TMASC

The BUILD pilot program grew out of Bexar County’s exploration of potential collaboration opportunities between Bexar County’s Texas-Mexico Automotive SuperCluster (TMASC) strategy and area universities and colleges.  While the BUILD program has begun with a focus on the auto industry, we anticipate extending it to other area industries, such as creative, that could benefit as well.

In late 2009 and early 2010, several local universities shared with us some obstacles they face in retaining engineers and other skilled graduates in the region. Examples include a lack of recruiters visiting campus, the need for schools to aggressively promote their programs’ graduates to prospective employers, or simply inadequate awareness of existing placement opportunities on the part of schools and their students. When the County met with a sample of automotive suppliers to the Toyota Motor Manufacturing of Texas (TMMTX) plant, executives expressed difficulty in efficiently meeting certain workforce needs.

These conversations revealed an opportunity for the Bexar County Economic Development Department to develop a pilot program which leverages County relationships to benefit the area’s workforce development, colleges and universities, and advanced manufacturing industry.

The BUILD pilot program was created to provide a solution that addresses:

1. The challenge Toyota suppliers face to identify and retain local talent as production increases with the new Tacoma line, and to groom and prepare their companies’ future leadership;
2. The challenge of local higher education institutions to provide valuable and timely career opportunities for their students; and
3. Bexar County’s challenge to promote the growth of professional, higher wage and higher skill opportunities to prevent brain drain of graduates from the County’s colleges and universities, as well as to assure an ample talent pipeline ready to support advanced industry.

The first MATCH internship opportunities are for positions with the On-Site Suppliers to TMMTX, one of the most advanced auto manufacturing complexes in the world and site of all US production of the Toyota Tundra and Toyota Tacoma pickup trucks.

The TMASC blog and TMASC Twitter feed will highlight opportunities.  Interested schools or candidates can also contact the Bexar County Economic Development Department-Strategic Initiatives Division at 210.335.0669 for more information.