FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
JULY 9, 2002
CONTACT: KAY HENDRICKS
COORDINATOR OF COMMUNICATION
(210) 208-8006

NEW ACCD ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY CENTER
WILL PROVIDE HIGHLY TRAINED WORKFORCE

The Alamo Community College District (ACCD) celebrated the grand opening today of its Advanced Technology Center (ATC), which will play a critical role in providing San Antonio with a highly skilled workforce that will attract the high tech companies driving the global economy.

"This is a world-class center, the most advanced, state-of-the-art facility of its kind in South Texas and one of the best in the country," said ACCD Chancellor Robert W. Ramsay. "This center will firmly establish the ACCD as a nationally-recognized leader in workforce development and will strengthen our partnerships with leading companies, including Lockheed-Martin, Boeing Aerospace, Standard Aero, Chromalloy, Pratt & Whitney, Defense Aerospace Industry, Takata, Tesoro Petroleum, Digital Defense, Inc., Symantec Corporation, Secure-Logix Corporation, Karta Technologies, Paladin IT Services, Onboard Software, Inc., CACI, Inc., SecureInfo Corporation and ARC Information Assurance Institute," he added.

"The ATC is a great asset to KellyUSA," said Paul Roberson, executive director for the Greater Kelly Development Authority (GKDA), the agency overseeing the redevelopment from Kelly AFB to KellyUSA. "Our goal has been to create an environment that attracts good companies and helps them succeed. The ATC helps us market KellyUSA and helps our tenants select from a qualified workforce."

"This center will provide a tremendous incentive for companies to locate at KellyUSA or in San Antonio," said Dr. Federico Zaragoza, ACCD assistant to the chancellor for workforce development. "The ATC also will help our current workforce to retool for more highly skilled jobs," he added.

Companies throughout South Texas will be able to request training on site and via video teleconferencing through the ATC. Classes at the center will be taught by faculty from the four ACCD colleges--Northwest Vista College, Palo Alto College, St. Philip’s College and San Antonio College. The ATC also will serve as a clearinghouse for area businesses needing customized training for their employees or assistance in identifying a skilled workforce.

Located in Building 210 on the former Kelly AFB site in the southwest sector of the city, the ATC will house training for three main clusters of occupations identified by the San Antonio Technology Accelerator Initiative (SATAI)--aerospace industries, computer technologies and e-commerce and telecommunications. The Center is projected to train 2,000 people on site each year, with an additional 800 trained via distance learning.

Specific technologies offered at the center include:

• Avionics. The avionics training, which involves the communications equipment, computers and electronics in the cockpit, is customized to meet the very specific avionics equipment maintenance and retrofit needs of current companies at KellyUSA.
• Computer-Integrated Manufacturing (CIM) System. Training in this system is available at only three facilities in the state. The CIM equipment can be applied to a wide range of manufacturing industries. For example, CIM robotics can be used to design and build projects such as prototypes on the computer while keeping track of the materials needed.
• Cisco Academy. The Cisco Academy lab, the only one of its kind in the San Antonio region, provides training for both CCNA and CCNP certifications. The ATC will help address the high demand for Cisco network training in San Antonio.
• Glow Point Videoconferencing. This satellite and Internet-capable system, provided to the center by Wire One, enhances distance learning capabilities. It will allow companies to conduct staff meetings with employees anywhere in the world using two-way audio and video.