It’s back to school! In our San Antonio region, that means more than 168,000 students are heading back to our area colleges and universities. And as a community, we’re invested in their success, not just in school, but after graduation. As a region, investing in our people means building a better region for us all.  

Demographically, we represent the future. We are 56% Hispanic and growing across all minority demographics. With that in mind, as the rest of the US grapples with issues surrounding workforce development and talent attraction, we believe that San Antonio can be a living model for what the future U.S. cities will look like, and we want to be a living model for higher educational attainment and career pathway development. Our higher education institutions graduate the highest number of first-generation college students, creating new opportunities for those without generations of college graduates and earners in their families. These are new earners, with high-demand skills and diverse perspectives.  

And we don’t just start those investments in our students when they enter college.  

Last month, we celebrated more than 200 high school interns who worked across the San Antonio region this summer. Our 8th annual SA WORX Internship program connects high school students to paid work opportunities that help build real skills and career awareness for hundreds of students each year. This summer’s program generated more than a $550,000 impact through intern salaries. These high school students are not only earning a paycheck, but also building their professional network and growing their career or college preparedness. 

Next month, we’ll welcome our second cohort of Alamo Fellows, more than doubling the program to represent 54 first-generation college students studying STEM majors. Through Alamo Fellows, we work to equip these students with the resources and support they need to stay and grow great careers here in San Antonio.  

We also continue to support the City of San Antonio’s Ready to Work program, a significant endeavor to invest in providing opportunities for adults to reskill and upskill into new, in-demand roles within our city. As a proud partner, SA WORX is the lead entity supporting employer engagement for the program.  

As we keep making the right investments in our people to provide greater awareness and access to career pathways here—San Antonio is perfectly positioned to become the new face of economic prosperity in America.  

Investor Spotlight: Clearwater Benefits

Clearwater Benefits has made a positive impact on the healthcare industry by providing affordable healthcare options to those who need it most. They believe that everyone deserves access to good healthcare, and they support people in their health journey. 

Regional Partner Highlight: Leon Valley

Leon Valley lies just nine miles west of downtown San Antonio in the area referred to as “The Valley of the Lions”. This small town with deep roots and big ideas is named after Leon Creek, which was once a thriving creek where early settlers and mountain lions roamed along the meandering springs searching for drinking water. 

Internships Prepare Students for College and Career    

The end of summer also means the conclusion of the 2023 SA WORX Summer Internship Program. Over 220 interns participated in this year’s internship program, representing 16 school districts, private and charter schools. The interns were hired by more than 30 regional employers. Now in its 8^th summer, the program connects San Antonio area high school students with paid internships, an opportunity not commonly available to this important group of future talent.

• Students in SA WORX program didn’t have to wait for college to become interns: While the program has been around for eight years now, this year was the first that its administrator, greater: SATX Regional Economic Partnership, partnered with the Edgewood and San Antonio Independent School Districts to guarantee transportation for students to ensure equitable access to internship opportunities.
  
• SA tourism economic impact hits $19B amid pandemic recovery: In what may prove one of the more impressive turnarounds for a San Antonio industry, the city’s tourism and hospitality sector generated $19 billion in economic impact in 2022. That’s an all-time high for the market and a 10% increase over the industry’s 2021 performance.
• Amazon opens first Robotics Fulfillment Center in San Antonio: Since 2010, Amazon has created more than 43,000 jobs in Texas and invested more than $16.9 billion across the state.
• VIA lands millions from feds to fund new paratransit fleet: The Federal Transit Administration has awarded VIA Metropolitan Transit more than $3 million as part of its Low or No Emission Vehicle Program. 
• Readying improvements, San Antonio Missions mark 8 years as World Heritage Site: San Antonio’s Spanish colonial missions remain the only World Heritage Site in Texas, one of 24 such natural and cultural wonders in the United States and among the highest rated for visitors.

Stay up-to-date with news from the region by subscribing to the News of the Day.