[Austin Youth Career Fest ’24 Press Conference on January 24, 2024.]
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WE ARE SO EXCITED WHEN WE PROBABLY CAN HEAR FROM THE BUSTLE OF ALL OF THE STUDENTS THAT ARE HERE TODAY.
WE HAVE APPROXIMATELY 3008TH THROUGH 12TH GRADE STUDENTS WHO ARE ATTENDING TODAY.
WE HAVE 68 BUSES COMING TO DROP STUDENTS OFF.
WE HAVE 48 SCHOOLS REPRESENTED.
WHAT IS THIS EVENT? THIS EVENT IS THE AUSTIN YOUTH CAREER FEST, AND THIS EVENT CREATES OPPORTUNITIES FOR STUDENTS TO LEARN ABOUT CAREERS THAT THEY WOULD HAVE NEVER HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN, LEARN.
SO THIS CAREER EXPLORATION GIVES STUDENTS AN OPPORTUNITY, YES, TO LEARN ABOUT CAREERS, BUT TO ALSO BE IN AN ENVIRONMENT WHERE THEY'RE COMFORTABLE TO ASK QUESTIONS ABOUT PARTICULAR CAREERS.
THEY ALSO ARE GOING TO GET INFORMATION FROM COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES.
WE HAVE OVER 32 UNIVERSITIES AND COLLEGES PRESENT TODAY.
WE HAVE UNIVERSITIES AS FAR AS THE STATE OF FLORIDA AND AS CLOSE AS THE A CC.
SO WITHOUT FURTHER ADO, I'M VERY HONORED TO HAVE SOME SPECIAL GUESTS WITH US HERE TODAY.
AND WE HAVE OUR WONDERFUL CITY MANAGER, JESUS GARZA.
WE HAVE OUR TRAVIS COUNTY COMMISSIONER, JEFF TIAN, AND WE HAVE OUR WONDERFUL AUSTIN CITY COUNCILWOMAN, VANESSA FUENTES, REPRESENTING DISTRICT TWO.
SO I'D LIKE TO BRING UP OUR CITY MANAGER, JESUS GARZA.
UH, IT'S, IT'S A PLEASURE TO BE WITH YOU HERE TODAY, THIS MORNING.
UH, THIS YEAR'S YOUTH FEST IS JUST ONE OF THE MANY WAYS THE CITY OF AUSTIN IS LOOKING TO HELP PAVE THE WAY, UH, FOR THE FUTURE OF OUR CHILDREN.
TODAY'S THOUSANDS OF STUDENTS FROM ACROSS THE AREA WILL HAVE A CHANCE TO MEET HUNDREDS OF VENDORS AND EXPLORE FUTURE EDUCATIONAL AND PROFESSIONAL OPPORTUNITIES.
THIS EVENT IS INVALUABLE TO MANY STUDENTS WHO WOULDN'T HAVE THIS CHANCE.
BUT FOR THIS EVENT, AND LET ME JUST TELL YOU A LITTLE BIT ABOUT MY CAREER.
I'VE BEEN WITH THE CITY OF AUSTIN IN TWO, IN TWO PHASES, ABOUT 20 YEARS.
I WORKED ABOUT 15 YEARS WITH THE SETON HEALTHCARE NETWORK, AND I WORKED IN CORPUS CHRISTI FOR FIVE YEARS.
THERE ARE GREAT OPPORTUNITIES IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR, IN THE HEALTHCARE FIELD, AND WE HOPE SOME OF OUR STUDENTS THAT ARE HERE TODAY WILL, WILL PURSUE THOSE INTERESTS.
EVENTS LIKE THIS WILL PAY DIVIDENDS FUTURE OF, FOR THE FUTURE OF AUSTIN, AS EACH OF THESE STUDENTS WILL BE ABLE TO IDENTIFY OPPORTUNITIES FOR A PROFESSION THAT THEY EXCEL AT, WHETHER IT'S IN TECHNOLOGY OR ENGINEERING OR THE MEDICAL FIELD.
BUT IT'S SURE TO BE PAID OR WITH THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
BUT IT IS HELP, IT WILL HELP OUR FUTURE, UH, IN THIS, IN THIS ENDEAVOR.
UH, ONE OF THE CITY'S MISSIONS IS TO DEVELOP, TO DEVELOP THE FUTURE OF AN INFORMED AND PRODUCTIVE COMMUNITY.
AND THIS EVENT IS ONE OF THOSE PRINCIPLE THINGS THAT WE DO.
AS I SAW THE AUDIENCE TODAY, IT IS CLEAR TO ME THAT WE'VE MET OUR FUTURE AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO THEM PARTICIPATING IN TODAY'S EVENT.
AND WE'VE, WE'RE VERY PLEASED WITH THE OPPORTUNITY THAT WE'RE ABLE TO PRESENT THESE STUDENTS.
NOW, I'D LIKE TO TURN IT OVER TO COMMISSIONER TRIVI.
I GUESS I'LL MAKE THIS WORK FROM WHERE IT IS.
AND I'M TRAVIS COUNTY COMMISSIONER OF PRECINCT ONE.
AND I'M VERY EXCITED, UH, ABOUT BEING HERE TODAY AT THE CAREER FEST FOR YOUTH.
THIS IS SUCH AN IMPORTANT ENDEAVOR.
IT'S AN IMPORTANT ENDEAVOR BECAUSE WHEN OUR YOUTH UNDERSTAND, UH, THE DIFFERENT BUSINESSES THAT HAVE BEEN BROUGHT INTO THE CITY, THE DIFFERENT WORK OPPORTUNITIES, THE DIFFERENT TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES, IT'S IMPORTANT FOR THEM TO KNOW THAT THERE IS A PATH FOR THEM TO GET FROM SCHOOL TO WORK.
THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THEM TO GET TRAINING.
UH, THERE ARE OTHER YOUTH INVOLVED AND I'VE BEEN SO INTERESTED IN THE EXCITEMENT OF THE YOUTH, THEIR UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT'S AROUND THEM, THEIR WILLINGNESS TO WORK HARD, TO BUILD A FUTURE FOR THEMSELVES.
WE KNOW THAT OUR YOUTH THAT ARE IN PROGRAMS ARE NOT OUR YOUTH THAT ARE IN TROUBLE.
AND WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE GIVE OUR KIDS EVERY OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN, UH, TO BE A PART OF THIS COMMUNITY, TO WORK AND TO LIVE AND STAY IN THIS COMMUNITY.
SO, WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT THE WORK THAT DR.
UH, THE WE'RE SO HAPPY THAT COUNCIL AND
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THE MANAGER HAVE BEEN PUSHING THIS PROGRAM.UH, WE THINK THAT, UH, WE HAVE MORE OPPORTUNITY, MORE THINGS TO DO.
WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE WORKING TOGETHER, THE CITY AND THE COUNTY, UH, TO DO THE THINGS THAT ARE NECESSARY TO EMPLOY OUR ALL OF OUR YOUTH AND GIVE THEM A REAL OPPORTUNITY TO THRIVE IN AUSTIN AND IN TRAVIS COUNTY.
MY NAME IS VANESSA FUENTES AND I SERVE ON AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL REPRESENTING SOUTH AUSTIN AND SOUTHEAST AUSTIN.
IT'S AN INCREDIBLE DAY HERE IN AUSTIN FOR US TO BE CELEBRATING YOUTH CAREER FESTS.
THIS IS ALL ABOUT PROVIDING OPPORTUNITIES FOR OUR KIDS SO THAT THEY CAN SEE ALL THE DIFFERENT CAREER PATHWAYS THAT WE HAVE AVAILABLE FOR THEM.
AND WE KNOW WITH THE NEXT GENERATION, OUR FUTURE IS LOOKING REALLY BRIGHT.
SO I'M EXCITED THAT THE CITY OF AUSTIN PUTS TOGETHER THIS ANNUAL FESTIVAL FOR OUR YOUTH EVERY, UH, FOR, YOU KNOW, TO ENSURE THAT WE ARE SHARING OUT OPPORTUNITIES AND THAT WE HAVE INCREDIBLE PARTNERSHIPS ACROSS THE BOARD.
I WAS JUST WALKING THE EXHIBIT HALL AND IT WAS INCREDIBLE TO SEE OUR PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT HAS A SIMULATOR SO THAT FOLKS CAN GET SOME HANDS, HANDS-ON PRACTICAL EXPERIENCE OF WHAT IT WOULD BE LIKE TO JOIN OUR PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT.
IT WAS ALSO REALLY COOL TO SEE THE UNITED STATES MARINES HERE REPRESENTING, YOU KNOW, SHARING INFORMATION ABOUT WHAT IT'S LIKE TO GO INTO PATHWAYS WITH OUR MILITARY.
I SAW AUSTIN FILM SOCIETY AND SEVERAL ART ORGANIZATIONS HERE.
I MEAN, THERE'S SO MUCH POTENTIAL, SO MUCH, SO MANY OPPORTUNITIES, UH, THAT THIS IS WHAT IT'S ALL ABOUT.
IT'S ABOUT INSPIRING OUR NEXT GENERATION OF LEADERS, ENSURING THAT WE HAVE A WELL-ROUNDED WORKFORCE THAT IS GONNA DRIVE THIS CITY FORWARD.
WE ARE A GROWING CITY AND AS PART OF THAT, WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THE KIDS THAT ARE GROWING UP IN THIS CITY STAY IN THEIR HOME CITY.
UH, AND WITH THAT, I WILL NOW TURN IT OVER TO DR.
WELL, AS YOU CAN SEE, WE HAVE LOTS OF POWER IN THIS ROOM AND THAT POWER BEING STUDENTS, MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE HERE TO SUPPORT THEM IN WHATEVER NEEDS THEY MAY HAVE.
I ALSO WANTED TO TAKE THIS TIME TO THANK OUR SPONSORS, THE CITY OF AUSTIN, OF COURSE, WHICH IS, UM, WHO I WORK FOR, BUT WE HAVE OTHER PARTNERS WHO HAVE BEEN HERE WITH ME MAKING SURE THAT THIS EVENT TAKES PLACE.
NOTHING BUT BUN CASE IS ONE OF OUR NEWEST SPONSORS.
THE AUTOMOTIVE ASSOCIATION IS ANOTHER SPONSOR.
WORKFORCE SOLUTIONS HAS BEEN WITH ME SINCE THE BEGINNING OF MY DREAM TO DO THIS EVENT.
THEY HAVE PROVIDED FUNDS AND OR IN KIND SERVICES, AND I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE HIGHLIGHTED HERE, UM, FOR ALL OF THE WORK THAT THEY HAVE DONE TO ASSIST US.