Commissioner Representing Labor

It was a pleasure to honor someone who has dedicated their career to building Texas’s workforce from the ground up. Congratulations to Paul Puente of NABTU / Houston Gulf Coast Building and Construction Trades Council receiving a presentation of appreciation from Workforce Solutions Gulf Coast and a Governor’s Proclamation recognizing Apprenticeship week. 🎉 🎊

My sincere appreciation to Paul and his team. Their commitment to a registered apprenticeship is a model for what workforce development looks like when it’s done right. Also special thanks to Juliet Stipeche, Executive Director of Gulf Coast Workforce Board. 👏

It was truly a privilege to attend and speak at the Pipe Fitters Local 211 55th Annual Completion Ceremony and Award Banquet. These graduates spent five years earning while they learned – mastering all phases of pipefitting, welding, and HVAC service through hands – on training under experienced journeymen. ⚒️ 🔧 🎓

The apprentices get paid while they train on the job and attend night classes two nights a week – or on the weekends – for five years. Apprentices receive raises each year starting at 55% of journeyman wage in year one, 60% in year two, 66% in year three, 72% in year four, and 78% in year five. After completing the full five years, graduates leave as Journeymen and earn top – scale pay, launching long and successful careers. 🛠️ 💰

Congratulations to every graduate and award recipient! Your commitment to your craft strengthens not just your future, but the future of Texas workforce. 🌟 👏

The groundbreaking of the Davie Defense Gulf Copper Shipyard Modernization in Galveston marks the return of complex shipbuilding to Texas for the first time in decades – and with it, thousands of good paying jobs for Texans. This investment will produce Arctic Security Cutters for the U.S. Coast Guard – vessels that will protect our nation’s waters for generations to come. Texas built ships protecting American waters. ⚓ 🚢

Texas has always had deep roots on the Gulf Coast, and watching those roots grow into something this significant is special. The first phase is set for completion in 2028, when construction begins on the first of three Arctic Security Cutters for the U.S. Coast Guard. 🛳️ 🌊

Big thanks to Davie Defense & Gulf Copper, Hector Yanez, Alan Thomas, Katerina Pinchuk, Juliet Stipeche, Paul Puente, Lacy Wolf, Crosby Brito, Governor Greg Abbott and all elected officials.

It’s always a pleasure catching up with Alberto Treviño, Texas Workforce Commissioner Representing Labor, and Juliet Stipeche, Executive Director of the Gulf Coast Workforce Board.

Thank you both for presenting, on behalf of Governor Greg Abbott, the April 26 – May 2, 2026 Apprenticeship Week Proclamation recognizing the Houston Building Trades. We were also honored to receive a proclamation from the Gulf Coast Workforce Board.

We sincerely appreciate your support and recognition of our ARP/MC3 Program, which continues to create pathways to successful careers in the skilled trades. Partnerships like these help highlight the importance of registered apprenticeship programs and workforce development opportunities throughout our region.

Thank you for your leadership, collaboration, and commitment to strengthening Texas’ workforce.

At 18, Foster Youth suddenly don’t have housing stability, family support, or a roadmap to a career. What they have is a deadline and, if we do our jobs right, a workforce system that prioritizes them.

Aging out of foster care at 18 doesn’t mean they’re ready. It means the system is done.

As we close out Foster Care Awareness Month, I want to ask something of every Texan reading this — employers, mentors, neighbors:
➡️ Hire intentionally. When a young person’s resume looks “thin,” consider what they were navigating while their peers were building it.
➡️ Mentor consistently.
➡️ Advocate loudly. Support programs that extend services beyond 18 — because the research is clear: continued support changes outcomes.

The young people who aged out this year are in your communities right now. They’re not statistics. They’re your future colleagues, neighbors, and contributors.

Every child in Texas deserves a safe, stable, loving home.

Texas joins the Trump Administration's "A Home for Every Child" initiative to strengthen foster care, cut red tape, expand kinship care, and help more children find permanent homes.

Texas prioritizes our children.

This morning I had the honor of attending Texas Southmost College Flags on the Lawn ceremony at the Old Fort Brown Cemetery. A powerful reminder to pause, reflect, and honor those who gave everything for our freedom. Thank you speakers for your meaningful and moving words honoring our fallen heroes. 🎗️

I would also like to acknowledge Texas Southmost College for 100 years of excellence. A century of educating and empowering the people of the Rio Grande Valley. As a TSC alumni, I have seen firsthand the impact Texas Southmost College has on building a skilled and thriving Texas workforce. 🦂

Thank you to Dr. Stella Garcia, Dr. Jesus Roberto Rodriguez, Adela Garza Chairwoman and TSC board of trustees, Texas Southmost College, Ernest Aliseda and H.E.B. 👏

Too many young people aging out of foster care face the same exhausting reality: endless phone calls, dead ends, and having to tell their story over and over just to access basic services. The Texas Foster Youth Network (TXFYN) is changing that. 🤲

Launching within the next year at UT Austin’s Texas Institute for Child & Family Wellbeing, TXFYN will serve as a centralized call center — connecting current and former foster youth in Texas to education, employment, housing, healthcare, mental health support, and more. One call. Real help. From people who’ve been there. ☎️

Young adults with lived experience in foster care will have a real voice in how TXFYN takes shape. They’ll shape outreach and help develop the policies that will run the center. They’ll even help determine how AI gets incorporated, because youth deserve a say in the tools designed to serve them. ✨

This is what it looks like to stop patching gaps and start building something whole. Visit this link for more information. 👉https://txicfw.socialwork.utexas.edu/research/project/texas-foster-youth-network/

I was excited to attend the 2026 TWC Workforce Forum! A premier gathering for workforce development professionals across the state. ⭐

This year’s forum placed a spotlight on outcomes that matter: program effectiveness, data – driven success stories, and the measurable difference the Texas workforce system makes every day. 📈 🎉

Texas came together to go beyond the conversation – sharing proven strategies, innovative solutions, and real – world success stories that move the needle for job seekers, employers, and communities alike. 🙌 🌍

I would like to extend a big thank you to Patricia Martinez for MC’ing the event, and the TWC staff whose dedication behind the scenes made the 2026 Workforce Forum a memorable event. 🎤 😊