About - History
A History of Service to Our Community
HoustonWorks USA is a high performance workforce development organization dedicated to providing a quality workforce to the businesses and citizens of the Greater Houston community
HoustonWorks USA has a unique and varied history, deeply embedded within the Houston community. HoustonWorks USA has consistently maintained a high level of performance while demonstrating the ability to remain flexible and responsive to the changing character of the 21st century job market.
In 1984, Mayor Kathryn Whitmire envisioned transitioning federal employment and training funds from the City of Houston to a new private, non-profit organization – the Houston Job Training Partnership Council (HJTPC). The HJTPC, responsible for administering the federally funded workforce programs within the city of Houston, was the beginning of the organization now known as HoustonWorks USA.
Beginnings
Mayor Kathryn Whitmire, with the assistance of the City Council, appointed members to the first Private Industry Council (PIC) to oversee the Houston Service Delivery Area (SDA). The PIC was created, and the members were dually appointed to serve as the first Board of Directors for the HJTPC. The PIC, with the support of Mayor Whitmire, appointed Mr. T.W. Hudson as the first executive director of the Houston Job Training Partnership Council. Mr. Hudson, recently retired from ARMCO Steel, was already active in the workforce development arena, having a strong working relationship with the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) and the Department of Labor (DOL). In the spring of 1984, the city began to relinquish administrative responsibilities for the job training program, turning them over to the HJTPC.
By April of 1984, the transition was official. Mr. Hudson and the newly appointed PIC went to work. Mr. Hudson brought an experienced understanding of the needs of the business community, and the service providers, as well as the mandates of the new legislation in regard to performance, to the new program. During the fall and winter of 1984, he worked alongside about 25 contract employees who had transitioned, along with the program, to HJTPC from the City of Houston. By May of 1985, the HTJPC had over 30 full-time, regular employees. The groundwork had been laid for the growth of the Houston Job Training Partnership Council.
Culture
HoustonWorks USA enjoys a rich and inclusive culture deeply embedded within the Houston community. From its inception, the organization has endeavored to serve the Houston job seeker – across all backgrounds, educational levels, ages, and ethnicities. HoustonWorks USA has never lost sight of the concept "strength in diversity." Also grounded within the organization´s culture is a performance driven philosophy and a commitment to organization´s name, logo, theme, partnerships, and recognized excellence. These characteristics are evident in progression of the performance.
Name. HoustonWorks USA began as the Houston Job Training Partnership Council in 1984. The name was later shortened to Houston Works and modified to HoustonWorks USA in 1999 to accommodate expansion outside of the local community.
Logo. The official logo developed as a symbol of organizational unity. The familiar red star depicts representatives from the five key elements of the employment & training program - job seekers, training providers, employers, community-based organizations, and governmental representatives – with arms interlocked in a gesture of partnership. The logo serves as a consistent reminder of the teamwork inherent within the organization and has become a trademark of quality workforce development services within the local, expanded, and national community.
of harmony to inner city youth participating in the Summer Youth Program. The organization has always believed in the strength of community, but the 1992 Los Angeles race riots made the communication of this concept even more important. Unity, which is defined as "peaceful co-existence," captured the essence of the message. The design reflected the theme in a circular pattern with Unity translated in the languages of the world. Today, the Unity T-Shirts and promotional items serve as visible reminders of an enduring message.
Partnerships. An integral part of the HoustonWorks USA culture is the partnerships that the organization has established and maintained with its contractors, subcontractors, training providers, and vendors. From the beginning, the success of the organization has been directly correlated with the management and performance of these organizations. Although the list of cooperating agencies is lengthy, major partners include the Department of Labor (DOL), the City of Houston, the Houston-Galveston Area Council (HGAC), and the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC).
Recognized Performance. HoustonWorks USA has a tradition of performance. The combination of high standards and a heart for the community has led the organization to local, expanded, and national recognition as a leader in the workforce development field. The organization has earned over $9 million in incentive awards through meeting and/or exceeding national workforce performance standards since 1994. Commendations, certificates of appreciation, declarations, performance awards, and letters of gratitude line the halls of the corporate office, reflecting the dedication of the HoustonWorks USA management and staff to outstanding performance and humanitarian service.
2006 National Workforce Association
Outstanding Urban One-Stop Operator
2001 Office of the Attorney General, State of Texas
Ten Most Innovative Programs in the United States
2000 U.S. Department of Labor
Promising Practices to the Welfare-to-Work population
1998 National Alliance of Business
"Service Delivery Area of the Year"
1998 / 1995 U.S. Department of Labor´s Enterprise Network
For superior performance, high customer satisfaction, and quality management practices
1993 National Association of Counties Award of Excellence
For PEARLS -Parenting Excellence and Relevant Life Skills Program
1992 National Alliance of Business
"Service Delivery Area of the Year"
1989 National Alliance of Business Volunteer of the Year
Presented to Houston Works Board Chairman Gordon Bonfield
1989 U.S. Department of Labor award
for the most Innovative Program for Welfare Recipients
Where Our History Will Take Us
The future of HoustonWorks USA will continue to reflect the organization´s guiding principles – a commitment to excellence, a performance-based philosophy, innovation and a belief in the strength of diversity. As the demands of today´s businesses change, HoustonWorks USA will be poised to adapt in strong, new innovative ways to meet those changes. Efforts will become increasingly diverse to match today´s job seeker with the needs of employers. Diverse funding will include foundational grants and private sector partnerships in an attempt to expand the manner in which services are delivered. In short, HoustonWorks USA will continue to maintain its focus on high levels of performance while demonstrating the ability to continue to evolve and be responsive to the changing character of the 21st century economy.