BROWNSVILLE, Texas - The CEO of Workforce Solutions Cameron has described his organization as a “fast-moving train.”
Rafael Vela said the group is devoted to promoting and supporting a workforce structure that provides employers and individuals of Cameron County the opportunity to achieve and sustain economic prosperity.
“We are like a fast-moving train. We wake up every morning knowing that there are three clients: the job seeker, the individual that is employed but needs to be up-skilled or desires to be up-skilled, and the industrial complex. So those are our three customers, really,” Vela said, in an in-depth interview with the RGG Business Journal.
“So, we wake up every single morning and make sure that the needs of those three groups are met. And we do that with support for individuals who are in need of childcare, because, as you know, it is really expensive to provide childcare, and that's an impediment to an individual going into the workforce, and that's where we step in.”
Vela was responding to a question about how WSC is doing and whether he had settled in well.
“I don’t know about settled in well,” he joked. “The short answer to your question is, it (the work) never stops. And I owe a gratitude deal of gratitude to the team. We have 33 staff at our headquarters, plus another 100-plus that are at our workforce centers in Harlingen and Brownsville.”
Vela was asked if he is kept even busier by the major economic development projects happening in Cameron County, such as SpaceX, and liquefied natural gas export terminals at the Port of Brownsville. He responded:
“Companies of that size… it is not just Cameron County or the Valley, but the state (in general) has never seen this kind of investment before, and the character of this kind of industry. So, ten years ago, we kind of went into a different direction in Space, and now liquid natural gas. And so, we're watching carefully and monitoring what kind of impact (these companies will have). Because that's never been seen before.
“What does that kind of massive investment in corporate America mean to the people? To the workforce of the Valley? What are the consequences of that? So, we're discovering those things.”
Vela said some of these questions are at present unanswered.
“What kind of pressure does that have on the workforce? Those companies are going to try like crazy to get individuals from our region, but they may have to cast a wider net. And the workers that do come from this region, what happens to that part of the industrial complex that we have a responsibility to help as well? So, we're constantly assessing that.”
The Business Journal pointed to recent remarks from William Dietrich, port director for Brownsville Navigation District, about Bechtel hiring far more local workers for an LNG project at the Port of Brownsville than expected.
“That's what we had to discover. Then that whole thing came right before I was around. But we partner with Bechtel to the extent that they want us to, and already, it's a beautiful partnership and relationship. So, we're watching that again. Like I said earlier, we have to see what the capacity of the Valley is to provide support and make those companies successful. From a workforce perspective, they have to be wildly successful. And to be wildly successful, they have to have the skilled workers, in a sustained way. So… there is pressure on our training partners to provide those skills, if they don't have them already… and so far, our partners have performed tremendously well. So, we're proud of that.”
Vela was asked about the type of data his group provides on its website. He was able to immediately cite some of that data.
“There are 431,000 people that live in Cameron County. Of those, 170,000 are gainfully employed in the workforce. And of those, they're in 20 different industries. Thirty percent of the industrial complex in Cameron County right now is in healthcare. The second largest part is retail,” Vela said.
“So, you're asking me a very good question, because that labor market information is so important, not only for the individual who is seeking employment, but for policy makers, board members who are entrusted with the public's funds. Because they have to figure out, where are we going to invest? How are we going to invest that allocation from the monies that we get from the taxpayer. They want to make informed decisions. So, all that information is in our website, not to mention the fact that our team is always there to help as well.”
Editor’s Note: Here, below, is a video recording of the Business Journal’s interview with Vela. The interview was obtained at a JET grant event hosted by Texas Southmost College and the Texas Workforce Commission.
