Olney on Air- Episode 6: Guest Tracy Barrett from Workforce Solutions

🎙️ Olney On Air – Episode 6: Workforce Solutions with Tracy Barrett

In this episode of Olney On Air, we're joined by Tracy Barrett from Workforce Solutions to discuss the wide range of programs and services available to help individuals, job seekers, students, employers, and families throughout our region.

Whether you're looking for a new career, searching for qualified employees, exploring job training opportunities, or wondering what resources are available to help you succeed, Workforce Solutions has programs designed to meet a variety of needs. Tracy explains how their organization connects people with employment opportunities, education and training, career development, childcare assistance, veteran services, and much more.

No matter where you are in your career journey—whether you're entering the workforce, changing careers, or growing your business—this episode is packed with valuable information about the resources available right here in our community.

🎧 Be sure to subscribe to Olney On Air on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube, and follow our Facebook page for new episodes every week! Stay connected with local businesses, community events, local news, and all things Olney.

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:09

Welcome back to Alni on Air. I'm Gina Keating with the Alni Enterprise. And I'm Kimberly Smith with the Alni Chamber of Commerce. Today we are devoting the whole hour to one of the biggest questions we hear in every small town in America. How do I find a good job? And maybe the bigger question, how do I build a better future right here at home?

SPEAKER_00 0:32

Yep. Because whether you're a senior graduating from Alney High School and wondering what comes next, whether you're 35 or 45 and thinking I need a change, or whether you're retired and saying, I'm not done yet. I still have something to contribute. There are more resources out there than most people realize. And that's why we invited Tracy Barrett from Workforce Solutions and Graham to join us today. Tracy is our Southern Engineering guest this week. She's the woman with the solutions.

SPEAKER_01 0:59

We love this segment because Southern Engineering is all about what rural communities do best. Looking at a problem, rolling up our sleeves, and figuring out how to fix it. And today's problem is one every community faces. How do we connect people who want meaningful work with businesses that need great employees?

SPEAKER_00 1:18

Yep. Workforce Solutions isn't just a place you go when you lose your job. It's a place where you can find training, discover new careers, learn new skills, and connect with opportunities you might never have known existed.

SPEAKER_01 1:31

They have programs for students just getting started, adults reinventing themselves, employers trying to grow, and even retirees looking for their next chapter. So today we're going to walk through the entire journey from your first job to your encore career and find out how people in Alney Graham Newcastle and across Young County can take advantage of these programs. So here we are with Tracy Barrett from Texas Workforce Solutions. Welcome, Tracy.

SPEAKER_02 2:02

I hear applause in my head.

SPEAKER_00 2:06

All right, Tracy, for people who have never walked through the doors of Workforce Solutions, what exactly does your office do?

SPEAKER_02 2:14

Our office does a lot, but our primary goal is to help people find jobs and help employers find employees. That's like the main thing that we're there. There's actually a lot of other things that we offer just as well. But it all comes down to everything we do is to help people find jobs. All of the anciliary stuff is to help people get employed and to help employers get people. That's the bottom line of what we're looking to do.

SPEAKER_01 2:41

All right, awesome. Okay, so I went and visited you a couple of months ago and got to walk through your whole office and saw the huge range of services that you have. And I think a lot of people think that Workforce Solutions is only for people who are unemployed. But that's not true. And not only that, it's not just for people who are young or or whatever, it's for people in all stages of their careers. Can you tell us what some of the biggest misconceptions that you hear about what your job or your agency are?

SPEAKER_02 3:12

Well, misconceptionalized the biggest misconception people have is that we're the TWC, Texas Workforce Commission, which we're not, we're a sister agency. We're all under the TWC umbrella, but we do help you. If you need to get in touch with them, we will help you facilitate that for you. If your employer is doing something, we can help you to submit your information to the correct agency. If you are an employer and you need help, hey, I think I'm doing this wrong. We can help get you in touch with the people that can help you, even if it's not us.

SPEAKER_00 3:47

All right. That's great. So how many people from Young County and Almy use your services each year, would you say?

SPEAKER_02 3:54

Uh generally, I think we average about 25 to 30 people a week, which doing the math uh 52 weeks is about 1,300 people a year. Wow. But that doesn't that doesn't even encompass it. That's not even counting hiring events that we do, that's not counting uh the all the people that call and ask questions over the phone. We help we actually help a lot of people, and that's with the fact that most people in Young County don't seem to know we exist. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 4:23

That's a huge percentage of people in this county. So if you're feeling a little weird about trying to get help with workforce issues, don't because look how many people are doing it.

SPEAKER_02 4:34

Yes, even if it's not us, if you're not sure where to go, come see us because we can tell you where you need to go. Yeah. We will help you, even if it's not our job, we'll help you get to the people whose job it is.

SPEAKER_01 4:44

Yes, and you guys are the nicest people in the world, the most welcoming. Shaw. Yeah, I know it's true. I mean, I everybody should feel super comfortable going.

SPEAKER_02 4:54

We are a very friendly lot. We actually enjoy helping people and want to help people.

SPEAKER_01 4:58

So let's start with young people. So, what programs are available for high school students who aren't sure whether college is right for them? Okay.

SPEAKER_02 5:06

Homery, and you're gonna hear these initials from me a lot in the next however long, is the WIOA program. We do offer vocational training. We have what's called a target occupations list. So if you if what you want to do is welding or get your CDL or something that is a needed profession in our area, we have a program that will pay for you to do it. And you do have to meet income guidelines to be eligible. But we not only will provide vocational training, we will also have something called a work experience, where if you want to get into an industry but you don't have the experience, what we will do is we will pay your salary to work for an employer, and they you can get you basically get your feet wet, and you come out of it with a an item on your resume saying that you've worked in that industry. Wow.

SPEAKER_01 5:58

That is fantastic. Okay, so let's talk about the income guidelines because sometimes people that holds people back. Oh my gosh, I make too much or whatever. So, but are you somebody comes out of high school, they're on their own, are you looking at their parents or are you looking at their income?

SPEAKER_02 6:15

Yes. Generally, it's the family where you live. They're looking at your household income. And they're looking at federal poverty guidelines. If you were in school and you were getting reduced price lunches, come see us because you're probably gonna meet the guidelines. And if you want to know what the federal poverty guidelines are, you can Google it and it will be online.

SPEAKER_01 6:33

But Google it every time because it changes. Yes, okay, good. So don't let that stop you, people. If you want to go and check this out, do it, even if you're not sure if you're gonna meet the guidelines, because I bet you have some great advice for people as well, or maybe some good connections.

SPEAKER_02 6:47

Yes, if you do not meet the guidelines, we will find alternatives for you. Catholic charities is a big one. Their job core, oh my goodness, if you are 18 to 24 and you are able to go somewhere for training. Job Corps provides room and board and training, and you come out of it with a degree or certification, and that's a great way to go.

SPEAKER_00 7:07

Oh my god.

SPEAKER_02 7:08

So if we can't help you, we will try to find someone who can.

SPEAKER_00 7:12

They have the Gary Job Corps in San Antonio that I actually had toured it one time, and they just said with our school, they went and showed us all the different options, and that was one of the places we got to go look at, and it's really neat.

SPEAKER_02 7:24

Yeah, they were your bus ticket to get to the location that you need to go to. It's really that long.

SPEAKER_00 7:32

When we were there, they even had a sound recording studio, like they really just tried to get you educated on whatever you want. They had the rec room. It was awesome. It was huge for what it was. That's another opportunity. Um, I think that we already talked about what opportunities exist for students who want to learn a trade and start earning money sooner. Is that what you're talking about? That program where they can get started with the company while they're training.

SPEAKER_02 7:59

Yes. Uh that that's what we call the work experience program. That's awesome.

SPEAKER_00 8:04

What would you say to a recent graduate who feels overwhelmed and has no idea what career path to choose?

SPEAKER_02 8:11

Don't spend a lot of money on a career that you're not sold on. Check into it. If you will come and see us, we actually have a program called One Stop on our computers, and we can do skills matching or we can do interest matching. Basically, it's short little tests that you can take that kind of give you a direction to something you might be interested in. And do some research. I talk to people all the time who have spent two years getting their RN associates and decide, find out they don't like nursing at all. Oh no. Talk to people in the industry you're interested in. And like I said, maybe we can if you don't know who to talk to, come see me. I'll see if I can find you somebody. Look into it. Ask people what's the best what's the best thing about your job? What do you hate about your job? See if it's something that you're gonna be interested in before spending a lot of money. The job you get right out of high school doesn't have to be the job you keep. You have plenty of time to change your mind and go and do something else.

SPEAKER_03 9:11

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 9:12

There's something wrong with that. I started my college career in engineering. I thought that I was gonna be a molecular biologist. I went to school for with for that for two years, and I just I could I just couldn't get passionate about it. And then I took an internship with a TV station in Corpus Christi, and that was the love of my life, and it has been the love of my life ever since. With degrees in criminal justice.

SPEAKER_02 9:38

You're helping people though. It's not as far away from molecular biology.

SPEAKER_01 9:43

Yeah, no, you're right. It that is totally a switch. But I had this dumb idea that I was gonna be a research scientist, and sometimes just because you're good at something doesn't mean you enjoy doing it. That's right. Yes, that's right. I got really great scores on my math SATs, and my dad is a doctor, so I thought, this would be good. I don't really want to be a doctor, but I could be a scientist.

SPEAKER_02 10:05

My daughter's the same, she's very good at math, she has an aptitude for it, but she absolutely hates doing it.

SPEAKER_01 10:10

Yes, I know. It was so hard for me, and I was in school with all these kids that they loved doing all this stuff. They would get together after classes and do calculus, and I just thought, man, I will never want to do that. That is not what I will do.

SPEAKER_02 10:26

So yeah, come in and see me. If you're overwhelmed, I will talk you down and I will give you a direction to go in.

SPEAKER_01 10:32

Great. Okay, so are there financial assistance programs that can help young adults pay for job training or certifications?

SPEAKER_02 10:38

That's a WIOA program, and so the short answer is yes. Okay. If you qualify, and if you don't qualify, there are other options available.

SPEAKER_00 10:46

What kinds of careers are currently in high demand in North Texas that young people may not be thinking about?

SPEAKER_02 10:53

We have a target occupations list, and there's 30 things on there, but I'll go for all of that. I'll go through the big two and uh three in our in our area is CDL, welding, and nursing. They don't preclude each other. My favorite nursing story is I had a guy I went to high school with who came in, this was about 15 years ago, and he'd just been laid off from the oil and gas industry, which has its ups and downs, and he wanted to go back to school. And I said, That's the occupation that's going to pay commensurate with the oil and gas industry with climate control. And he's really, and I didn't see him again, but I his brother came in, he goes, You're not gonna believe what he's doing now. And I was like, nursing? He goes, How did you know that? Wow, because that's what I was hoping to do four years ago. And I'm closing in on year 14 doing this. I do not have nurses come back to my office. They come in once and then they find a job. Yes. And CDL drivers are the same way. If you've got a CDL, you've probably got a job. Yeah. Now, all right, I say that if you have a CDL and a clean driving record, you probably have a job.

SPEAKER_03 11:57

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 11:57

And welders, because we have we've got Tower, we've got Southern Bleachers, we've got 1954 manufacturing, we've got Doles Contract. We have so many manufacturers that hire welders around here.

SPEAKER_01 12:09

Yes. When I was there at your office, you talked about the fact that sometimes people don't have a clean record, and you do help those people as well. Talk about that a little bit.

SPEAKER_02 12:19

Glad you brought that up. We can help you find a job. It may not be the greatest job depending on how far away you are, but we offer a couple of things. First of all, if and this is to the employers out there, if you're on the fence about hiring someone with a record, we offer something called a fidelity bond, which basically we will ensure someone that if they steal from you, we will pay you up to $5,000 against whatever they cost your company. And that way, if you've got somebody, I want to hire this guy, he looks like he'd fit in great, but he was in prison for we'll cover him, we'll give you an insurance policy on him. And it's free and it takes a couple of hours to get done. It is super fast, super easy. All you have to do is call workforce and we will get it done for you. If you have a criminal history and you're not really sure which way to go, we can tell you, hey, you're probably gonna want to steer away from this. Here's what you want, here's where you're wanting to look. I always tell my people with criminal histories talk to people that you've worked with before that will like write you a letter of recommendation. Yeah, and then you make a copy of that and you attach it to every application you give. We have tricks and tips to help people. And we offer these career workshops out of our Witchdraw Falls. You can attend them in person at our Wichita Falls office, or you can attend them virtually from anywhere. Wow. And they have just added a class finding a uh job seeking with a criminal history. You'll come out of it with a little more optimism than you probably go into it.

SPEAKER_01 13:40

That is so awesome.

SPEAKER_02 13:42

It is okay. If you're interested, again, just give me a call and we will facilitate this for you.

SPEAKER_01 13:47

Okay, so I'm gonna you just brought a you have a little flyer there with all the stuff on it. We will either post that or post a link to it. Could you share a success story of a local young person whose life changed because of one of these programs? I can't say any names.

SPEAKER_02 14:05

No, that's okay. But this is my favorite story. Right after I started, maybe a year after I started, I had someone who came in and was looking at fast food jobs because that's what he had experience in. And so I talked to after talking to him for a little bit, I was like, We have this program. And and I explained to him how it works, and he went through and got his welding certificate. And about two or three years after that, I'm walking through Walmart and I did not remember him. But this guy comes up and just hugs me, and of course, I have no idea who it is, and he said, You changed my life. And I was like, I did. And of course, I remembered him after he said that, and I was like, That's fantastic. Wow. And I have a woman who came in and went didn't know what to do, and I was like, program well, she always wanted to weld, that's actually, and went through the program, and she has had, I think, again, probably coming up on a 10-year career as a welder. Wow, and yeah, they they will help you get your foot where you need to be to make you successful, not just living, but successful.

SPEAKER_01 15:21

Yeah. So the programs help them get their foot in the door, is what you're saying. It's not just like a certificate that you get, yes, and then you have to find it. And that's yeah, we will absolutely help you. Yeah, that's the thing that's so great about these programs, is because you see them through everything. So, yeah, I was super impressed about that.

SPEAKER_00 15:40

Suppose someone went to college and graduated with a degree and can't find work in that field. What help can workforce solutions offer?

SPEAKER_02 15:48

Okay, so yes, bring your resume in. Let me see what you're doing. There may be something you're doing wrong on your resume, or we offer mock interviews, we can help you practice for your interview or application assistance. You're applying and you're not really sure what they're asking, or maybe you're putting something in wrong. We can help you do all that. I had a woman from Only actually who had a phenomenal resume. She had had three jobs. She worked, the least one she was there for six years, but the other two were plus ten, and she had gotten promoted. Every job she'd ever had, she'd been promoted up. Her resume was beautiful. She had gotten a ridiculous amount of interviews, but she was not getting past the interview. So we did a mock interview, and she came in and I started asking the interview questions, and she spent 30 minutes telling me everything she'd ever done wrong at her last job. Oh no. And I asked her, I was like, that's everything you did wrong at your job? And I said, and you worked there for 12 years?

SPEAKER_03 16:46

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 16:46

I was like, that's not a lot of mistakes for 12 years, but that's a lot of mistakes for 20 minutes. I said, and I walked through, which you don't ever give a negative. If you say something you did wrong, you immediately follow up with how you corrected it and what you did. And you don't have to volunteer everything. And I think I'd asked her, what is a mistake that you did at work? And she listed every mistake. And we hoached her through some other stuff and said, instead of saying this, say this. And she, her very next job interview, she got hired. Yay! When you're in uh interviewing with people, they're not trying to help you get a job, they're trying to find a person who's going to fit or who's going to help their company. So they're not trying to help you. I'm trying to help you. I will ask the same questions, listed your answers, and tell you what you can do better.

SPEAKER_01 17:30

Oh, that's so great. Man, that's such a great story. You need somebody to kind of because it's very vulnerable trying to get a job. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 17:38

And if you don't know, if somebody's never told you you don't know, that's not that's a learned skill. It's not something you just go in knowing how to do.

SPEAKER_01 17:45

You might be great at a job, you just might not be great at getting it.

SPEAKER_02 17:49

Especially people on the autism spectrum. They make great employees, they rarely miss work. They show and their attention does not differ from what they're doing. They will get stuff done fast and they will do it quickly, and like I said, they don't leave you in the large. They are terrible at job interviews. So, employers out there, be aware of that. You're not necessarily going to answer the questions that you want to answer, but they'll probably be fantastic employees.

SPEAKER_00 18:17

Are there certifications or short-term training programs that can help someone increase their earning power without spending years in school?

SPEAKER_02 18:25

There are some options available on work in Texas, and we have a program that will link you to other programs to help get the smaller certifications. There are some links on the Work in Texas website, and there are some links on our Career One Stop website in our office. While I can't offer you any specifics, I can show you the way to get there.

SPEAKER_01 18:46

I think that's all people need. Let's do mid-career now. I don't know if you're seeing more people in mid-career just because of how the economy has been.

SPEAKER_02 18:54

Yes, I have fewer people that just get tired of their job and come in, and most people who are filing for unemployment. And they're like, this is the third time I've had to file for unemployment. I want to do something different. And we talked about the WLA program and having to meet the federal income guidelines. But a way, the one way around it is there is a special fund for what's called dislocated worker. Basically, if you have lost your job through no fault of your own and are eligible for unemployment, it's a funding to help you retrain. And it's still done through the WLA program, but we will help you learn a new skill. Oh, that is pretty awesome. Now the caveat to that is you cannot have a marketable skill already. If you do not, if you already have a degree certification or license, you're less likely to be approved for the program. There are workarounds on that. I've known a gentleman who couldn't pass the health, he had a CDL, but he could no longer pass the health requirement for the CDL. So they were able to send him back through because he could not use the one that he already had. What did he do?

SPEAKER_01 19:58

What did he end up doing?

SPEAKER_02 19:59

I don't remember that.

SPEAKER_01 20:00

Okay. Because I remember you told me about somebody who went to chef school.

SPEAKER_02 20:04

Oh yeah, Abilene or Sweetwater Job Corps went yeah, he went and got his chef certification. And what was he before?

SPEAKER_01 20:13

Was he I don't remember that was pretty neat. Yes. I thought because you don't think of that someone would want to do that or that Texas workforce would say, Yes, we need more chefs. And we know where to send. So if someone has been laid off after 20 years in the same industry, what's the first thing they should do when they come see you?

SPEAKER_02 20:37

I'm gonna help you file for unemployment. Your first step should always be filing for unemployment because you might find a job the next day, but you might not. It takes anywhere from three to six weeks to get your unemployment approved. You want to get that thing filed immediately. And sometimes I say go home and come back tomorrow. Because losing your job can be quite traumatic, especially if you've been working at the same job for decades and then all of a sudden it's not there anymore and you've counted on it. People can come in very upset. And I can always spot them. I can tell. They're not gonna let hear anything that I say, they're not gonna remember it, they're too upset about the situation. Usually I'll say, come back tomorrow and run file for unemployment. And after that, and I'll walk you through it. It's not as bad as you think it's gonna be, but you need to take a day and process it and come back and see me. But generally speaking, the first thing is get your unemployment file. Do that first. And then we'll go through what your options are. And you do have options. If you have worked for the same employer for years, that's a good sign on your resume. That means other employers are going to see that and say, that guy's not gonna quit. And he was obviously good enough that they kept him on for this long. We can show you where you can take that. Or maybe, hey, this job will translate to this job and which is more in demand. You have the same skill set. Oh, that is such a hopeful thing.

SPEAKER_01 22:02

Because I think a lot of people don't think that Oh my God, there's no other jobs like that. So just having somebody to have that outside perspective to tell you, hey, you can also do this. Did you ever think about that?

SPEAKER_02 22:15

And your ego takes a hit when you lose your job. Yeah. It's you people lose self-esteem. And especially not to pick on the guys, but men, it's they it really affects them, especially when they identify so much with their job and they do good work and that's what they think. And all of a sudden they're saying you weren't good enough is what they hear, and that's not necessarily what the employer was saying. What the employer is usually saying is I pay you about twice as much as I pay this guy who's been here for two years, so it's easier to let you go. But that's not what they hear. What they hear is I'm not good enough. And it it sometimes that they need a pep talk. Yeah, I know. I bet they do.

SPEAKER_00 22:53

What retraining programs exist for workers whose jobs have changed because of technology or economic shifts?

SPEAKER_02 23:01

Basically, like I said, the the dislocated worker program, and we do offer labor market information. We look at jobs, we look at projections to see if this job is going to be hiring more people. Is this a growth industry or is this something that's going to lose employees? With AI coming in, there's a lot of office jobs that are going to no longer be necessary. And so we can help say, okay, this job is projected to lose a thousand people in the next 10 years. Maybe you want to look at something along these lines that's in the same area, but this is more of a growth industry.

SPEAKER_03 23:38

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 23:39

We try to help them find jobs in the same area. And again, look for retraining or update their skill set to help them learn, even if it's just learning computer, getting the technology updated.

SPEAKER_01 23:53

That's a good question. AI is a really big deal right now, and I bet a lot of people want to know more about how to use it.

SPEAKER_02 24:00

Yeah, again, this is Tracy personally, not taking the work personal. I'm hoping to settle in and see where AI learns. Right now it's exploding, but they've already started to say, okay, y'all don't need to be using it for this. I use AI when I do my spreadsheets, and I'm not can't remember what code to put in to make it do what I want. I'll just say, hey, AI, how do I make it do this? It's a wonderful thing, and it offers a lot of help in different areas. Uh and like I said, it it is going to cause people to lose work. It is going to impact, and I don't think we're going to know exactly how far it's going to impact for a few more years. What industries are hiring right now that might surprise people? Around here, nursing and manufacturing around here. I think Towers hiring right now, I think Excalibur's hiring right now, uh, 1954 is hiring right now. A lot of our manufacturers are gearing up for different stuff.

SPEAKER_01 25:01

I've been talking to some of the manufacturers in town as well, and they're doing fantastic.

SPEAKER_02 25:05

That's a really good place to get a job right now. Because in if you don't have the experience, now's a really good time to try to apply because they need those people and they're going to be more willing to train when they need those people. Yeah, exactly.

SPEAKER_00 25:20

Can workforce solutions help pay for career training in certain fields? How does someone find out if they qualify?

SPEAKER_02 25:27

Our primary area on this is the WIOA program. I told you I would be hearing that a lot. Yes. So if you want to know what happens, is if you're interested in the program, we ask that you attend an orientation, which takes place every Tuesday at 3 p.m. We call, we will put you on the list to attend the orientation. And then once you attend the orientation, they will put you in with her name's Elizabeth Hall, she's out of our Witcher Falls office, and she qualifies you for the program. And so once you go through it and she will bend over backwards to try and get you in. She really does, is very helpful and very nice. And her goal is to get you into the program. So if there is a way, she will find it.

SPEAKER_01 26:02

Okay. And then the program does what for we're talking about mid-career people who lose their job.

SPEAKER_02 26:08

It's the same thing as they do the now. The youth, which is again 18 to 24, they send you to they have a counselor. That's their job is to help you. Anyone else, uh an adult looking for training, they'll get assigned a wheel counselor. Once they get qualified, they get assigned the wheel counselor and she guides them through it. She checks in with them if there's any trouble with classes. Do you need anything for your classes? What do you need to be successful here? And or and to kind of keep you in line, your professor said you didn't do class. Why didn't you attend class? It's even if you're in your 30s or 40s, sometimes you need that mom person who to wrap something over your knuckles and say, You got to do better. Uh, and so she does that for them. Oh my gosh. I think it really helps the kids be more successful.

SPEAKER_01 26:54

Yes, absolutely. So, yeah. That's like the whole theme of what we're talking about here, is just knowing that you have somebody who's on your side who's seen it all before, and that can just stand with you while you walk through this process, which, like you said, is super emotional for a lot of people.

SPEAKER_02 27:11

Yeah, that's sometimes you need a pat on the back, sometimes you need a kick and dance. Whatever's needed. There you go.

SPEAKER_00 27:17

So, what if someone never finished high school? Is it too late for them?

SPEAKER_02 27:21

No, and I I this is what I always tell people who do not have a diploma. You do not need a GED to get hired, but if you want to get promoted, you really need one. And we do have we have offer free GED prep classes, and they're on Mondays and Tuesdays in our offices from I think 5 30 to 8 30. And those are done by Region 9. Region 9 has some wonderful services, and I think if we talk are talking about assistance, Region 9 is going to come up a lot too. They conduct the classes and they teach to the class, to the test. So you're not, and you're in there with other adults. This is not like going back to high school. You're in with adults who are wanting to be there, who want to get this GD. And like I said, I can't tell you enough. You do want to get your GD. Even if you are in your 40s, you want to get and the biggest cautionary tell, I had a woman who had been a hotel manager. She got hired while she was in high school and she was making money. She didn't feel the need to complete it. And so she had worked there, I think, 30 or 40 years, and they got bought out by a chain. And even though she had been doing the job and they wanted to keep her, it was a corporation now, and they did not allow people to manage their hotels without diploma. And she lost her job. So it may not come up now, but it can bite you when you least expect it. It is just and it's not hard to get. Just combine we'll hook you up with region nine, and you can get registered for the classes and and just get it over and done with.

SPEAKER_01 28:55

Do you have to pay for that?

SPEAKER_02 28:57

No, the classes are free. I think you do have to pay to take the test, but again, we have programs that will help you to pay for that. And so does Region 9.

SPEAKER_01 29:05

Okay, so no excuses. And you'll be real surprised at what a great student you are when you go back to school, which I'll tell you, I was the worst student ever in my undergrad. I barely passed, but when I got my master's, I was the top of the class.

SPEAKER_02 29:22

My GPA was significantly better when I went back to school in my 30s than it was when I was 18 and 19.

unknown 29:28

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 29:29

Yeah, that's for that's me too. I went through school and just when you're 18 and 19, your priorities are not in check. They are not where they need to be.

SPEAKER_02 29:38

And now priorities, but school is not one of them.

SPEAKER_00 29:42

Exactly. And now I'm currently in school right now, and I think it's been one of the it has done so much for my self-confidence and just being to retain things and apply the stuff I've learned in real life and be able to apply it in schools now. And I think that's the thing with getting your GED. Once you get that that get that part down, because I think it's intimidating for a lot of people. I have a couple of friends that don't have their GED, but I think it ignites something in you whenever you're able to successfully get it, then you know I can go try and do anything I want now. It just opens all these doors, and I think that's wonderful y'all do that there. Um education is so important. Oh, it just is.

SPEAKER_02 30:23

And just call and talk to them if you're under like I said, it can feel intimidating, but again, you have the most supportive staff that are really there to help you, and they will shepherd you through it. And once again, once you have that, GD, it does. It opens so many doors that are closed to you without it. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 30:40

Absolutely. Uh, what services are available for adults who maybe struggle with reading math or digital skills?

SPEAKER_02 30:47

So I'm gonna circle not digital skills, but if you do have trouble with math or reading, again, Region 9 offers tutorials and help with this. They will, if you have always struggled with reading, and again, I'm talking to people who are older now, if you're in school, they can identify learning disabilities very quickly. They did not do that 30, 40 years ago. No, and so if you were going to school before, I'd say anyone over 40, that if you have struggled with your math skills or with your reading, contact me and I will get you Region 9's number and you can call and see what's available in your area.

SPEAKER_03 31:25

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 31:25

I struggled with math in high school, and I thought that I was bad at math, and then I went to college. I said, No, I'm good at math. I had a bad math teacher. Ah, there you go.

SPEAKER_03 31:36

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 31:38

I've known adults who have dyslexia and were never diagnosed, but there are so many new ways of learning that can really help you.

SPEAKER_02 31:49

And the teachers know about them now, they know how to diagnose this and they know how to teach to it. So there are tools available to them to help you that were not available necessarily when you went to school.

SPEAKER_01 32:00

So imagine how cool it would be to be able to bypass all that stuff and just have that joy of learning.

SPEAKER_02 32:07

Turns out maybe you actually do to read. It was just too difficult before, and now you are in the tools to do it. Oh well, this is great.

SPEAKER_01 32:15

Exactly. So yeah, don't let that stop you. Okay, so do you have programs for people returning to the workforce after raising children or caring for family members?

SPEAKER_02 32:27

We don't have any specific programs, but come see me because I will help you. And here's the biggest one I've had people who were taking care of family members who were ill and or their parents who were incapacitated and they've been out of the workforce for five or six, ten years, and they come in and we and I do the same thing, we do a skills check. This is what you've been, you've been a caretaker. There are jobs for that. Yeah. Or maybe you might want to go into nursing. You already know most of what's going to be required of you in this field. Here's the program that can help you to do that. Or let's take here, take this test, let's see what you're interested in doing. Or maybe it will translate to child care options, or getting into uh school assistants, the teaching assistants at the school. There's lots of different options that are available to you, and we can show you how to get there. Or maybe you want to go back and get a four-year degree start from scratch. That four years goes by very quickly, and there are programs available to you, and we will help you find them. Yes.

SPEAKER_01 33:30

Absolutely. I know that it would seem so intimidating to not have anything on your resume for 10 years or however many years, and you think, oh, I'm worthless. But just you just, as you just explained, no, everything that you do in life can be a skill. Yes.

SPEAKER_02 33:46

And I will show you how to put it on your resume to reflect the skill that it is.

SPEAKER_01 33:51

Here we go. So I was lucky enough to meet Katina at your office when I went and toured that day. And she's was retired, right? And then she came back and she's doing some office work for you. So can you tell us about those kind of jobs?

SPEAKER_02 34:04

So the program that our front office staff uses is called MET, and actually, it's called the SCSEP program, uh, and it's a federal grant for people who are over the age of 55 that need to be retrained for careers. And again, because the technology moves fast, maybe you don't have computer program programming skills. This program pays you, not that it's a training program, and it pays you, it's a four-year program, and once you get qualified, it will pay you to work for a nonprofit organization. And you can find the nonprofit that might be interested here for this program. This program will pay for them for four years, and they relearn the skill set. Now the employer does take a responsibility in training these people. For example, at our job, they're learning computer skills, they're learning customer service, they're learning multi-down phone systems, they're learning office equipment. So they spend and they're learning social work, they're learning to assist people getting registered in our program. And so they actually are so they learn this in over four years, and at the end, they have this four-year work history on the resume with a different occupation than maybe they spent uh the first so many years doing. That is awesome, yeah. And my father actually is a member of this program. He uh retired from the oil and gas industry because your body wears out after a certain amount.

SPEAKER_03 35:28

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 35:29

And right now he is working as a researcher for the Young County Museum.

SPEAKER_03 35:33

Wow.

SPEAKER_02 35:34

He loves history, has his whole life, and now he's actually getting to do it.

SPEAKER_01 35:38

Oh, that's super cool. So it's not just office work, you can do a lot of different stuff.

SPEAKER_02 35:43

Yes, the caveat to that, it has to be a nonprofit organization. Yeah. But any nonprofit and his employers, if you're looking, that you can't, which a lot of nonprofits can't afford office staff, or it's not in the budget. This program is a fantastic way to get those people and and these people will learn. And like four years is plenty of time for them to give a lot to your company. Absolutely. And when they leave, they will have something to take with them and give a lot to another company.

SPEAKER_01 36:11

So, what kinds of jobs are available for people who want part-time work after retirement?

SPEAKER_02 36:18

You need to remember a part-time job just to be uh out there in the public. There's lots and uh fast food work and uh everybody, but they're paying actually very decently right now. Walmart, United, both of those places. They will hire, especially if you have a militar you're a military veteran. Walmart loves their military veterans. And I had a guy who actually went through the Met program with us and he transitioned to work at the front end at Walmart, and he loved it. He got to talk to people all day. It was part-time because he didn't need a full-time job, but it was exactly what he was looking for. It's something to get him out of the house two or three days a week and get him back involved in the community. It gives you purpose and it lets you be helpful. And the human body is a lose it or lose it option, and that's every part of the human body, especially the brain. So if you do not want to lose your fact, get out there and do something. And there are lots of jobs available where they need you. Yeah, especially. I think older people elevate the tone of any workplace. You're not wrong. And if you go into McDonald's or Dairy Queen and you got a 16-year-old over here, they may do it faster, but the 60-year-old is going to listen to you and pay attention to what you're doing, and you may be more comfortable talking to them.

SPEAKER_01 37:40

Yeah. What benefits do older bro workers bring to employ you?

SPEAKER_02 37:44

Experience and yeah, an ability to listen to people and patience. Not all 20-year-olds, but someone older has going to have been there and done that. They're going to be less likely to be shocked by something. They're going to be more empathetic to something that has happened. They're going to be more willing to listen because more likely they've been there in that situation. They can offer a lot to any company. And like Sid, what they say, 50s is the new 30, I hope. And 60s is the new 40. It's people are aging slower. You have a lot more to offer for a lot longer than you used to.

SPEAKER_01 38:22

Yes. Okay. This is a question a little bit about the current economy, but also just about what you just said, which is people are re realizing that they're gonna be healthier and more and happier being in the workplace. But are you seeing many retirees who return to work because they have to? Not because they have to, but because they just want oh yes.

SPEAKER_02 38:43

This a little money, extra money is helpful for everybody. But yeah, I have a lot of and I always uh if you are wanting to get out, volunteer. There are a lot of volunteer opportunities in the community. For example, the we talked about the museum. I bet y'all have some uh volunteer opportunities here and the oh check your chamber of commerce, come out and check there are events that happen throughout, and they can always use an extra set of hands, stuffing baskets, or like what they did the food trucking gram. They always need people to help uh get things set up and to get things moved around. There's always and if you're looking for a job, those volunteer opportunities are incredibly helpful for that. You are talking to people, uh you're talking to employers, you're talking to people that might know someone who's looking. Getting out there and getting involved lets you network with people that can be helpful to you later. If you're working a stand at the carnival and you sit there and you put in a good day's work, that person may not have a job, but then two days later, somebody's asking, we really need to hire somebody for this. You know what? I'll work with this boy. He busted his behind getting this set up. I bet he'd be great. Here, let me see if I can get his number for you. You never know if then that stuff's gonna pan out.

SPEAKER_01 40:00

Yeah, absolutely. Okay, so let's talk about local employers because you don't just work with workers, you work with employers also. What services do you provide for employers?

SPEAKER_02 40:11

Our biggest one is the free job board. The work in Texas is the state sponsored job board. So you can post a job there and it can be seen statewide. Work in Texas. Workintexas.com. And again, like I said, it was this it's the state job board, so it's absolutely free. If you're a little intimidated by trying to post yourself, please call me, I'll post it for you. We also do hiring events. We did our very first job fair here in Ali earlier this year, and it was quite successful. I think the employers were very happy with the way it turned out. I've done several hiring events. I did a CDL-only hiring event. Our big ones are in Wichita Falls, and we have hundreds of people that show up for those, and we offer those testing and assessments. Uh, we if you have a certain type of job and we can facilitate testing for you where they can come in and just test with us and then we can send you the results of the test. And we do interview space. Let's say that, especially places that have shops or yards, but they don't have office space in an area, we can provide that for you. So you can do your job interviews there, or if you need testing, you need to or retraining. We offer a classroom that you can use for free. We do onside hiring events. I did one the other day. Basically, I will come to your office or your shop or auto zone as it so happens, set up a tent outside, and I can help people apply for those jobs there. Because a lot of people, especially if you're older or say older, I've had some 20-year-olds that can't do this online, I can't do these applications. And basically, I just sat there and helped people apply for the job. And they were there, they were able to interview people on site and offer jobs, and I will do that for your company. If you need to hire a significant amount of people, I will publicize it. I'll get the word out that I'm going to be there and I will help people apply. And then if you have someone that can be available for job interviews on site, that's great. If not, we can just get the applications sent in. But it's helpful to have somebody there that can answer questions. If somebody comes in, maybe they want to apply, maybe they don't, they're not sure, they want to ask questions. It's helpful to have they can, if we do it on site, there'll be somebody that can answer their questions for wow man.

SPEAKER_01 42:17

So you take out all of the hard part about hiring people.

SPEAKER_02 42:22

We try. We talked about the job seeker side of it, but if you need to hire someone but you don't want to hire someone with zero experience, but that's all that you have, we can do the the on the job training or work experience programs. Well, we can provide a person and then they have three months where we pay for their salary and then they can decide if they want to hire them at the end of it or not.

SPEAKER_01 42:43

Wow, fantastic. So no risk hiring.

SPEAKER_02 42:46

Yeah, and we talked about the fidelity bonding program. Again, if you need to hire someone and you're uncertain about it, we will provide our region is number one providing fidelity bonding insurance policies to employers. And like I said, it's completely free. If you feel like you're about to have to lay off some people and you don't want to, come talk, talk to us. We will send somebody to your company and or if you're going, the layoff's gonna happen. It's it needs to happen. You we can send someone there that can facilitate unemployment and talk to your workers. I don't know what's going on, what's going to happen, and what their options are, what the employer's options are. We will help you through that if you're going through a rough time with your business. Let us know what's happening, and we can find we will send someone to help you.

SPEAKER_01 43:30

Wow, that is so amazing. What a great service.

SPEAKER_02 43:35

We have worked with NCTC where an employer needs this amount of people, and NCTC has a program where they can get these people certified. And I'll say welding just because there are grants that are available to help you pay for them to get the certification that they need. Wow. So you you'll have to talk to us, and like I said, because these tend to be very specific. You let us know what you need and We will let you know if there's something available that can help you. But you don't know if you don't ask. And especially if you're looking to hire a bunch. You know what?

SPEAKER_01 44:07

I'm wondering if you think that this is going to happen again because of all the stuff that's going around with the data centers. Yes.

SPEAKER_02 44:13

And it could be. If you're with the data center, give me a call.

SPEAKER_01 44:17

Yeah, there you go. But also the other businesses that are going to be supporting that, the construction businesses and everything else.

SPEAKER_02 44:23

Yeah, the construction's going to be massive and they will be bringing people in, but they will be hiring locally too. Oh, right now, if you have if you're in, they're doing a new addition out in Graham, they're building a bunch of houses. So if you are in a new build construction guy, give me a call because they're looking to hire right now.

SPEAKER_01 44:44

Wow. That is fantastic. Let's hope that there are so many more jobs coming our way.

SPEAKER_00 44:49

Okay, so if an employer in Almy is struggling to hire workers, what is the first call they should make? Me.

SPEAKER_02 44:56

Call me. Call me. First of all, the first thing I'm gonna do, you call me, I will get the jobs posted. And then now I should with work in Texas, when you post a job for the first 48 hours, only veterans are allowed to apply to it. So just be aware of that. But after that first 48 hours, first I'll send out a notification to all the veterans in our system that match the job and say, hey, here's a job. After that 48 hours, I can send out another mass either email when you register for work in Texas as a job seeker. You put that you either want email notifications or email or text notifications. So once I do that, I run a job, I can run a job match and I can run it statewide if it's a more specific job that you might be wanting to recruit, or I can put a or I can do a wider if if it's local, I can tend to point out to every to everybody that matches in Young County saying, hey, look at this job. Or we can plan an on-site hiring event, or we can plan a hiring event at my office, or we can plan a hiring event somewhere local where we let that we put the word out and say, We're hiring, here's what we're doing. If if it's a job that's not as sought after, that people are less likely to warn, we will sit there and say, Here, we'll set up a table and we'll say, come ask questions. This may be something you wouldn't think you're interested in, but you might be. And that's what with the TDCJ. I have a lot of people that say, I don't know if I want to be a prison guard. Yeah, but you might. That job pays really well. They offer, and now that the TDCJ has taken back over Lindsay, and there's one in Breckenridge, too. The salaries are very good and they offer tuition reimbursement. Their retirement plan is phenomenal, their insurance plan is great. It's really a great, not a bad place to work. We will facilitate with the TDCJ so that they can educate people and let them know what actually comes with working there. And they have a lot of jobs that are not prison guards, so it's a good time to keep your mind open. We will do that for your business. We can let us know and we will help educate on what you offer. We'll help you make a flyer that says, here's what we're hiring for, this is what we offer, come talk to us.

SPEAKER_03 46:59

Wow.

SPEAKER_01 46:59

That is fantastic. You're a matchmaker. We do.

SPEAKER_03 47:03

Yes.

SPEAKER_01 47:04

Okay, so what opportunities do you see for Young County over the next five years?

SPEAKER_02 47:09

I don't know. The data centers are big, again, that that's very controversial, some people are very anti-data center. Um withholding uh opinion. I would like to talk to some people from towns that have data centers before I render my opinion on it. But as because of my work, I see jobs. Anytime something new comes in. So I think the data centers will have a big impact on if they come in, if they're allowed to build here, I think that's going to be a huge impact on what types of jobs are available, and by virtue of that, what types of trainings are available.

SPEAKER_01 47:44

Uh and just like we said we talked about earlier, the knock-on effect of that, just because you'll be having construction workers in town who need to eat someplace, stay someplace.

SPEAKER_02 47:53

And there will be more restaurants that are open, there will be more people will be opening their Airbnbs, turning things will happen. And they will have to hire people to serve, and they will have to hire people to yeah, it's a wonderful thing anytime a new industry comes down.

SPEAKER_01 48:08

Yeah, exactly. So that should be pretty interesting to see what all evolves from that.

SPEAKER_00 48:14

As the projects like the data center, manufacturing growth, healthcare expansion, and skilled trades opportunities emerge in our region. How can our local residents position themselves now to benefit?

SPEAKER_02 48:27

If you hear that something is coming in, come talk to me about what again, let's say we know that there's going to be some construction for the data center, and once we know that it's gonna happen. All right, come to me and we talk about work experience and we hook you up with a construction company, and so that you can get that experience so when they start hiring, we can put you in. Or let's say uh what we find out what exact occupations the data centers are gonna have. Maybe Microsoft, or what is it, the Microsoft certifications. Those are fairly easy to get and fairly inexpensive to get, and you can do them mostly online. Come in and see what's going what you're going to need to build your resume up. And let's say we will help that. We also, I didn't mention we also have a computer lab. You don't you don't have good Wi-Fi at your house and you need to get this class. Come see us, we will let you use our computer lab and do what you need to do. Yeah, and it's a very nice environment. I had someone come in the other day, they had a job interview, and they had spotty Wi-Fi. It was an online job interview. There they didn't trust their Wi-Fi at home. And and I always say, if you got dogs or kids or construction next door, come to us. We have a quiet room, a quiet, clean room that you can sit in with good Wi-Fi. Uh, and uh so we were she was able to come in and she booked the classroom and she went back there and was able to do her job interview in a more relaxed atmosphere than she would have had if she was worried about the internet failing every time.

SPEAKER_01 50:00

Yes, and also a kid or a dog making a noise, you can't really think about what your questions are if you're all worried. So that is great. I didn't know that you could do that. Yeah, I love that. Yeah, that's great. Okay, so if you're listening today from Alney, Newcastle, Leving, or Graham, and you think maybe Workforce Solutions can help me, what should be your next step be?

SPEAKER_02 50:20

Call. Call me. Now, generally speaking, you don't need an appointment to see me. But I if you're on unemployment, I have to do these things, they're called Reese's. Basically, it's an unemployment, it's a job seeking uh job search class that you have to attend if you meet certain criteria on unemployment. And when I'm in those, I'm unavailable. Or I could be doing a podcast, or I could be doing a hiring event. So, especially if you're driving in from Almy or Jacksboro, and my counties are young and Jack County. So if you're driving in from Almy or Loving or Jacksboro, call ahead just to make sure that I'm going to be there. If I'm not there, if I'm at lunch, they will be able to tell you when I will be back. So you can come in. So if you're gonna drive, call first, but just to make sure I'm gonna be there when you get there. Yeah, call me and I'll let you know when I'm gonna be there. You can come in and I'll walk you through whatever your issue is, and I will it like I said, if I can't help you, I'll find the person that can.

SPEAKER_01 51:19

Okay, good.

SPEAKER_02 51:19

So when somebody comes in, they should just expect to be able to just come in and tell you, okay, this is what my problem is, yes, and then explain it, and then I need to get my driver's license, or I need to do I need help with the cover letter for this job, or how do I up how do I upload a resume to a website? You know, a lot of people you would now like there there's an age gap from people that know how to do that and people that don't, but come in, I will help you do the resume, I will show you how to upload it, and then I will give you a little flash drive with the resume on there so you can upload it yourself. Oh my god, it's just so great to have somebody that knows how to do it, yeah, knows how to do everything, and it's literally my job to help you. So I will not resent you or I will not sigh, and like your kids might, I will actually do it and do it nicely.

SPEAKER_01 52:10

Yes, and I get the sense just that you and your office staff, you've seen pretty much everything.

SPEAKER_02 52:15

There is something that you're embarrassed about. We can go back to my office and I will talk to you quietly about it. And it is illegal for me to tell anybody your name or that you were there, so I'm I would get fired for that. So I'm a very good secret keeper. Yes.

SPEAKER_01 52:31

So I yeah, this is like I said, a very emotional thing.

SPEAKER_02 52:34

And yes. I have had this Texas, we're menly men and we don't cry. You do in my office.

SPEAKER_03 52:39

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 52:40

Especially if you've lost your job after 30 years. And I'm a good person to do that with. And I'm a sympathetic crier. So if you cry, I will cry with you.

SPEAKER_01 52:48

Love it. That's so good. It's a rapid fire around. One career field Texans should pay more attention to with talking to you.

SPEAKER_02 52:57

Again, yeah, nursing. If even if you don't think you would like it, check into it, talk to nurses. It's it's it's the only job I know of that no matter what city you're in, I guarantee you somebody's hiring a nurse. Yeah, absolutely.

SPEAKER_00 53:12

Okay, what is one piece of advice you would give to a graduating senior?

SPEAKER_02 53:16

You don't have to make the decisions about your future right now. Yeah. You may you do need a job. Even if your mom says you don't need a job, get a job. You need to get a job. But it doesn't have to be the job you're gonna keep. Get the job at McDonald's or Brahms or Stewart's or whatever it is, and work there while you're looking at your other options. And get the easy job, but then explore your options and know the direction you're gonna go in before you invest a lot of money going there. Because you don't want to spend $80,000 on a college degree that you don't want to use.

SPEAKER_01 53:51

Exactly. And also all that time and effort. That's that's the worst part of it. Okay. One piece of advice for a 50-year-old thinking about a career change. Come see me.

SPEAKER_02 54:04

Like I said, we have if you don't know where you want to go or what you want to do, it isn't too late. And I say 50-year-olds, 70-year-olds, come see me. It's not too late to change direction. Now, again, a lot of a lot I have some who hate what they do and they don't want to do it anymore, and I have to be real with them. Okay, you're not gonna make the money you're making now starting over somewhere else. So you need to decide which is more important to you, or if you're if it's physically feasible for you to do. But it's not too late. There's always options that are available to you to change.

SPEAKER_01 54:37

We can help you find them. Yeah, sometimes just the ability to go do something that you love every day is worth it.

SPEAKER_02 54:44

It's worth it to me. You do not make a lot of money in social work, but I look forward to work most days of the week. So you get up every day and you just can't wait to see what's going on. And that's good. All right, I'd get to help people for half the day, and then I'd do data interviews for half the day. But the but the data is made worthwhile by the half that I get to help people. There you go. Yes, absolutely.

SPEAKER_01 55:06

Everybody should have that idea about work. Okay, so last question. People do want to come see you or call you. How do they get in touch with you? What are the ways?

SPEAKER_02 55:16

Our office location is in Graham. It's right between NCTC College and the public library. It's at 924 Cherry Street. Absolutely come see me. My phone number is 940-549-6363. Call me if you have any questions. I'll be happy to answer them. Or somebody from our office staff call me and I'll give you my email address and you can shoot me an email and let me know. And I'll give you my card and you can post it for us. Yes, we will.

SPEAKER_01 55:43

Okay, but we this we have subtitles on this. So if you want to say it, go ahead and it's tracy.org. There you go. All right. Thank you, Tracy, so much. Do you have any more? Yeah, do you have any?

SPEAKER_02 55:58

I just want to give a quick plug for our vocational rehabilitation. There, they office with us. They're at Workforce Solutions Vocational Rehabilitation, and they help people with disabilities, or if you need a knee surgery or back surgery or hearing aid, something that's to help you keep your job or to help you get a job, that is also available to you. Oh my god. And if you're on a 504 plan or in special education, there are programs through them that can help bridge the gap between school and vocation.

SPEAKER_01 56:27

Whoa, hold on. Let's just let's talk about that just a little because that's important. I didn't know you had that.

SPEAKER_02 56:32

They're a separate agency from us, but they office with us. Okay. I just want people to know they exist. And because a lot of people, again, it's the same thing with this. I did not know y'all did that. We do, we do. And hearing aids, they help people buy hearing aids, they help people, like I said, get surgeries. You lay carpet for a living and your knees are going out. They can help with rehabilitative services to help keep you in the workforce. Okay, so I didn't understand what you said about the thing about disabled students on a what plan? 504 plan. If you have a student with a disability, or if you are a student with a disability, a 504 plan is through the school, basically it's laid out this is what you need in school to be successful. If you have a disability, they generally work one out through the counselor's office and it feels like this is what the student needs to get through school and to successfully graduate. If you qualify for a 504 plan, then you qualify for the services through vocational realitation. They help with lots of different things to help students get from graduating senior to gainfully employed.

SPEAKER_01 57:35

Yeah. Don't hesitate to use these programs. They are there for that purpose. Well, thanks for sharing all that with us. And I hope that everybody who's listening who could use these services does not hesitate to reach out.

SPEAKER_00 57:50

Yes, absolutely. Tracy is wonderful. Just even sitting down with her for 30 minutes, you can see how much she cares. So thank you, Tracy, for coming on and sharing all these programs and opportunities for everybody in Young County.

SPEAKER_01 58:04

And that's our show for this week. A big thank you to Tracy Barrett from Workforce Solutions and Graham for joining us today and reminding us just how many opportunities are available right here in Young County. Whether you're looking for your first job, your next job, a better job, or even a brand new chapter after retirement, there are people and programs ready to help you take that next step.

SPEAKER_00 58:25

And that's exactly why we do Alni on Air, to connect our community with the information, resources, and people who are working every day to make life better here in rural Texas.

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Thank you for spending part of your day with us. Don't forget to pick up this week's Alni Enterprise for more local news. Follow us online and share Alney on Air with your friends and neighbors.

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We'll be back next week with more stories, more solutions, and more of the people who make Alni and Young County such a special place to call home. And Alni on Air is available on YouTube at Alni on Air, Spotify, Alney on Air, Apple Podcasts, Alney on Air, as well as there's a couple other ones, but those are our three biggest ones. We'd love to have you just follow the show, like, share, and follow. Share it with your friends and neighbors so we can all stay caught up with all things Alney and Uncounty.

SPEAKER_01 59:17

That's right. Thanks for listening to Alney on Air.