720 / 260 / 17.8%
Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers / 1,350 / 1,590 / 240 / 17.8%
General and Operations Managers / 1,350 / 1,590 / 240 / 17.8%
Office Clerks, General / 1,800 / 2,020 / 220 / 12.2%

Long-term projections data also points to the industries likely to have the largest absolute employment growth over the projected period. These “existing” industries are among the largest by estimated employment size.

The following industries in Texas are projected to experience the largest employment growth in 2014–2024.

Industry Title / 2014 Emp / 2024 Emp / Growth / % Growth
Health Care & Social Assistance / 1,430,720 / 1,891,930 / 461,210 / 32.2%
Accommodation & Food Services / 1,061,850 / 1,377,030 / 315,180 / 29.7%
Educational Services, Public & Private / 1,188,110 / 1,445,670 / 257,560 / 21.7%
Retail Trade / 1,244,930 / 1,494,870 / 249,940 / 20.1%
Administrative & Waste Services / 715,960 / 900,900 / 184,940 / 25.8%
Construction / 638,530 / 815,920 / 177,390 / 27.8%
Professional & Technical Services / 640,810 / 808,850 / 168,040 / 26.2%
Wholesale Trade / 535,170 / 653,600 / 118,430 / 22.1%
Transportation & Warehousing / 460,380 / 561,080 / 100,700 / 21.9%
Other Services, Ex. Government / 462,090 / 553,990 / 91,900 / 19.9%
Government / 679,460 / 767,360 / 87,900 / 12.9%
Finance & Insurance / 487,200 / 572,960 / 85,760 / 17.6%
Manufacturing / 882,030 / 945,130 / 63,100 / 7.2%
Management of Companies & Enterprises / 108,860 / 143,470 / 34,610 / 31.8%
Real Estate & Rental & Leasing / 193,270 / 226,480 / 33,210 / 17.2%
Arts, Entertainment, & Recreation / 122,750 / 150,190 / 27,440 / 22.4%
Information / 195,330 / 219,260 / 23,930 / 12.3%

Of these industries, the first four (Health Care and Social Assistance; Accommodation and Food Services; Educational Services, Public and Private; and Retail Trade) indicate projected employment levels of more than one million jobs by 2024, and growth at well over 200,000 jobs.

The Health Care and Social Assistance industry employment has grown to 1,530,608 positions as of the first quarter of 2017, averaging a 3.1 percent annual growth over the past five years. According to long-term industry projections, Health Care and Social Assistance employment is expected to grow to approximately 1,892,000 jobs by 2024, posting the strongest growth of the industries listed in the previous table at 32.2 percent.

Ambulatory Health Care Services, which consists of doctors’ and dentists’ offices, outpatient care centers, and medical and diagnostic laboratories, was a driving force behind the growth seen in this industry. It comprises about 47 percent of the Health Care and Social Assistance industry and averaged an annual growth of 3.2 percent over the past five years.

The demand for health care workers in Texas is expected to continue to increase, as the state has growing populations of senior citizens and young people, both groups of which are the primary customers of health care and social assistance. This sector is also faced with training challenges, as employers are demanding more highly educated workers due to market demand and industry expectations. Additionally, this industry is confronted with high turnover in key occupations, which intensifies worker demand.

Occupational Title / 2014 Emp / 2024 Emp / Growth / % Growth
Registered Nurses / 168,960 / 225,170 / 56,210 / 33.3%
Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses / 58,430 / 75,000 / 16,570 / 28.4%
Office Clerks, General / 37,670 / 47,550 / 9,880 / 26.2%
Dental Assistants / 23,620 / 30,090 / 6,470 / 27.4%
Medical and Health Services Managers / 15,990 / 21,030 / 5,040 / 31.5%
Physical Therapists / 11,380 / 15,580 / 4,200 / 36.9%
Medical Records and Health Information Technicians / 12,700 / 16,750 / 4,050 / 31.9%
General and Operations Managers / 11,770 / 15,700 / 3,930 / 33.4%
Radiologic Technologists / 14,340 / 18,020 / 3,680 / 25.7%
Nurse Practitioners / 6,850 / 10,460 / 3,610 / 52.7%

Long-term projections data is helpful in ranking occupations in Texas, without reference to industry both in terms of percentage growth and in absolute growth between 2014 and 2024.

The following occupations are projected to experience the highest growth among all industries in 2014–2024.

Occ Code / Occupational Title / 2014 Emp / 2024 Emp / Growth / % Growth
31-2011 / Occupational Therapy Assistants / 3,720 / 5,560 / 1,840 / 49.5%
29-1171 / Nurse Practitioners / 8,090 / 11,970 / 3,880 / 48.0%
29-2032 / Diagnostic Medical Sonographers / 4,570 / 6,650 / 2,080 / 45.5%
15-2031 / Operations Research Analysts / 7,980 / 11,570 / 3,590 / 45.0%
47-2171 / Reinforcing Iron & Rebar Workers / 3,830 / 5,520 / 1,690 / 44.1%
31-2021 / Physical Therapist Assistants / 6,110 / 8,760 / 2,650 / 43.4%
29-2031 / Cardiovascular Technologists & Technicians / 4,570 / 6,530 / 1,960 / 42.9%
29-1071 / Physician Assistants / 5,960 / 8,510 / 2,550 / 42.8%
27-3091 / Interpreters & Translators / 4,860 / 6,930 / 2,070 / 42.6%
35-2014 / Cooks, Restaurant / 88,320 / 124,570 / 36,250 / 41.0%
31-1011 / Home Health Aides / 63,550 / 88,710 / 25,160 / 39.6%
39-9021 / Personal Care Aides / 197,590 / 274,460 / 76,870 / 38.9%
15-1134 / Web Developers / 10,110 / 13,810 / 3,700 / 36.6%
35-3021 / Combined Food Preparation & Serving Workers, Incl. Fast Food / 285,560 / 386,490 / 100,930 / 35.3%
29-2099 / Health Technologists & Technicians, All Other / 6,550 / 8,860 / 2,310 / 35.3%
29-1123 / Physical Therapists / 13,110 / 17,660 / 4,550 / 34.7%
29-2057 / Ophthalmic Medical Technicians / 3,460 / 4,660 / 1,200 / 34.7%
31-2022 / Physical Therapist Aides / 5,540 / 7,450 / 1,910 / 34.5%
31-9092 / Medical Assistants / 55,600 / 74,690 / 19,090 / 34.3%
49-9044 / Millwrights / 3,180 / 4,270 / 1,090 / 34.3%
31-9097 / Phlebotomists / 8,550 / 11,480 / 2,930 / 34.3%
35-1012 / First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation & Serving Workers / 77,860 / 104,410 / 26,550 / 34.1%
29-1061 / Anesthesiologists / 2,940 / 3,940 / 1,000 / 34.0%
29-1151 / Nurse Anesthetists / 3,070 / 4,110 / 1,040 / 33.9%
47-3013 / Helpers--—Electricians / 8,680 / 11,620 / 2,940 / 33.9%

Note: Occupations in this list must have 2,500 or more employment opportunities in 2014.

The Strategic Workforce Assessment Program (SWAP), an Internet-based analysis tool created by Labor Market and Career Information (LMCI) staff, tabulates the knowledge, skills, and abilities appearing most often in the profiles of detailed work activities (DWAs) for groups of occupations, weighted by regional employment.

The following table shows the prime knowledge, skills, and abilities employers most commonly require for the occupations in the above table.

Prime Knowledge Areas / Prime Skills / Prime Abilities
Medicine and Dentistry / Complex Problem Solving / Oral Expression
Customer and Personal Service / Operation and Control / Problem Sensitivity
Administration and Management / Service Orientation / Written Expression
Food Production / Critical Thinking / Deductive Reasoning
Therapy and Counseling / Speaking / Information Ordering

Prime Knowledge Areas:

• Medicine and Dentistry—Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.
• Customer and Personal Service—Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
• Administration and Management—Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of individuals and resources.
• Food Production—Knowledge of techniques and equipment for planting, growing, and harvesting food products (both plant and animal) for consumption, including storage/handling techniques.
• Therapy and Counseling—Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.

Prime Skills:

• Complex Problem Solving—Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
• Operation and Control—Controlling operations of equipment or systems.
• Service Orientation—Actively looking for ways to help people.
• Critical Thinking—Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
• Speaking—Talking to others to convey information effectively.

Prime Abilities:

• Oral Expression—The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
• Problem Sensitivity—The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing that there is a problem.
• Written Expression—The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
• Deductive Reasoning—The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
• Information Ordering—The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (for example, patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).

The following occupations in Texas are projected to experience the largest employment growth between 2014 and 2024.

Occ Code / Occupational Title / 2014 Emp / 2024 Emp / Growth / % Growth
35-3021 / Combined Food Preparation & Serving Workers, Incl. Fast Food / 285,560 / 386,490 / 100,930 / 35.3%
41-2031 / Retail Salespersons / 382,500 / 473,300 / 90,800 / 23.7%
39-9021 / Personal Care Aides / 197,590 / 274,460 / 76,870 / 38.9%
29-1141 / Registered Nurses / 197,270 / 258,880 / 61,610 / 31.2%
43-4051 / Customer Service Representatives / 240,270 / 299,810 / 59,540 / 24.8%
43-9061 / Office Clerks, General / 346,800 / 401,950 / 55,150 / 15.9%
35-3031 / Waiters & Waitresses / 204,630 / 256,870 / 52,240 / 25.5%
41-2011 / Cashiers / 259,930 / 304,470 / 44,540 / 17.1%
37-2011 / Janitors & Cleaners, Ex. Maids & Housekeeping Cleaners / 174,440 / 218,880 / 44,440 / 25.5%
53-3032 / Heavy & Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers / 187,610 / 226,580 / 38,970 / 20.8%
53-7062 / Laborers & Freight, Stock, & Material Movers / 172,150 / 209,070 / 36,920 / 21.4%
35-2014 / Cooks, Restaurant / 88,320 / 124,570 / 36,250 / 41.0%
11-1021 / General & Operations Managers / 170,280 / 205,900 / 35,620 / 20.9%
25-2021 / Elementary School Teachers, Ex. Special Education / 138,870 / 172,990 / 34,120 / 24.6%
47-2061 / Construction Laborers / 129,800 / 163,250 / 33,450 / 25.8%
43-5081 / Stock Clerks & Order Fillers / 154,080 / 185,140 / 31,060 / 20.2%
43-6014 / Secretaries & Admin Assistants, Ex. Legal/Medical/Executive / 191,270 / 220,870 / 29,600 / 15.5%
13-2011 / Accountants & Auditors / 122,640 / 151,650 / 29,010 / 23.7%
43-6013 / Medical Secretaries / 83,880 / 110,800 / 26,920 / 32.1%
35-1012 / First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation & Serving Workers / 77,860 / 104,410 / 26,550 / 34.1%
31-1011 / Home Health Aides / 63,550 / 88,710 / 25,160 / 39.6%
31-1014 / Nursing Assistants / 83,800 / 108,950 / 25,150 / 30.0%
25-2031 / Secondary School Teachers, Ex Special/Career/Technical Ed / 100,950 / 125,740 / 24,790 / 24.6%
41-4012 / Sales Reprs, Wholesale/Mfg, Ex Technical/Scientific Products / 117,870 / 141,780 / 23,910 / 20.3%
43-1011 / First-Line Supervisors of Office & Admin Support Workers / 115,090 / 138,930 / 23,840 / 20.7%

The table below shows the skills that employers most commonly require for the occupations in the table above that are projected to add the most jobs in Texas during the reference period.

Prime Knowledge Areas / Prime Skills / Prime Abilities
Customer and Personal Service / Writing / Oral Expression
Clerical / Complex Problem Solving / Information Ordering
Administration and Management / Critical Thinking / Written Expression
Sales and Marketing / Speaking / Deductive Reasoning
Economics and Accounting / Management of Material Resources / Inductive Reasoning

Prime Knowledge Areas:

• Customer and Personal Service—Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
• Clerical—Knowledge of administrative and clerical procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office procedures and terminology.
• Administration and Management—Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of individuals and resources.
• Sales and Marketing—Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
• Economics and Accounting—Knowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices, the financial markets, banking, and the analysis and reporting of financial data.

Prime Skills:

• Writing—Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
• Complex Problem Solving—Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
• Critical Thinking—Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
• Speaking—Talking to others to convey information effectively.
• Management of Material Resources—Obtaining and seeing to the appropriate use of equipment, facilities, and materials needed to do certain work.

Prime Abilities:

• Oral Expression—The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
• Information Ordering—The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
• Written Expression—The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
• Deductive Reasoning—The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
• Inductive Reasoning—The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).

B. Workforce Analysis

The Unified or Combined State Plan must include an analysis of the current workforce, including individuals with barriers to employment, as defined in section 3 of WIOA.* This population must include individuals with disabilities among other groups** in the State and across regions identified by the state. Individuals with barriers to employment include displaced homemakers; low-income individuals; Indians, Alaska Natives, and Native Hawaiians; individuals with disabilities, including youth who are individuals with disabilities; older individuals; ex-offenders; homeless individuals or homeless children and youths; youth who are in or have aged out of the foster care system; individuals who are English language learners, individuals who have low levels of literacy, and individuals facing substantial cultural barriers; farmworkers (as defined at WIOA §167(i) and Training and Employment Guidance Letter No. 35-14); individuals within two years of exhausting lifetime eligibility under the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program; single parents (including single pregnant women); and long-term unemployed individuals. ** Veterans, unemployed workers, and youth, and others that the state may identify.