San Antonio (Oct. 28, 2025) — UP Partnership and greater:SATX Regional Economic Partnership have received funding from USAA to evaluate the region’s current Career and Technical Education (CTE) and Pathways in Technology Early College High School (P-TECH) environment to strengthen workforce pathways for high school students across Bexar County, ensuring that every young person has an opportunity to achieve economic mobility through high-wage, high-demand careers.   

Funded in part by a $350,000 grant from USAA, the Strengthening Workforce Pathways: CTE and P-TECH project will deliver a comprehensive, data-driven evaluation of the region’s programs in these areas of education. This initiative directly supports the Future Ready Bexar County Plan, a shared regional strategy uniting education, workforce, and community partners to prepare students for postsecondary success and career advancement. 

Bridging Education and Industry 

UP Partnership and greater:SATX will work in tandem with Alamo Colleges District and seven Future Ready Bexar County public school districts — East Central, Edgewood, Harlandale, Judson, Northside, San Antonio, and Southwest ISDs — to assess how well CTE and P-TECH programs align with San Antonio’s high-demand industries, including advanced manufacturing, healthcare, information technology, and financial services. 

 “Our goal is to make sure every student in Bexar County—no matter their background or zip code—can connect their education to meaningful careers,” said Cathy Jones, Ph.D., CEO at UP Partnership. “We can only do this by working cohesively with our Future Ready partners such as greater:SATX, Alamo Colleges District, and our seven Future Ready school districts ensuring that we are aligning education with the region’s most promising career pathways.” 

As the lead economic development organization for the ten-county Greater San Antonio region, greater:SATX plays a critical role in driving workforce alignment to support global corporate recruitment and local business retention and growth. For ten years, SA WORX, greater:SATX’s talent development program, has partnered with employers, educators, and community organizations to create equitable pathways into high-demand, high-wage careers —this will ensure that our future talent has the skills and experiences needed to thrive in San Antonio’s growing industries.  

“This partnership is a true example of how our region comes together to ensure every young person has access to the education and experiences that lead to quality careers here in our community,” said Romanita Matta-Barrera, Chief Business Advancement Officer at greater:SATX. “By aligning our education and industry needs through initiatives like this, we’re building stronger pathways from classrooms to careers, while strengthening San Antonio’s future workforce in the process.” 

Building on that collaboration, Alamo Colleges District and its High School Programs team will play a pivotal role in connecting secondary and postsecondary education through strong partnerships with local school districts. Through their P-TECH and continuing education programs, Alamo Colleges works closely with educators and industry partners to ensure that students gain both the credentials and the hands-on experience needed to succeed in today’s workforce. This also directly aligns with the Future Ready Bexar County’s “Access” pillar and associated strategy of expanding best practices in college access.  

“Our High School Programs team is deeply committed to working hand-in-hand with our ISD partners to give students a head start on their college and career journeys,” said Sara Mann, Chief High School Programs Officer at Alamo Colleges District. “By collaborating with UP Partnership and greater:SATX, we’re expanding opportunities for students to earn college credit, industry-recognized credentials, and real-world experience. We are building clear, supported pathways from high school to high-wage, high-demand careers.” 

 Investing in San Antonio’s Future 

The initiative’s success relies on community investment and the belief that education and workforce alignment are key drivers of San Antonio’s long-term prosperity. USAA, a company deeply rooted in the community, is funding this effort as part of its ongoing mission to improve the quality of life for military families and local communities and advance economic mobility in their local campus communities.   

 “USAA has been a strong supporter of our San Antonio community since our founding over 100 years ago. Championing these programs empowers San Antonio students to achieve lasting success and builds a robust talent pipeline that drives our region’s economic growth,” said Jenna Saucedo-Herrera, Head of Corporate Impact at USAA. “We understand the importance of strong, resilient communities, and by investing in partnerships that connect education and workforce systems, we’re investing in the future of our city, ensuring a steady stream of skilled professionals who can thrive in high-demand careers and contribute to San Antonio’s long-term prosperity.”  

 Driving Systems Change 

• By the end of the year-long effort, the project will produce:  

• A comprehensive report on the CTE/P-TECH landscape across Bexar County; 

• A gap analysis identifying barriers to postsecondary and workforce success; 

• Policy and program recommendations to improve student outcomes; and 

• A coordinated action plan uniting education, industry, and workforce development systems. 

More about UP Partnership: Founded in 2009, UP Partnership’s mission is to ensure all young people in Bexar County are ready for the future. We are a San Antonio-based nonprofit social impact organization that coordinates data, aligns pathways and promotes policy change that can help to unlock the full potential of young people ages 0-24 years in our region. Our mission is ambitious, challenging, and achievable when we organize our efforts across the area. Learn more about UP and the Future Ready Bexar County Plan – a strategic plan to guide shared action, language, goals, metrics, and practices that drive progress – at uppartnership.org. 

More about greater:SATX: greater:SATX leads economic development for the 10-county Greater San Antonio region, growing jobs that provide economic mobility for all residents. greater:SATX recruits global investment, helps local employers stay and grow, builds the skilled workforce companies need, and markets the region globally. With support from the City of San Antonio, Bexar County, CPS Energy, SAWS, and private partners, greater:SATX has supported 500+ relocations and expansions that now employ 120,000+ San Antonians. More at greatersatx.com; follow @greater_SATX on X, LinkedIn, Instagram, and Facebook