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OKAY, WELCOME TO THE 12TH ANNUAL YOUTH CAREER FEST HERE IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
CHIQUITA WATT MUTUAL AND I AM THE ADMINISTRATOR OVER THE YOUTH INITIATIVES, THE OFFICE AND THE CITY OF AUSTAL.
WE HAVE WORKED DILIGENTLY TO HAVE THIS EVENT.
WE HAVE THIS EVENT EVERY YEAR, AND IT IS TO CREATE OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOUTH TO HAVE CAREER EXPLORATION.
WE STARTED IN 2013 AND WE ARE GOING STRONGER THIS YEAR.
WE HAVE OVER 3,500 HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS WHO HAVE COME TO THIS EVENT TO LEARN ABOUT CAREERS THAT THEY MAY OR MAY NOT KNOW ABOUT.
WE HAVE INCLUDED NINE SCHOOL DISTRICTS, DID I SAY THAT? NINE SCHOOL DISTRICTS.
WE HAVE 165 VENDORS WHO ARE HERE REPRESENTING THEIR CAREERS.
WE HAVE A COLLEGE CORNER WHERE STUDENTS CAN GO AND LEARN ABOUT DIFFERENT CAREERS WHERE WE HAVE TAKEN OUT THE CAREER COUNSELOR.
IN THE MIDDLE, THEY CAN WALK DIRECTLY TO THE TABLE AND TALK TO THE UNIVERSITIES OF CHOICE.
THEY ARE FROM AS FAR AS FLORIDA AND AS CLOSE AS A CC.
WE HAVE VOCATIONAL SCHOOLS AND WE HAVE TRADE SCHOOLS.
SO WE ARE HERE TO SUPPORT OUR YOUTH, NOT JUST IN THE CITY OF BOSTON, BUT IN THE SURROUNDING AREAS.
SO WE HAVE OTHER EXECUTIVES HERE WHO WOULD LIKE TO BRING GREETINGS AS WELL.
I WOULD LIKE TO BRING UP THE DIRECTOR OF THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT WHERE MY OFFICE IS HOUSED.
ANTHONY, WOULD YOU COME FORWARD PLEASE? THANK YOU, DR.
WELCOME AND WELCOME EVERYBODY.
GOOD MORNING TO EVERYONE HERE.
I CAN TELL YOU THE ATMOSPHERE IS VERY, VERY, VERY GREAT TO BE IN THIS AREA.
SO THE YOUTH CAREER FEST IS ALL ABOUT EXPLORATION, HELPING YOU TO DISCOVER DIFFERENT CAREER PATHS, CONNECT WITH PROFESSIONALS THAT CAN START THINKING ABOUT YOUR FUTURE.
ALSO, IT'S A FULL OF OPPORTUNITIES AND WE WANT EVERY YOUNG PERSON HERE TO SEE THEMSELVES AS PART OF THE SUCCESS.
THE EVENT TODAY IS ABOUT DISCOVERY.
IT'S ABOUT LEARNING WHAT'S POSSIBLE, WHETHER YOU'RE INTERESTED IN TECHNOLOGY, HEALTHCARE, SKILLED TRADES, PUBLIC SERVICE OR THE ARTS, THERE'S A PLACE FOR YOU IN THE AUSTIN ECONOMY.
GETTING TO KNOW DIFFERENT CAREERS, UNDERSTANDING WHAT SKILLS ARE NEEDED, AND DISCOVERING WHAT EXCITES YOU.
DON'T BE AFRAID TO STEP OUTSIDE YOUR COMFORT ZONE TODAY.
INTRODUCE YOURSELF AND EXPLORE CAREER PATHS YOU MAY NOT HAVE CONSIDERED BEFORE.
YEAH, THIS IS YOUR CITY AND WE NEED YOUR VOICE, YOUR IDEA, AND YOUR TALENT TO HELP SHAPE THE FUTURE.
SO TAKE UP SPACE, BE CURIOUS AND KNOW THAT AUSTIN IS INVESTING IN YOU.
A HUGE THANK YOU TO OUR PARTNERS, EDUCATORS, AND CITY STAFF WHO MADE THIS POSSIBLE BY INVESTING IN OUR YOUNG PEOPLE.
WE ARE INVESTING IN AUSTIN'S FUTURE.
THANK YOU, ANTHONY, FOR THOSE TIME WORDS.
UM, THIS EVENT, AS I SAID EARLIER, IT INCLUDES NINE SCHOOL DISTRICTS.
THE MAJORITY OF THESE SCHOOL DISTRICTS ARE HOUSED IN TRAVIS COUNTY, AND ONE OF OUR PARTNERS THAT'S PRESENT TODAY IS TRAVIS COUNTY COMMISSIONER JEFFREY TRIVI.
AND HE COMES EVERY YEAR TO SUPPORT US.
SO I WOULD LIKE TO ASK JEFF IF HE'D COME TO THE MICROPHONE AND GIVE WORDS OF WELCOME FROM TRAVIS COUNTY.
HOW ARE Y'ALL DOING THIS MORNING? WELL, THIS IS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS WE DO BECAUSE AS WE TALK ABOUT EDUCATION, TRAINING, CHILDCARE, ALL THOSE THINGS ARE IMPORTANT AS WE, AS POLICY
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MAKERS TRY TO ATTRACT LARGE BUSINESSES HERE.AS WE, AS WE BRING IN A TESLA, AS WE BRING IN A SAMSUNG, AS WE BRING IN AN APPLE, IT IS EQUALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE MAKE SURE THAT WHEN THEY GET HERE, THERE'S A WORKFORCE FOR THEM.
EUGENE AND I HAVE WORKED TOGETHER FOR MORE THAN 25 YEARS NOW.
ANTHONY AND I HAVE WORKED TOGETHER FOR OVER TWO DECADES AS WELL.
UH, AS A FORMER EDUCATOR, AS SOMEONE WHO HAS BROUGHT CHILDREN THROUGH THIS SCHOOL, THROUGH THESE SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND THROUGH THIS COMMUNITY, IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE PREPARE CHILDREN EARLY.
UH, THAT'S ONE REASON THAT TRAVIS COUNTY PASSED A TAX RATE ELECTION, WHICH IS GONNA HELP US WITH CHILDCARE, WHICH IS GONNA HELP US WITH AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAMS, BUT JOB PREPARATION AS WELL.
BUT WE'RE ONLY GOING TO BE AS GOOD AS OUR COORDINATION.
UH, THAT'S WHY WE STAND HERE TODAY WITH THE CITY OF AUSTIN WAS TRAVIS COUNTY, BUT WE ALSO SEE A CC.
WE ALSO SEE NINE SCHOOL DISTRICTS.
WE SEE COLLEGES, UH, WE SEE BREAKTHROUGH PROGRAMS. WE SEE ALL OF THE ELEMENTS THAT ARE NECESSARY FOR SUCCESS, BUT IT'S, IT'S GOING TO TAKE US ALL WORKING TOGETHER, TYING US ALL TOGETHER, MAKING SURE THAT OUR YOUTH ARE AWARE OF THE PROGRAMS BY MAKING SURE THAT WE ARE CONNECTING THEM TO INDUSTRY.
ALL OF THESE THINGS WILL WORK IF WE TAKE THE TIME TO HOLD EACH OTHER'S HAND AND BE ACCOUNTABLE TO EACH OTHER.
SO WHAT TRAVIS COUNTY COMMITS IS THAT RUSS STEVENS AND OUR TEAM OUT OF WORKFORCE AND OUR WORKFORCE SOLUTIONS PARTNERS WILL ALL WORK TOGETHER WITH THE CITY OF AUSTIN TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERY ONE OF THE STUDENTS THAT COMES THROUGH HAS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR TRAINING FOR EDUCATION, BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY FOR OPPORTUNITIES THAT WILL ALLOW THEM TO BUILD FAMILIES AND STAY IN CENTRAL TEXAS.
THIS IS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS THAT WE DO, AND WE ONLY GET THE KIND OF CITY AND COUNTY THAT WE WANT WHEN WE WORK TOGETHER TO BUILD IT.
SO THAT'S OUR COMMITMENT AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU ALL.
WELL,
WE ARE JUST SO EXCITED ABOUT TODAY AND SO EXCITED FOR THE LIGHT BULB TO TURN ON IN THE EYES OF THESE WONDERFUL YOUNG ADULTS WHO HAVE COME TODAY, I'D LIKE TO GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO SOME OF THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS WHO HAVE DECIDED TO PARTICIPATE WITH US.
NOW THEY HAVE TO REGISTER TO PARTICIPATE.
WE'RE NOT A WILLY-NILLY KIND OF YVETTE.
WE HAVE STUDENTS FROM THE FOLLOWING SCHOOL DISTRICTS, A ISD, ELGIN MAYER, TAYLOR, LOCKHART, LEANA HAYES, STRO, ANN ROUNDABOUT.
SO WHAT A WONDERFUL ENGAGEMENT THAT IS HAPPENING DELL, AND I CAN'T WAIT.
JUST CAN'T WAIT TO LEARN ABOUT WHAT THE STUDENTS ARE LEARNING TODAY, AND WE'LL GET THAT INFORMATION IN OUR EVALUATION AT THE OR.
ONCE AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR TUNING IN.
THANK YOU FOR BEING AS HELPFUL AS YOU HAVE BEEN AS CITIZENS OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN.