The Alamo Colleges is taking its "Mobile Go" RV across City Council District 5 this week with a message of secondary education to high school seniors. The tour is aimed at getting students signed up for college before they walk the stage.
Representatives from the Alamo Colleges told students they have good jobs waiting for them as soon as they complete programs such as the aircraft certification or an Associates Degree in other aviation fields.
Many of those jobs are high-paying -- in the $40,000 to $50,000 range. St. Philip's College instructor Leslie Hahn said there are lots of jobs, but the aerospace industry needs more trained workers.
"We were told recently at a chamber of commerce meeting that there are 10,000 aviation jobs in San Antonio. And both Lockheed and Boeing explained to us that in the future, in the next five to 10 years, their projection is they're looking at close to 30,000 aviation jobs in San Antonio. So that's a tremendous increase," Hahn said.
Councilman David Medina said the increase in jobs is dependent on the economy but agrees that projections are bright for San Antonio.
"I grew up in this immediate neighborhood that a lot of these students live in and when I see these opportunities that these employers are talking about, it brings joy to my heart to know that these kids can take advantage of it," Medina said.
Medina and the school officials seem to be on target. Boeing today announced it has delivered the first 777 produced under its increased production rate of 8.3 units per month.
The tour also pointed out opportunities in the sciences to the students. Medina organized the tour, which will go on now to the other high schools in District 5.
