Workforce Development
Workforce Development
Texas Asphalt Pavement Industry Workforce Development Initiative
The Texas Asphalt Pavement Industry Workforce Development Initiative was established in response to an ongoing shortage of qualified candidates coupled with an overall lack of awareness that the industry offers excellent job security, higher-than-average wages, and upward mobility to anyone willing to be reliable, work hard and learn. The asphalt pavement industry recognizes that in addition to outreach aimed at college students and working adults, it is crucial to building a pipeline of candidates with exposure to career options starting as early as eighth grade. With these parameters in mind, the initiative has carefully chosen audiences and objectives on which to focus.
Audiences

High School Students
Do you plan to enter the workforce immediately upon graduation?

College Students
The industry offers a variety of opportunities for university graduates.

Workers
Find your new start whether you are changing careers, crossing state lines, or immigrating.
Areas Of Focus And Goals
Creating a four-year high school career and technical education (CTE) program in partnership with the Texas Education Agency (TEA) and the Hays County Independent School District. We have taken the first step towards achieving this goal by developing an internship program. Select TXAPA members in the Hays schools district will pilot the program. We will simultaneously begin building a full-fledged CTE curriculum, which is expected to take 2-3 years.
Developing a long-term strategy and marketing campaign to raise awareness of and promote asphalt pavement industry jobs. Market research kicked off in June 2022. The results are being used to create materials for print and digital touchpoints, including brochures, web site, social media, advertising, emails, text, etc. A social media teaser campaign launched in December 2022, with a full-scale launch scheduled for early 2023. Ongoing digital marketing will include fine-tuning to meet specific, measurable conversion goals.
Organizing boots-on-the-ground, known as “Workforce Rangers.” The effort, led by Women of Asphalt Texas, will draw upon TXAPA membership and TxDOT partnerships to populate the ranks of the Workforce Rangers, with the idea to capitalize on community involvement and relationships to gather intelligence on opportunities for the industry to participate in school-sponsored career exploration. Workforce Rangers will cultivate a calendar of events and coordinate industry presence through speaking engagements, career fair attendance, and other relevant activities.
FHWA Highway Construction Workforce Partnership Corporate Partner
TxDOT is partnering with The Texas A&M Transportation Institute to develop a portion of its Connect U2 Jobs program to find local workers for highway construction. The FHWA provides funding for the project through a Highway Workforce Partnership Grant. This portion of the program is industry-led and focused on working with a corporate partner (TXAPA) to develop a 15-week curriculum to provide candidates with the knowledge and skills they need to jumpstart their careers with a highway construction contractor. The audience is underrepresented groups in Bryan-College Station and surrounding areas.
Leadership
Nathali Parker Weisman
KLP Construction Supply
Chair, Women of Asphalt Texas
TXAPA Board of Directors
Jason Exum
R.K. Hall Construction, Ltd.
President
Eric Schranz
Austin Bridge & Road, LP
Past-President
Barry Clark
Peachtree Construction, Ltd.
Board Member
Glen Dvorak
Hunter Industries, Ltd.
Board Member
Alex Flores
Lone Star Paving
Board Member
Joe Forshage
Foremost Paving, Inc.
Board Member
Josh Houston
Vulcan Materials Asphalt & Construction, LLC
Board Member
Kal Kincaid
Gulf Coast — A CRH Company
Board Member
Robbie Roberts
Knife River
Board Member
Tracy Cumby
Ergon Asphalt & Emulsions, Inc.
Major Associate Member Chair
Board Member
Ryan Pryor
KLP Construction Supply
Associate Member Chair
Ex Officio Board Member
Mike Brown
Texas Materials — A CRH Company
NAPA State Director