On Tuesday, May 19, Gilbert Zavala, Vice President Education & Talent Development for the Austin Chamber, spoke with our partners at the University of Texas, Texas A&M University, Texas State University, and Austin Community College to answer questions related to COVID-19’s impact on post-secondary institutions.

Topics included:

• Admissions
• Assessment/TSI College Readiness Support/Changes
• Financial Aid & Emergency Aid
• Virtual/Non-Virtual Orientation
• Registration
• Immunization
• Housing
• Tuition Payment Plans/Adjustments

As Gilbert explained,

"Over 20 million UI wage claims have been filed nationally, and 2 million of these come from Texas. Regionally, we have roughly 40K unemployed in Central Texas. Many of our unemployed adults have students in our schools and graduating seniors questioning their college plans.

Conversely we have 64K open job postings as of this past month—the challenge is that many of our unemployed lack the skills to compete for open jobs, and we are behind the national average on K12 to college transition for high school graduates.

COVID-19’s impact on our economy makes it more important than ever to develop our own homegrown talent. This means connecting students with educational opportunities that will help hone the skills they need to compete for jobs, help their families prosper, and help our economy recover."

By partnering with educational leaders across the region, along with our many other education and talent initiatives, the Austin Chamber helps people gain the skills they need to be successful and help businesses connect to talent.