Let's Talk Luling Episode 5: Kelly Moreno & Rachel Satello on Workforce Solutions, Career Pathways & What Caldwell County Needs

Title: Let's Talk Luling Episode 5: Kelly Moreno & Rachel Satello on Workforce Solutions, Career Pathways & What Caldwell County Needs

SEO Title: Workforce Solutions Rural Capital Area: Free Resources for Employers & Job Seekers in Caldwell County

Meta Description: Kelly Moreno and Rachel Satello from Workforce Solutions Rural Capital Area break down free workforce resources for employers and job seekers, growing industries in Caldwell County, and how they're building career pipelines for Luling students.

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This post is adapted from Episode 5 of Let's Talk Luling, a podcast produced by DSE Media for the Luling Economic Development Corporation. Watch the full episode on YouTube.

Most people in Luling have never heard of Workforce Solutions Rural Capital Area. That's exactly the problem Kelly Moreno and Rachel Satello are trying to solve.

In Episode 5 of Let's Talk Luling, EDC Executive Director Arias sat down with Kelly, Chief Solutions Officer at Workforce Solutions Rural Capital Area, and Rachel, one of three K12 career coaches serving the nine counties surrounding Travis County, to talk about what they do, what resources are available right now, and why Luling is one of the communities they're most excited about.

What is Workforce Solutions Rural Capital Area?

Workforce Solutions Rural Capital Area serves nine counties surrounding Travis, including Caldwell County. Their mission runs in two directions at once. For employers, they help find employees, write job descriptions, upskill existing staff, and access grant funding through the Texas Workforce Commission. For job seekers, they offer resume writing, LinkedIn profile help, interview coaching, workshops, and career assessments — all at no cost, available virtually or in person at their office in Lockhart off Highway 183.

For students, Rachel and her K12 team go directly into schools across all nine counties to work on soft skills, resume writing, interview preparation, and career exposure. They also host regional events that get students out of the building and into the real world — visiting employers, learning about trades, and experiencing careers they might never have considered.

What's actually in demand in Caldwell County

Kelly didn't hedge on this. Three industries are growing fast and don't have enough workers to fill the need.

Healthcare is the biggest. An aging population across the region means demand for healthcare workers is only going up. Skilled trades are the second — construction workers, electricians, plumbers, HVAC technicians. The people who know how to do this work are retiring and there aren't enough young people coming up behind them. Advanced manufacturing is the third, driven partly by the wave of data centers and industrial facilities moving into Central Texas that all need infrastructure built and maintained.

Oil and gas remains relevant in Luling specifically. Education is also growing as more families move into the area and school districts need more teachers. And the maintenance technician shortage is real — Workforce Solutions recently created a Department of Labor registered apprenticeship in partnership with TSTC specifically because employers in Williamson County couldn't find people who could maintain their machines.

Free resources most people don't know about

Kelly named several programs that are consistently underutilized. Work in Texas is the state's version of Indeed — free to use, and a good place to get a resume in front of employers in the region. The Texas Workforce Commission's skills development fund has provided companies in the area with up to $166,000 to train existing employees at no cost to the employer. If you're a business owner struggling to upskill your team, this funding exists and most people have never heard of it.

Workforce Solutions also has free meeting and interview space available at their Lockhart office. If you're a new company in the area and need a professional space to conduct interviews, you can use their facility at no charge.

For veterans, the Texas Veterans Commission is housed within Workforce Solutions' workforce centers. With Fort Hood processing around 800 service members exiting every month, the resources for veterans and their spouses to transition into civilian careers are significant.

The childcare desert problem

One of the most candid moments in the conversation came when Kelly raised the childcare issue directly. Caldwell County is considered a childcare desert. The waitlists are long and the margins in childcare are too tight for most providers to survive without support.

Texas is one of the few states that includes childcare in its workforce system, and Workforce Solutions has programs to help. Texas Rising Star certification helps providers improve quality and access payment support. Tuition assistance may be available for workers depending on income. And for companies considering a large development in Luling, Kelly made a pointed suggestion: if you're building something significant, consider including a childcare facility on the property. Workforce Solutions can help find a third party to manage it. It's an amenity that directly affects whether employees can show up to work.

What makes Luling different

Rachel said it plainly. When she talks to her team about Luling, the word that keeps coming up is the small town feel. Everyone answers the phone. Everyone shows up. The mayor helps. The EDC director helps. Nobody says no without trying first. In her experience covering rural counties across Central Texas, that's not the norm.

Kelly echoed it. Caldwell County's elected officials and city leadership are willing to have conversations and actually follow through. When Workforce Solutions has needed a training facility or a parking lot for CDL training, Luling figures it out. That responsiveness, Kelly said, is what makes a community worth investing in.

Junior's Day: March 24th

Coming out of this episode, the immediate next step was Junior's Day on March 24th at the Luling Civic Center. Juniors from Luling ISD and Prairie Lee ISD will spend the day meeting employers, getting hands-on experience with local businesses including the hospital, working on resumes with the Workforce Solutions team, and hearing from the state president of SEAT — the statewide career and technology educators organization — about the value of certifications. Businesses still had open spots to participate at the time of recording. Contact Rachel if you want to bring your company.

The why

At the end of the conversation Arias asked both guests why they do this work. Kelly said she wants to remove every barrier she can so that people can reach their potential. Rachel talked about a letter she received two years after leaving classroom education from a student she'd worked with as a freshman and sophomore. The student was applying to college and asked Rachel to write her recommendation. That's the why.

For anyone who is between jobs, unsure what to do next, or just starting out: Workforce Solutions Rural Capital Area is a free resource. You don't have to figure it out alone. Their office is in Lockhart. Their website has workshops and tools. And they will answer the phone.

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