The Alamo Colleges District Board of Trustees, Chancellor Dr. Mike Flores and Northwest Vista College joined Boerne community leaders and community partners to celebrate the groundbreaking of the new Northwest Education and Training Center (NWETC) on May 6.
Located near Interstate 10 and Balcones Creek Boulevard, the NWETC will provide education and services to the Boerne and Northwest San Antonio communities. The new multifunctional building, with architectural and construction services provided by Overland Partners and Sundt Construction, Inc., respectively, is funded through the district’s 2017 bond issue and will support college technical and academic programs and services for the community.
“The communities North of I-10 are experiencing high growth in terms of housing and students,” said Dr. Flores. “Giving students access to higher education is critical in supporting our communities and their families, no matter what area of the city they live in.”
Set at the edge of the beautiful Texas Hill Country, the 42,000 square-foot NWETC is planned to support 5,000 students and will include outdoor study spaces, 11 general classrooms as well as 12 cyber, computer, science, and technical instruction labs.
Students can earn certificates and an associate of applied science degree in high-wage, high-demand fields such as IT support, cybersecurity, and networking. Also available at the center will be adult and continuing education courses, as well as those in general business, entry-level healthcare, and pre-nursing.
“The Northwest Education and Training Center will provide students in northwest San Antonio and Boerne the opportunity to study for in-demand careers in areas such as cybersecurity, IT, and networking, close to where they live,” said NVC President Dr. Ric Baser.
Northwest Vista College, located in far Northwest San Antonio, is the closest college of the Alamo Colleges District to NWETC. Northwest Vista College is the third largest college (in terms of enrollment) in San Antonio. Many students who take classes at NWETC can continue their education through additional classes at NVC or one of the other four colleges in the Alamo Colleges District, as well as transfer to universities.
The Alamo Colleges currently has two other higher educational regional centers under construction: Westside Education and Training Center and the Southside Education and Training Center. At these centers, students will be able to earn both Academic and Workforce Education degrees and certificates from the Alamo Colleges.
If you would like to see more pictures from the event and the livestream, go to this recap email.