Many would consider Austin’s economy “hot” right now, with low unemployment, rising house prices and luxury condos sprouting all over downtown. But if you are not able to land a well-paid tech, state or UT position, the economic boom may be more of a bust.

In fact, as in most American cities, those with poor educations find themselves limited to mostly low-paying service jobs, especially as manufacturing has diminished as an option. We see kids with parents working long hours to get by but unable to afford childcare. Many face a choice between not working and living a subsistence lifestyle on federal aid or joining the ranks of the working poor with no medical benefits.

 

Though these are big problems, we believe that things can be better. In fact, our work with local and state employment agencies, training programs and UT experts has convinced us that at least some of the problem lies with poor communication between those needing work and training and those with resources to offer.

 

 

Austin is considered a “gateway city” by demographers, and east Austin is a first stop for many new immigrants to Texas. While Washington, D.C. debates immigration policy, our city deals with real people who are here right now, many of them children. We can’t ignore them away, whatever our politics may be. Local schools work heroically, especially given the current testing environment, to help kids with little or no English. Many of these children also deal with the effects of poverty.