The economic development ecosystem of a major city is complex. Getting it right is a mix of art and science, and how much of each is needed is a constant topic of debate among economic development experts.
But there is one subject that unites the experts. No matter what economic advantages a city has to offer, education, traditional or otherwise, must be part of that package. Having a strong network of engaged educational partners is a critical asset that is undeniably linked to a thriving and growing economy.
Any community looking to compete in today’s marketplace must have a strategic, long-term plan for building the workforce pipeline that will attract new business and compel existing businesses to expand. But a city relying only on solutions
that look 20, 10 or even 5 years out cannot compete in today’s market. A community has to build the workforce needed right now, in addition to 20 years down the road, or it risks losing attractive new-business opportunities — not to mention putting itself at risk of losing the enterprises it currently enjoys.
Companies need employees. And they are only too ready to recruit from outside the market, or to move to a city that has a ready-made workforce. A robust and creative higher-education system is key to creating that workforce.
Consider the industries that are among the fastest growing in San Antonio: cybersecurity, bioscience, information technology and financial services. These are among the key disciplines of San Antonio’s colleges and universities. From UTSA, to the Alamo Colleges District to Trinity and St. Mary’s universities and the University of the Incarnate Word, our higher-education system is creating a workforce pipeline that is needed by companies today — and in the future.
We have proof that education is a key economic draw. In a recent story in the San Antonio Business Journal, company officials from EY (formerly Ernst & Young) stated that UTSA played a key role in their decision to establish a new line of business, the Financial Services Organization, in the Alamo City. The university could offer EY the homegrown talent the firm needed.
San Antonio understands this sense of immediacy in the business world. It was with that recognition that in 2015, a coalition of business and government leaders established SA Works with the purpose of bolstering collaboration among educators, community organizations and employers.
The strategy works. CAST Tech High School and citywide STEM programs are tangible examples of the power of an industry connector like SA Works. Integrated with the San Antonio Economic Development Foundation since last March, SA Works is plugged into our industry working groups — the private-sector-led forums that inform our strategies and plans for how to attract, retain and grow San Antonio’s target industries. A key piece of those efforts is workforce development.
Academic institutions have proven to be greenhouses for new enterprises as well. Bringing together students in different majors from all walks of life, our colleges and universities are often the birthplaces of the next big idea that will give rise to new business. It is a philosophy that prompted UTSA President Taylor Eighmy to focus on turning the downtown campus into an epicenter of high-tech innovation — or what he has called “a maker’s space.”
But there is one subject that unites the experts. No matter what economic advantages a city has to offer, education, traditional or otherwise, must be part of that package. Having a strong network of engaged educational partners is a critical asset that is undeniably linked to a thriving and growing economy.
Any community looking to compete in today’s marketplace must have a strategic, long-term plan for building the workforce pipeline that will attract new business and compel existing businesses to expand. But a city relying only on solutions
that look 20, 10 or even 5 years out cannot compete in today’s market. A community has to build the workforce needed right now, in addition to 20 years down the road, or it risks losing attractive new-business opportunities — not to mention putting itself at risk of losing the enterprises it currently enjoys.
Companies need employees. And they are only too ready to recruit from outside the market, or to move to a city that has a ready-made workforce. A robust and creative higher-education system is key to creating that workforce.
Consider the industries that are among the fastest growing in San Antonio: cybersecurity, bioscience, information technology and financial services. These are among the key disciplines of San Antonio’s colleges and universities. From UTSA, to the Alamo Colleges District to Trinity and St. Mary’s universities and the University of the Incarnate Word, our higher-education system is creating a workforce pipeline that is needed by companies today — and in the future.
We have proof that education is a key economic draw. In a recent story in the San Antonio Business Journal, company officials from EY (formerly Ernst & Young) stated that UTSA played a key role in their decision to establish a new line of business, the Financial Services Organization, in the Alamo City. The university could offer EY the homegrown talent the firm needed.
San Antonio understands this sense of immediacy in the business world. It was with that recognition that in 2015, a coalition of business and government leaders established SA Works with the purpose of bolstering collaboration among educators, community organizations and employers.
The strategy works. CAST Tech High School and citywide STEM programs are tangible examples of the power of an industry connector like SA Works. Integrated with the San Antonio Economic Development Foundation since last March, SA Works is plugged into our industry working groups — the private-sector-led forums that inform our strategies and plans for how to attract, retain and grow San Antonio’s target industries. A key piece of those efforts is workforce development.
Academic institutions have proven to be greenhouses for new enterprises as well. Bringing together students in different majors from all walks of life, our colleges and universities are often the birthplaces of the next big idea that will give rise to new business. It is a philosophy that prompted UTSA President Taylor Eighmy to focus on turning the downtown campus into an epicenter of high-tech innovation — or what he has called “a maker’s space.”
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