HARLINGEN — Texas Workforce Commission appointee Julian Alvarez III, a Harlingen native and formerly the chief executive at the Rio Grande Valley Partnership, will leave TWC this month after six years as one of three commissioners at the agency.
Alvarez served as Commissioner Representing Labor since his appointment by Gov. Greg Abbott in 2016. He announced he will leave TWC effective Dec. 15.
In an interview Thursday, Alvarez noted that he was the first Valley native to serve in the position on TWC.
“I am so grateful that Gov. Abbott appointed somebody from the Rio Grande Valley like me to actually serve as the commissioner representing labor,” Alvarez said. “I know what it’s like to face challenges, both financial and asupport system, and Gov. Abbott madeit possible for a guy like me who experienced that to helpother people in similar circumstances.”
The dominant issue of the past six years of his tenure on TWC was of course the COVID pandemic, which Alvarez said spurred the commission to become more innovative.
“We had Larry the Chat Bot, we had a robot that was helping us in multiple languages, 24/7, seven days a week, that could answer thequestions of our constituents throughout the state of Texas,” he said.
“The other thing we did was implement Metrix, an online, industry-recognized
credentials system that we offered to constituents free to anyone who wanted to do it, to kind of brush up on their skill set. … I mean we have thousands of credentials that are on our website for free, and they’re still on their today.”
Whatever TWC did, no one can argue it didn’t work. The state has recovered from pandemic disruption faster than practically any other state in numerous job fields, and has set all-time employment records with more than 13 million people on the job as of last month.
Alvarez was passionate about apprenticeship programs, which he admitted were something with which he was unfamiliar.
“What we consistently heard was we needed to focus on the skilled trades and this apprenticeship model,” he said. “And so that was so new to me because in the Valley we just don’t have apprenticeships.”
Alvarez said it was a good use of TWC funding, and as the programs featuring earn-as-you-learn, on-the-job training expanded, it became so popular with both workers and employers that the programs “blew up.”
Alvarez served four years with the RGV Partnership, an organization focusing on international trade and commerce. He was appointed to TWC by Abbott to fill a vacancy in 2016, and was re-appointed in 2017.
Earlier this year,Alvarez was appointed an Apprenticeship Ambassador by the U.S. Department of Labor. The designation recognized his commitment to modernizing, diversifying, and expanding registered apprenticeship programs. He also spearheaded apprenticeship initiatives to address health-care worker shortages in Texas.
“I’d like to recognize Commissioner Julian Alvarez for his service to Texans,” said TWC Chairman Bryan Daniel. “His efforts have demonstrated his commitment to the Texas workforce.”
Alvarez previously served as Texas regional director for U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchinson advising on legislative and policy issues related to South Texas. Prior to that, Alvarez served on the South Texas Drug Task Force as a state trooper for the Texas Department of Public Safety.
After his service with DPS, Alvarez was director of college information for Texas State Technical College in Harlingen.
“Commissioner Alvarez, the Texas tornado, continuously traveled the great state of Texas to champion the needs of the world-class Texas workforce,” said TWC Commissioner Representing Employers Aaron Demerson. “His focus on developing our workforce helped create a robust pipeline of talent for our employers.”
Alvarez declined to say what his next challenge will be. But he did hint an announcement of a new apprenticeship program for nurses here in the Valley could be imminent.
