Cinco de Mayo – What is it all About?

I’ve noticed that the majority of the U.S. population mistakes Cinco de Mayo as the Mexican Day of Independence. Just to clarify, it’s not.

Mexican Independence is celebrated on September 16th, and the 5th of May observes a Mexican victory over French troops in the Battle of Puebla. Somehow, Cinco de Mayo has become the reason to dust off your sombreros, panchos and maracas and party like Mexicans.

In the same regard, Workforce Solutions’ Career Offices are often mistaken as the unemployment office in the city. Customers frequently visit the 28 service locations throughout the Houston-Galveston region with the expectation of speaking with an unemployment representative.

Workforce Solutions DOES NOT have unemployment representatives. All unemployment claims and benefit statuses are handled through Texas Workforce Commission’s (TWC’s) Tele-center. There is no physical Unemployment Office. There is only one TWC central office located in Austin.

My advice is to not visit this location; it only serves as a call center and an office where legislation is implemented. You can apply over the phone by calling 1-800-839-6631 or online by visiting http://www.twc.state.tx.us/ui/uiclaim.html.

When applying, be prepared to answer questions pertaining to your last employment. This is the information that Workforce Solutions Staff will happily provide you when responding to questions regarding unemployment.

I’m proud to be a member of an organization whose focus is to match employers and job seekers so both can compete in the global economy. A better nickname that one could use when referencing Workforce Solutions would be “The Employment Office,” because we focus on helping individuals find a job, keep a job or get a better job.

Our services are free to the public, and our friendly staff is here to help you with your job search needs. We provide expert advice at our job search seminars, job referrals through workintexas.com, expert staff to provide those referrals, resume assistance and basic office equipment to get you started. We are a hidden gem located throughout the Gulf Coast region, and if someone uses our services, there is no reason why they should remain unemployed long-term.

The Battle of Puebla was significant because the Mexican Army was able to overcome the French forces that outnumbered them 2 to 1. The “new age” Battle of Unemployment is significant because we are not only fighting against competitors for limited jobs. We’re also fighting against Human Resource elimination processes and ourselves.

Key takeaways from this message would be that Workforce Solutions is NOT the Unemployment Office and Cinco de Mayo is NOT Mexican Independence Day.

Workforce Solutions IS here to help people get a job, keep a job or get a better job.

Diego Trevino is a Regional Facilitator for Workforce Solutions in the Houston – Galveston area. Before joining the regional team, he served as a greeter, employment counselor and staffing specialist. Earlier in his career he traveled to South Korea where he taught students English. He uses past teaching experiences and present workforce knowledge to conduct job skills seminars throughout the 13 county Gulf Coast Region.