Aerospace Academy Readies Teens For Workforce

SAN ANTONIO --

With each bolt he rivets into place, Cesar Ruvalcaba, a high school senior from New Braunfels, is trying to nail down a future in the aerospace industry.

The future electrical engineer is one of dozens of students who are enrolled in the Alamo Area Aerospace Academy, a program that operates out of the St. Phillips Southwest Campus, located at Port San Antonio.

It's a partnership involving the Alamo Colleges, City of San Antonio and the local aerospace industry.

Through the program, high school juniors and seniors have an opportunity to learn about the career field in a hands-on setting. It offers them a chance to earn certification, college credit, and possibly a high-paying job with a local employer.

"This program is pretty amazing because it gives you a little bit of basic knowledge of what you're going to do," Ruvalcaba said. "It gives you the motivation to keep on going even further."

At the end of the school semester, Ruvalcaba still will have a little way to go. Although he will have completed his regular high school education, he plans to return to the academy for training to earn his aircraft mechanic certification. Ruvlacaba said he also plans to attend a four-year university to further his studies in the field.

Apparently, students are not the only ones who benefit from the program. It also helps to create a ready workforce for the local aerospace industry. Several companies, including Kelly Aviation Center, a Lockheed Martin affiliate, have been able to hire new graduates straight out of the academy.

"It's been an integral part of our strategy to replace an aging workforce and develop young folks while they're still in high school," said Joseph Wilson, manager of Workforce Development for Kelly Aviation.

Wilson said the company currently has about 60 program graduates on its payroll, and uses academy students as interns. Wilson said watching their path to success gives him a sense of fatherly pride.

"I see these young kids when they're still in high school," Wilson said. "Then over the years they end up having their own families, finishing their education and becoming leaders in our company."

According to Gene Bowman, executive director of Alamo Area Academies, the program will see about 270 new graduates by the end of the summer. He said of those, about 200 already have positions slated with local aerospace companies.

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