Anthony Degollado was a senior in high school when he was introduced to the career possibilities of manufacturing. When he toured the International Motors plant in San Antonio, Texas, with his forensic-science class, it was like a door opened that he didn’t even know existed. He had no post-graduation plans, so when he learned that International Motors was looking for interns for a paid, three-week program, he jumped at the chance to apply.
“I definitely didn’t have that many options available at that time,” Degollado said. “That was definitely the biggest opportunity that was available to me.”
Degollado is one of 30 recent high school graduates who have interned at International through the summer internship program at SA WORX, the workforce development arm of San Antonio’s economic development organization, greater:SATX. The program is intended to improve access to hands-on work experience for local youth.
Degollado’s experience at International led to a full-time job there with a solid career path.
Partnering with Employers
The 900,000 square-foot International Motors San Antonio Manufacturing Plant is relatively new to the neighborhood, having established operations in 2022. The facility builds Class 6 through 8 diesel and electric vehicles.
Once the plant was up and running, SA WORX collaborated with International to kickstart workforce development initiatives. International began participating in SA WORX’s job-shadow days program for high school students and was eventually recruited for the summer internship program.
All internships are paid, eliminating barriers to entry for students who would otherwise need to work an additional job.
“We host about 200 [high school interns] over the course of a summer, sometimes three [hundred],” says greater:SATX Director of Communications Adrian Castillo.
Currently in its 10th year, the program’s other manufacturing employer partners include Avanzar Interior Technologies, Toyotetsu Texas and Southwest Research Institute.
Last summer, International focused on bringing in students from Southside High School in San Antonio, a 9-12 grade school with around 1,700 students, according to the 2023-2024 Campus Improvement Plan. About 84% of students are economically disadvantaged. International Motors recruited 30 high school seniors in 2024.
“This program is twofold,” Castillo says. “We’re developing the talent pipeline for our employers, but then we are also creating those career pathways for our young talent in the region.”
“I definitely think that this is the first time that the school that we went to had an opportunity or an opening like this that was so direct, straight to hands-on working,” adds Degollado, who graduated from Southside High School last spring.
The Intern Experience
Ariella Cantu heard about the internship from a friend during her senior year. She was looking for work experience and funds to pursue college, so she took the initiative to go through the application process.
Cantu was apprehensive at first about working in manufacturing, “but further along as I started to work here, I got more comfortable. I made some friends. I got used to my work. I was really good at my work … I didn’t really want to start into a job, but working here made me want to start the job.”
The internships began right after graduation. International manager and Supply Chain Business Team Leader Maria Delgado had the interns rotate between roles under her area of supervision, gauging where they would fit best.
International interns work in either supply chain/logistics or general assembly:
- Supply chain/logistics: The interns assist in kitting, inventory quality checks, shipping and receiving material into the dock. They may also operate equipment like pickers, tuggers and forklifts.
- General assembly: The interns use hand and torque tools on a production assembly line to build Class 6, 7 and 8 commercial trucks.
Only after the three-week program ended did Degollado and Cantu receive full-time job opportunities.
“It was just the three-week internship, and that was all that was promised,” Degollado says.
Seven of the original 30 International interns now have full-time roles at the company. Their alignment with the company’s core values of respect, responsibility, elimination of waste, team spirit and a customer-first attitude set them apart, the company says.
Cantu and Degollado are supply chain team members at the plant. Degollado works on the receiving dock as a forklift operator, and Cantu supports material flow in truck production.
“We were able to start working here full-time with almost no hard transitioning; it was just straight into the workforce,” says Degollado. “It definitely gives us a jump start.”
Delgado says watching the interns grow and learn was exciting, adding that the interns took the opportunity and ran with it. “Anthony, he’s one of our best forklift drivers, he can pretty much drive any kind of mobile equipment now. Ari, she’s running our main line by herself sometimes,” she says.
Trucking Ahead
Degollado’s story of a class job shadow trip ultimately turning into employment is a prime example of greater:SATX’s goal, Castillo says.
“[Degollado] went to the employer for that one day, got introduced to what was then Navistar and a career in advanced manufacturing. He matriculated into an internship program, and then he became an employee of the company” in the span of four or five months, Castillo says.
The experience has come full circle. Cantu and Degollado now help and participate as employees during job shadow days, sharing their experiences with the internship program and the company.
“I know there’s definitely some high schoolers that see the pay alone and will be willing to give it a try,” Degollado says.
International is preparing for another round of interns this summer, which will pay $19 per hour.
“I think it’s a good opportunity for these kids to come in and actually see what International can offer,” says Delgado. “It’s not just a job. This is a potential career for them, something they could grow into.”
