Best Classes San Antonio, TX

San Antonio is such an attractive place to live, play and work, so it's no surprise that it is one of the fastest-growing cities in the United States. What may surprise some is how fast it is climbing up the tech-hub ratings, heading towards the most desirable place for tech entities and professional tech wizards to land. As home to the second-largest cyber hub in the country, the city’s Chamber of Commerce is ready to welcome more Fortune 500 companies to add to its impressive list of four current businesses that made the tough criteria. The four top earners solidly on the list are iHeartMedia, USAA, and CST Brands, with other well-known companies moving up the Fortune 1000 list of names. San Antonio boasts other corporate giants with roots in San Antonio, including Rackspace Technology, TaskUs, Valero Energy, and Harland Clarke. From the booming downtown tech district and outlying technology-friendly locations, San Antonio is able to further develop, attract, and retain businesses large and small. Startups are especially welcome, too, in this vibrant, innovative, and highly diverse Texas town.

San Antonio has every tech industry a professional could want and a sizable demand for tech talent to join other entities that aren’t necessarily known as technology-based businesses. Some of the biggest sectors in the city include cybersecurity, information technology, advanced manufacturing, and healthcare with bioscience. These areas, in particular, appreciate how innovative, collaborative, and community-driven San Antonio is, along with the fact that the state has no income tax, making it a desirable place to reside.

Coworking spaces full of entrepreneurs and startups have driven the evolution of San Antonio’s downtown tech district. Groups located in the heart of the technology hub, such as Geekdom, EPIcenter, and TechBlock, have elevated the city’s prominence, putting San Antonio into the spotlight as it catapults to a leading market.

In tech circles, San Antonio is perhaps best known for its cybersecurity prowess. Other than Washington, D.C., San Antonio is home to more cybersecurity professionals than anyplace else in the United States. To add fuel to the fire, cybersecurity is now ranked among the most in-demand professions in the nation. Business promoters in the city aim to position their home as a global epicenter for cybersecurity initiatives. The local presence of cybersecurity operations run by the U.S. Air Forces, FBI, National Security Agency, and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, along with dozens of the highest-ranking cybersecurity businesses and programs, makes the city an undeniable force.

Alamo City’s tech scene took off with Rackspace, the web hosting company that launched and rocketed skyward in the late 1990s. Current and former Rackspace employees have been behind much of the local industry and the city’s forward-thinking growth. An example of one supportive measure offered by a “Racker” is the 80/20 Foundation. Their mission is to attract and help innovative, creative talent to the city and help them evolve, thus adding to San Antonio’s tech infrastructure. The Foundation enthusiastically supports existing small businesses, those relocating, and anyone who has a proof-of-concept they would like guidance with.

Tech Careers in San Antonio

San Antonio is already a winner for anyone considering a career in technology in the city. With four Fortune 500 companies, a host of easily recognized big names in tech, and many more eagerly relocating, such as SkipCart, Matthews International, and Saferide Health. The three technology companies alone have created more than 250 new jobs in the city and add to the list of opportunities waiting for techies to be filled. Venture-backed technology is also booming in the Alamo City, with investors hot on the trail looking for good ideas to assist during incubation.

The Alamo City is also known by another nickname: Cyber City. San Antonio was leading the field of cybersecurity before the industry even had a name. Since 1948 when the U.S. Air Force established its Security Service operations in the city, and the region has steadily built upon that foundation with a collaborative environment across military, industry, and academia. The city delivers what other communities promise: access to job-ready people and direct proximity to the Department of Defense. It has the largest [ool of certified experts outside of Washington, D.C., and has drawn those interested in entering the field with robust encouragement by providing access to available training. San Antonio is also home to the NSA, the Texas Cryptologic Center, the FBI Cyber Division, and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, ensuring that it owns the title bestowed on it.

USAA, a Fortune 94 company, is a giant in financial technology as well as cybersecurity. Headquartered in San Antonio, they have served the needs of military personnel and their families for more than 100 years. They developed the first mobile phone check deposit system and are internationally recognized for their 24/7 Cyber Threat Operations Center that can stop upwards of 20 million cyber attacks each day. Other top services beyond FinTech and cybersecurity. Related fields always on the lookout for top tech talent include bioscience and aerospace, which have deep roots in R&D and modernization. With the environment the combinations of these sectors created, Rackspace Managed Security Services revolutionized the way to address core challenges businesses face in keeping their cloud environments secure and compliant. Digital Defense created Frontline, a security solution aimed at the modern, constantly fluctuating, and increasingly mobile workplace. Lockheed Martin’s Cyber Solutions Operations occupies more than 15,000 square feet at Port San Antonio’s Tech Port facility, an impressive community of additional technology-based companies which enjoy world-class office space. All of these companies state that one of the main reasons they chose San Antonio was the desire to lure tech professionals to work for them with a high quality of life beyond work.

Organizations such as Tech Bloc are a major reason why San Antonio's tech scene is getting so much attention. Recognizing that attracting and retaining tech talent is the linchpin for the success of the entire region, Tech Bloc strives to elevate the current economic development policy and continue to increase the excellence of the current tech landscape. Their approach is that if Alamo City wants to compete for the best in tech, they need to offer a competitive ecosystem in the Internet Century. Part of their plan is to support and retain those with solid training in their tech field who will start technology-oriented companies and drive innovative growth in existing industries. They identify these “smart creatives” as those who would be snatched up by entities in larger tech hubs if San Antonio didn’t have an environment that aggressively shares its view on making tech a priority.

One of San Antonio’s smart moves to support all aspects of technology in the city is the installment of a dedicated role, Chief Innovation Officer, a position that serves as a tech community liaison and advocate. With the mission of staying community-driven, the role requires day-to-day attention on the current status of all those involved with technology and ensure that any needs are connected with ways they can be satisfied. It is also a position that strives to support the lifestyle of technical professionals in the city, whether it means addressing subjects such as traffic congestion, air quality, or addressing the digital divide.

Life in San Antonio also means that tech can be multi-generational. With programs aimed directly at those still in grades kindergarten through twelfth, the city’s educational system ranks high among the nation’s best in overall school effectiveness. CAST Tech High School is an industry-led, charter high school within the San Antonio ISD that directly approaches real-world tech skills with its students. Youth Code Jam is a non-profit event that provides all school-aged children access to the critical literacy of coding. To build the next generation’s coding skills, the organization holds a free annual community “code jam,” in which over 1,000 students, parents, and volunteers come together to code using a variety of tools. The organization also hosts summer camps, after-school coding clubs, and teacher professional development.

Families love what San Antonio has to offer, but so do big kids, aka adults. Seaworld is one of the area’s most popular attractions, and locals know that getting an annual pass lets them see all of the special events that rotate throughout the year. Of course, the Alamo is a massive piece of American history, located within easy walking distance of downtown, and residents often participate in different re-enactments of the main historical milestones of the fort. They’ll even see dents from musket balls that hit the sides if one knows where to look. For the even more adventurous types, San Antonio is home to the largest colony of bats in the world, and bat watchers gather near Bracken Cave to watch them act batty.

San Antonians love life in their city, as well as their state. Texas has no sales tax, and that makes earnings go much further. The average price for a single-family home is $226,665, well within reach of those working as Software Engineers, who earn about $87,000 annually, and Digital Designers, who can look forward to approximately $107,000 per year.

Tech Schools in San Antonio

The city of San Antonio is worthy competition for tech training and education. As a major tech hub, it’s easy to find plenty of technology bootcamps and classes within the metropolitan area. More than eight training locations offer a range of at least 100 in-person courses to choose from in a vast array of subjects in technology, including Design, Digital Marketing, Data-related training, Coding, Business, Web Development, and IT. Most schools also offer live online and on-demand options, allowing students to choose how they’d like to learn. Two schools, ONLC and Certstaffix, hold classes in a computer lab, pre-loaded with the latest equipment and software, led by a live, off-site instructor. Additionally, Noble Desktop, the creator of this tool, has numerous live online, on-demand, and private lesson options.

San Antonio offers more than 28 in-person graphic design-related bootcamps and classes, all in close proximity to the center of the city. Those wanting to pursue a design career have more than enough options to learn any type of design area they desire, and many schools also offer live, online options. Types of programs that can be found include bootcamps/immersives, certificates, and classes, ranging from six hours to twelve weeks in length. Topics across the graphic design spectrum are Photoshop, InDesign, Illustrator, Visual Design, and UX Design. Highly-ranked schools that offer courses New Horizons, USTA Boot Camps, and Lumenbrite. One other school, ONLC, holds classes in a computer lab with equipment pre-loaded with the latest software and a live instructor teaching from a remote site.

Schools that offer in-person Data Science classes and bootcamps in San Antonio include four training locations that provide more than twenty-two courses, including bootcamps, which dive deeply into hands-on instruction in this fast-growing field. Subjects within the realm of Data Science include Python, SQL, Machine Learning, and R. The schools that offer a range of data science courses include UTSA Boot Camps, Tech Talent South, Codeup, and New Horizons.

For in-person classes and bootcamps in San Antonio in Web Development, students can choose from six schools with traditional classrooms and two schools that offer live instruction in a state-of-the-art computer lab with a live, off-site instructor leading the session. Schools that hold web development programs include Codeup and Tech Talent South. A hybrid-style school that offers computer lab access and a remote instructor is ONLC.

There are many course options presented by six schools to choose from for in-person coding classes and bootcamps in San Antonio. Schools in the area are located both in the city center and away from traffic a short distance outside of the city. All of these training centers offer live, online courses and provide a way for students to take classes from wherever they choose. Schools in the San Antonio area include UTA Boot Camps, Tech Talent South, Codeup, and New Horizons. Additionally, ONLC holds its coding classes in a dedicated computer lab, with instruction from a live, remote instructor. All courses take students through the learning process step-by-step and provide object-based experiential learning experiences. In this subject, students can find coding-related options in Web Development, Data Science, Computer Science, iOS Development, Front End Development, Back End Development, Python, JavaScript, Java, SQL, HTML & CSS, and PHP & MySQL. Offerings range from comprehensive and immersive bootcamps to extensive information certificates and classes. Most courses are also available live and online and offer a variety of times and lengths. For more extensive programs, financial assistance is often available.

Those looking for in-person Web Design classes and bootcamps in San Antonio can choose from a variety of courses at schools that are located within the city. Subjects within web design include Front End Web Development, Visual Design, UX Design, WordPress, HTML & CSS, JavaScript & jQuery, Sketch, and Adobe XD. Courses include bootcamps and hands-on classes, ranging from three hours to twelve weeks. Local schools offer a wide variety of programs related to web design, including UTA Boot Camps and New Horizons. Additionally, ONLC holds courses in dedicated computer labs, led in real-time by off-site instructors.

San Antonio is one of the most popular places to work in the field of Digital Marketing. Attending an in-person Digital Marketing class or bootcamp in San Antonio is a wise investment to get ahead of the competition in the booming digital world. Students can choose from the courses offered by ONCL, which holds classes in computer labs with a live, remote instructor leading classes. Additionally, Noble Desktop, the creator of this tool, and other schools offer a wide array of options that are held live and online. Subjects students can choose from include Google Analytics, Google Ads, SEO, social media marketing, email marketing, and ecommerce.

Top schools in San Antonio that offer in-person Python bootcamps and classes include New Horizons, which holds face-to-face classes, or ONLC, a school that offers classes in computer labs with pre-loaded professional-level software and are led by a live instructor who is offsite. Python is essential for most careers in technology, and certain professions require knowledge in specific syntaxes of the language.

Students can choose in-person classes and bootcamps in video editing in San Antonio from Lumenbrite. Video editing classes are fast-paced, hands-on learning experiences that range from two to ten days. General areas of study in video editing include motion graphics, Premiere Pro, After Effects, and First Cut Pro.

In-person UX Design classes in San Antonio are offered by UTSA, a highly ranked school on the University of Texas at San Antonio’s campus. This school offers comprehensive overviews of the user experience (UX) and places particular emphasis on Sketch and Adobe XD.

Students have a choice of several unique in-person Excel classes in San Antonio offered by New Horizons, as well as classes held by ONLC in a computer lab with a live instructor leading the class from an offsite location. All Excel sessions range from three hours to three days and are offered live and online, too. The demand for Excel skills stretches into most areas of a professional career, so general and specific classes in the software are available face-to-face, live and online, or on-demand.

Corporate & Onsite Tech Training in San Antonio

Offering onsite corporate tech training sessions is a terrific investment in your team or across the workplace. An expert instructor from Noble Desktop, the creator of this tool, will come to your location, or a live session can be tailored to present via a video conferencing platform such as Zoom. A wide variety of subjects and skill levels are available, and each is custom-tailored to fit the client. If preferred, individual employees can attend an open enrollment session at regularly scheduled times. Vouchers can be obtained at a discount when purchased in multiples. Contact Noble Desktop for further information.