The University of Texas at San Antonio is launching various professional development programs to train a more qualified and educated local workforce, the school announced in a release.
Last week, the Academic Affairs division of the university announced the San Antonio Workforce Initiative which will promote programs for adult learners to accelerate the training of qualified workers to meet the region’s skilled employment needs.
Under the initiative, the programs will be delivered through online instructional formats, as well as through traditional face-to-face and hybrid methods.
“This past spring, we engaged 48 CEOs and their representatives from across San Antonio’s economic sectors, to learn directly what our industries need,” Kimberly Andrews Espy, provost and senior vice president for Academic Affairs, said.
“What we learned is that we can up our impact on our city by increasing the number and range of programs to support workers to advance in their current jobs, or to enable those without a college degree to finish and successfully compete for better-paying jobs. This initiative will advance those goals,” Espy added.
The new initiative, which is complementary to the Expanding Business Education & Career Engagement to the Downtown Campus initiative, will also deliver customized degree and certificate programs in various disciplines to meet the educational needs of San Antonio employers.
The university has appointed Lisa G. Blazer as the senior associate vice provost for academic innovation and Suzana Diaz Rosencrans as assistant vice provost.
Blazer will collaborate with the university’s academic leaders and area business partners to facilitate the development of university programs that are aligned to meet the needs of the local business community.
Rosencrans will develop and implement processes to support online student recruitment and enrollment as the university expands its online presence.