Mike Feinberg On Key Elements For A Successful Vocational Training Program
Although WorkTexas’s primary objective has been to provide trade-based job training for young people and adults, the nonprofit organization’s staff also strives to meet other critical needs participants have to ensure they’ll succeed in the program.
Author:Karan EmeryReviewer:Frazer PughOct 13, 202416.8K Shares231K Views
Although WorkTexas’s primary objective has been to provide trade-based job training for young people and adults, the nonprofit organization’s staff also strives to meet other critical needs participants have to ensure they’ll succeed in the program.
Launched in 2020, WorkTexas offers a variety of training sessions in the Houston area, developed with input from local employers to prepare students to work in a variety of occupations — including welding, carpentry, plumbing, HVAC and building maintenance, commercial truck driving, and warehouse management.
The courses take approximately 11 weeks to complete, requiring roughly 170 hours of participation.
“We are employer-focused,” says Co-Founder Mike Feinberg. “Our mission [is] to help people get jobs, keep jobs, [and] advance careers.”
WorkTexas has found, though, that obtaining employment isn’t the only challenge some program participants are facing.
A number, according to Co-Founder Yazmin Guerra, also have childcare needs. Utilizing federal and local funding and public-private partnerships, WorkTexas has been able to offer daytime care for more than 60 children of program participants and other community members.
“People need childcare to be able to go to work,” Guerra says. It’s a childcare desert where we serve the community. The majority of the people [here] are low-income, so they would qualify; and the [WorkTexas] team members support the parent in completing the necessary applications to qualify.”
Other Encouragement
In addition to helping program participants arrange childcare, WorkTexas officials also help participants identify grant and scholarship opportunities to fund their training. Most, Feinberg says, are able to attend for free.
“Basically, in this country, if someone is unemployed or underemployed, they can get help to learn a new trade,” he says. “Unfortunately, we make it more difficult than it needs to be to access. It gets bucketed into these smaller grants; we help people navigate that.”
After participants finish the program, WorkTexas makes an effort to stay in touch with them.
“It is job coaching — which can be technical, or it can also turn into therapy at times,” Feinberg says. “We are proactively reaching out to all of them every six months [to ask] are you still in the same job? Are you switching jobs? Are you looking for a different job? What's your salary? Do you need any help?”
Program organizers also try to assist graduates who reach out for help and guidance — if they’ve had a fight with their boss, for example, or are experiencing other issues.
“We're having those conversations with people, too,” Mike Feinbergsays. “A lot of people we train are one flat tire away from disaster. We can help everyone get a job based on their training; but you're not going to do well in your job if you're homeless or hungry, or your car stops working.”
To offer that type of additional support, WorkTexas has forged relationships with a number of community and social service organizations that provide food security, health and other assistance.
“That's what created [this] sandbox, where different groups can all work together for the same end goal,” Mike Feinberg says. “The people who are working on food, housing and physical health realize their work can only truly make a huge impact if people wind up having a sustainable career — [and] stop needing those services at some point down the road. There's a symbiotic relationship here we're tapping into that's pretty neat.”
Karan Emery
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Karan Emery, an accomplished researcher and leader in health sciences, biotechnology, and pharmaceuticals, brings over two decades of experience to the table. Holding a Ph.D. in Pharmaceutical Sciences from Stanford University, Karan's credentials underscore her authority in the field.
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Frazer Pugh
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