Adrian Lopez, CEO, Workforce Solutions Alamo
Adrian Lopez, CEO of Workforce Solutions Alamo, is helping employers identify talent while addressing the barriers that limit workforce participation across the region. “It is important to look not only at credentials and technical skills, but also at competencies that can transfer from one industry to another,” Lopez told Invest: in an interview.
How would you describe the state of San Antonio’s labor market?
The labor market continues to be strong. We have experienced a slight slowdown, with unemployment reaching about 4.8% in June, but that remains roughly in line with state and national levels. One of the brightest spots is the continued growth of the labor force.
When I came on board, the labor force was about 1.2 million people. Today, it is about 1.4 million, meaning we have added roughly 200,000 people since 2020. We experienced the effects of COVID, lost jobs, recovered those jobs, and continued adding opportunities to the local economy. The labor force is growing through local participation and population growth from other parts of Texas and the country. While recent job growth has been relatively flat, the future looks promising. Toyota announced a $3.6 billion expansion in South Bexar County, and JCB is preparing to bring about 1,500 jobs online. We held a job fair during the summer with JCB, and hiring should begin in fall.
How is the region developing talent for manufacturing, aerospace, defense, and logistics?
We work closely with those industries. It is important to look not only at credentials and technical skills, but also at competencies that can transfer from one industry to another.
A good example is our work with Boeing. The company needed to hire about 300 people, so we identified the core competencies required and looked for those skills among workers at mechanic shops, recreational vehicle businesses, and similar employers. Those individuals may not have had aerospace certifications, but they had the right foundation to succeed with additional training.
We invited those workers to a hiring event. About 400 people attended over three or four hours, and Boeing hired approximately 80 people on the spot. It demonstrated the value of identifying transferable skills instead of focusing only on industry-specific experience.
Meeting future demand will require several strategies. We work with career and technical education programs, including agricultural mechanics, as well as community colleges, universities, employers, and incumbent workers who need to be upskilled.
Workforce development is not one program. It is a combination of employers, training providers, partners, and strategies working together to identify and develop talent.
What barriers are preventing more people from participating in the workforce?
Our annual budget is close to $200 million, and our largest investment is in child care. We invest approximately $126 million annually to help about 13,000 children access child care every day.
Texas is unique because we use child care as a workforce strategy, not only as an early education strategy. It is a dual-generation approach. Child care allows parents to return to school, complete training, or go to work while supporting positive long-term outcomes for children.
Without child care, many parents would not have the ability to pursue education, training, or employment. Child care is the biggest barrier, but transportation and housing affordability are also significant challenges.
The Alamo region is experiencing rapid development, including along the corridor between San Antonio and Austin. Thousands of people live in one county and work in another, creating a vibrant regional economy while placing pressure on transportation, housing, roads, water, and other infrastructure.
We operate 16 career centers across 13 counties, serving about 100,000 people each year. Some people need computer access, job-search assistance, or résumé workshops. Others need training, reskilling, or upskilling. We must develop talent while addressing the barriers that prevent people from accessing opportunity.
How is artificial intelligence affecting workforce development?
It is still too early to provide a definitive answer about the full impact of artificial intelligence. Anyone who claims to know exactly what the total impact will be should probably be viewed with some skepticism because no one fully knows yet.
Employers are beginning to use AI tools to create efficiencies, and that could have a greater effect on entry-level positions, although the data does not yet clearly show that. We are also helping child care providers explore how AI can improve business operations and create efficiencies.
AI is the latest stage in the evolution of technology. Throughout my career, I have seen the transition from typewriters to computers, the internet, smartphones, and now AI. Each change required people to adapt and learn new tools.
Employers and educators should continue valuing credentials and degrees, but they must also focus on competencies. AI does not replace critical thinking. It does not replace the ability to ask the right questions, solve problems, collaborate, or work effectively with a team. AI is a tool, and people will continue to be responsible for applying judgment and solving problems.
What have you learned from working with employers through industry collaboratives?
We have launched collaboratives in construction, manufacturing, and healthcare. One model we support is Texas FAME, which was originally developed by Toyota and later brought to Texas.
Approximately 20 local manufacturers work together through Texas FAME to support apprenticeship opportunities, education, and advocacy for advanced manufacturing. Workforce Solutions Alamo helps recruit young adults and expose them to those careers.
Texas FAME also supports the Advanced Manufacturing Technician Apprenticeship program through a partnership among Texas FAME, Workforce Solutions Alamo, and Alamo Colleges District. That structure provides a framework that could be applied to other industries.
Participants move through the program as a cohort, creating a strong support system that contributes to completion and long-term success.
We are considering how similar practices could apply in construction and healthcare. We recently invited people to hear directly from healthcare employers, not to recruit them immediately but to showcase career opportunities and help them better understand the industry.
Our role is to bring the pieces together. Employers hire people, and training providers such as Alamo Colleges train them. We connect people, showcase employers, support models such as Texas FAME, and seek funding to expand effective strategies.
What makes San Antonio competitive for continued business investment?
The region has a diverse economy rather than relying on one industry. That diversity provides resilience during economic ups and downs.
While job creation is currently somewhat flat, the major investments underway point to strong future growth. Advanced manufacturing is creating thousands of jobs, and five major hospitals are under construction in the San Antonio region. Cyber Command at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland highlights the region’s strength in defense and cybersecurity, while aerospace continues expanding through organizations such as Southwest Research Institute, where technologies developed locally have contributed to space exploration.
Construction continues growing through housing and infrastructure projects, while logistics and international trade remain essential because of San Antonio’s proximity to Mexico and its connection to the Interstate 35 corridor.
Tourism and the region’s history and culture also remain important economic drivers.
Growth is no longer limited to San Antonio and Bexar County. Communities such as Seguin, New Braunfels, Boerne, and others that were once primarily rural are rapidly becoming suburban communities with new housing and development. That broader regional growth, along with San Antonio’s connection to Austin, strengthens the economy and expands future opportunities.
