History – Where It All Started

In 1995, the Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) Commission closed Kelly Air Force Base and a portion of the workload was outsourced to defense contractor companies such as Lockheed Martin and Boeing. Lockheed Martin was trying to replace the retiring workforce with young workers who were prepared to take their jobs.

This inspired the inception of the Alamo Academies in 1999 as it demonstrated the critical need for college-educated employees in STEM in the San Antonio region and beyond. Today, we are committed to giving high school students the opportunity to explore various STEM pathways at absolutely no cost so that they can determine the ideal post-high school career or educational plan for them.

In 2012, Alamo Colleges purchased a 40,000 sq/ft state of the art facility and 30 acres from Port San Antonio to house the Academies for $5.2 million. Believe it or not, no cash was exchanged in this transaction.

Instead, the purchase price is being paid by meeting the needs of aerospace employers over the life of the loan: $10,000 for Academies new hires, $2,500 for certifications, and 20% for grants generated.

In addition, the Automotive Manufacturing Training and Education Consortium selected the Academies one of five exemplary career pathway programs in the nation. They stated that “The Alamo Academies model is the best program…seen worldwide executing all major characteristics of a pathway model.”

U.S. Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis recognized the successful workforce model during her visit to the Academies last year tweeting “Success stories at Alamo Academies…today! Good hi-tech jobs await the students.”

U.S. Secretary of Labor Thomas Perez visited the Alamo Academies as well in 2014 telling the Academies student’s “This is America 21st century manufacturing, and it’s cool!”

The Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas recognized the Academies on their website as an industry-driven workforce development model that is helping solve the broken school-to-work pipeline is sustainable and supports companies’ global competitiveness.

The National Journal highlighted this outstanding program in two separate articles in their national publication and website and also cited the Alamo Academies as one of the top workforce innovations in the country providing a solution for problems facing America today. Over 1,001 graduates; 95% of graduates continued higher education or obtained jobs in target industries.

Alamo College provides facilities, equipment, and instruction;

School districts cover textbooks and round trip bus transportation

Employers pay student salaries

Cities take care of operating costs.

Creating a Legacy of Educational Success