Interested in forming a partnership with our Velocity program? Contact us at velocity@skillpointalliance.org. This spring, students from Ann Richards School for Young Women Leaders teamed up to solve real world problems in the Austin area and beyond through Skillpoint's Velocity program. The students partnered with Meals on Wheels, HOPE for Senegal, and the Housing Authority of the City of Austin (HACA) to design solar panels, mobile-friendly applications and a self sustaining garden that Continue Reading >
Nonprofits and Information: Creating Success
May 25, 2016 By
Nonprofits are a valuable part of our community- always looking for ways to improve program delivery and reach more people who could benefit from their assistance. Of course, there are challenges, but organizations rarely let that stop them from graduating more workforce-ready community members or bringing more kids to camp. Skillpoint's Communications and Data Coordinator, Gina Watts, also a graduate student in Information Studies at the University of Texas, saw these efforts and wanted to Continue Reading >
An Intern’s Perspective: Alyssa Ortel
May 18, 2016 By
I spent the past few months as a Communications Intern at Skillpoint Alliance. Throughout the years I have worked in jobs where I was a cog in the machine working a minor role. Skillpoint Alliance has been a refreshing contrast to those experiences. It is an innovate, supportive and collaborative environment. My mentor Lindsay and I had weekly check-ins to stay on the same page; she always made sure I was satisfied with the experience I was gaining through my internship. I learned about Continue Reading >
Community Resources: Continuing Your Education
May 11, 2016 By
This is the second post in a 4-part series around a variety of community resources available. Check back for more information on education, life and online resources, or check out our full list of Community Resources. One barrier to landing your ideal job may be a lack of training and/or education. At Skillpoint, we offer a variety of training programs to prepare adults and students for the workforce. In addition, there are many resources in the community to continue Continue Reading >
Community Resources: Overcoming Everyday Obstacles
May 3, 2016 By
This is the first post in a 4-part series around a variety of community resources available. Check back for more information on education, life and online resources, or check out our full list of Community Resources. Many residents in Austin want to better themselves; give their family a better life, give their children better opportunities, and overcome the obstacles in the way of achieving their personal and professional goals. Unfortunately, overcoming those obstacles can be Continue Reading >
A Wedding, Skillpoint Style
April 19, 2016 By
When Ashley signed up for Skillpoint’s Gateway program, she expected to learn valuable skills and have the opportunity to advance her career as a Certified Nurse Aide. What she didn’t expect was for the experience to end with a wedding. Cody and Ashley were childhood friends, and first met because their families attended the same church. They lost touch growing up as the families went separate ways, but reconnected through Facebook as adults. A new friendship flourished and eventually led to Continue Reading >
Bringing It All Together: Celebrate National Welding Month!
April 12, 2016 By
We are in the midst of National Welding Month, and if you’re someone who does not already have it circled on your calendar, get ready to learn why this is exciting for Central Texans. As the American Welding Society says, “Welding is literally the glue of the modern world.” What’s not to get excited about? Last summer, MyStatesman.com highlighted a problem that we’re still experiencing in Austin: a shortage of skilled workers in welding to fill jobs as the industry grows and many employees Continue Reading >
Hard Skills & Soft Skills: What’s the Difference?
April 5, 2016 By
Hard skills and soft skills are complementary. The right combination of each can make you an irresistible employee, or potential candidate, for employers. Leah Arnold-Smeets from PayScale elaborates further in an article when she says, “It's easy to find job listings, but arguably tougher than ever to stand out from the crowd of qualified applicants.” Merging hard skills and soft skills can be the distinction that sets you apart from other qualified applicants. Hard Skills Hard skills Continue Reading >
4 Tips to Help Your Job Search
March 23, 2016 By
Job searching can be an emotionally draining and time consuming experience. Getting rejection emails, phone calls or even no reply at all can wear down even the most optimistic job seeker. If you are just beginning the job hunt or have been searching for a long time, keeping in a productive frame of mind can be a challenge. The following is a list of tips and tricks that can be a helpful change of pace for the job search. Set specific work time Online applications can take hours to Continue Reading >
#AmplifyATX with Skillpoint!
March 1, 2016 By
To Amplify or not to Amplify? That is the question. We at Skillpoint Alliance strive every day to amplify our Austin community. Since 1994 more than 135,000 Texans have been impacted by Skillpoint Alliance. 135,000 is not just a number. That number represents moms and dads, brothers and sisters, aunts and uncles, grandmas and grandpas, nieces and nephews, sons and daughters and friends and neighbors. By providing efficient and effective programs, our students excel beyond their Continue Reading >
