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Bexar County extends Alamo Colleges student internship program, funds 50 slots for another year
Summary
Commissioners approved a one-year extension and county match to continue the partnership with Alamo Colleges that places students in county offices; $65,520 requested to subsidize county minimum wages for about 50 internship slots.
Bexar County Commissioners Court voted May 27 to extend its partnership with the Alamo Community College District’s student employment program, approving a county match of $65,520 to continue subsidizing student internships across county offices.
The extension funds a county-side subsidy so Alamo College students receive Bexar County minimum pay while the college contributes the larger portion of the wage. The Small Business & Entrepreneurship Department requested the renewal; Alamo College staff and county supervisors told the court the program has placed 98 students to date and converted 16 interns into full-time county jobs.
The program matches students recruited by Alamo Colleges with county departments. Anna Kawamura, director of Alamo On the Job (the Alamo Colleges internship program), told the court the district recruits students from all five campuses and brings them to county hiring fairs. “We have 36 current students who are placed throughout Bexar County offices and departments,” Kawamura said. Renee Watson of the Small Business & Entrepreneurship Department described the county’s role in creating job descriptions and supervisory mentors and noted that about 16 former interns have been hired as county employees.
County Clerk Lucy Adami Clark and other supervisors praised individual interns and described work the students had done in the county clerk’s office and other departments. Watson requested $65,520 to cover the difference between the county minimum wage of $17.55 and the Alamo Colleges contribution of $16.29 per hour for up to 20 hours a week, 52 weeks a year for the matched positions. That dollar-and-26-cent-per-hour subsidy was described as the county’s share to preserve student placements and conversion opportunities.
Commissioners emphasized the program’s value as both a workforce pipeline and a mentoring opportunity. Commissioner Clay Flores, who spearheaded earlier county support for the program, said it was “one of the programs I am most excited about” and recognized student placements in his office. The court approved the extension by motion and voice vote.
The county and Alamo Colleges also plan a June matching fair at the Freeman Coliseum to connect departments with applicants and increase placements. County staff said the fair previously placed more than 50 interns in a single event.
