About the program
This initiative—part of the Bastrop County Healthcare Workforce Collaborative—will create pathways for students in historically marginalized communities to enter high-demand, financially sustainable health care careers by helping them earn certifications and credentials, according to county documents.
The Bastrop County Healthcare Workforce Collaborative is entering into a cooperative agreement with Smithville Workforce Training Center-Career Tracks for assistance with employer engagement, student recruitment, training, case management and job placement.
“This is a true opportunity for us here in the county,” said Donna Nichols, Bastrop Public Health Department director, during the meeting. “It gives us a chance to collaborate and climb into the conversation about how we can sustain [SWTC-Career Tracks] for the whole county, and how we can do that moving forward for positions like RNs, LVNs, EMTs, CNAs and a myriad of others.”
Bastrop County Judge Gregory Klaus noted that he visited the SWTC-Career Tracks facility, 404 Fawcett St. in Smithville, a few weeks ago.
“I was really impressed with what they’re doing,” he said. “The approach they take and their success rate [are] really high.”
Zooming in
The starting base wage for these positions will average $20 per hour or above, according to county documents.
“From Sept. 1-June 30, 2026, our goal is to recruit and train 125 Bastrop County residents to enter the health care workforce and place them into health care jobs inside Bastrop County that pay well above the [asset limited, income constrained, employed] survival wage on or before June 30, 2026,” Nichols said.
These students, she highlighted, must commit to a year of service in Bastrop County to be eligible for the program.
Some context
The Create A Job, Save A Job program was made possible after St. David’s Foundation awarded Bastrop County a $2 million grant in July.
“We’re excited to invest in bold, community-driven solutions that open pathways to meaningful and financially stable health care careers for Central Texans, especially those long excluded from opportunity,” Regan Gruber Moffitt, vice president of community investments at St. David’s Foundation, said in a news release.
Also of note
The Bastrop County Public Health District hopes to recruit and train an additional 125 students after the inaugural year.
