Austin Texas Colleges, Trade Schools

 

Austin is more than just the geographic metropolitan center of Texas – it acts as so much more. Typically more liberal and younger than the surrounding areas, it acts as the economic hotbed for quite a few different industries, including real estate, medical, and technology. Even more, it acts as the center for governments at the local, state, and federal level. Many people refer to Austin as a “Silicon Hill” due to the vast amount of technology companies – large and small – that make their homes here. Some of the names you’ll see on our list include: 3M, Apple Inc., Hewlett-Packard, Google, Facebook, AMD, Applied Materials, Cirrus Logic, Cisco Systems, eBay/PayPal, Bioware, Blizzard Entertainment, Hoover’s, Intel Corporation, National Instruments, Samsung Group, Silicon Laboratories, Oracle Corporation, Hostgator, and United Devices. There are even more to come from Austin that haven’t even been created yet – some of the best of the best in tech are moving here over that other Silicon.

There are many industries and areas where people who move to Austin can work – it depends on where you plant your seeds, what you have interest in, and where the opportunities fall.

Top Employers in Austin

The top employers in the education sector are: the Austin Independent school district, the University of Texas at Austin, Austin Community College, and Texas State University.

The City of Austin, the U.S. Government, the State of Texas, and Travis County.

The top employers in the technology sector are: Dell, Inc., IBM Corp., Advanced Micro Devices, Apple Computer Inc., AT&T, Flextronics, and National Instruments.
The top employers in the healthcare industry are: Seton Family of Hospitals, St. David’s Healthcare Partnership, and Activision Blizzard.

Top employers also include Applied Materials, Freescale Semiconductor, Samsung Austin Semiconductor, 3M, Whole Foods, Austin Energy, and Wal-mart.

Top Industries in Austin
While Austin, Texas has many, many industries that have success, these are the ones that stand out above the rest as the “top” industries in Austin, Texas.

Health
In Austin, the healthcare industry is not only one of the biggest employers, but it is one of the most diverse. You may see this industry referred to as the health economy or the medical industry, but it also employs researchers, maintenance staff, electricians, and tech teams, among others. In Austin, the healthcare industry is varied, but it includes rehabilitative care, cancer research, curative care, palliative care, and long term care.

This industry also includes the generation and commercialization of goods that are used within the healthcare industry, including materials, techniques, and training guides. There is also a large number of transportation specialists within the field.

As the healthcare industry in Austin is large and extremely varied, it sees people from all over the world. The unique mixture of small thinking, large teams, and a variety of facilities combines to make it a unique experience for everyone – patients and professionals. You’ll meet with specialists and doctors from all over the world who come here to learn and practice. Many positions that you see here are “transient” positions where someone will only stay for a few months to educate on new practices before moving on.

The outlook for the healthcare industry in Austin, Texas is quite good – it is one of the largest and fastest growing sectors around.

When it comes to working in the healthcare industry, you will have a few different options. Of course, there are small, locally owned practices or you can work with a larger workforce in these top employers:

Seton Family of Hospitals
The Seton Family of Hospitals is the largest employer in the healthcare industry in Austin. It is part of the Ascension Health Network, a nonprofit medical company. It is a Catholic-centered organization that covers healthcare services for well over 1.8 million residents in Central Texas. In particular, they provide charity care for those who are uninsured.

St. David’s Healthcare Partnership
Another one of the leader employers in Austin, the St. David's HealthCare Partnership is included in some of the top hospitals not only in Central Texas, but in the entire country. The hospital has been honored with the Texas Award for Performance Excellence. This hospital too provides millions of dollars in charity care for those who cannot afford it - whether they are residents of this country or special cases that their specialists can handle.

Many other hospitals and medical centers in the area are growing and changing as well. While there are only two on the list for now, within a decade there will be many, many more.

Creative and Digital Design
Austin is home to some of the most creative events in the country, like Austin City Limits, and SXSW Music, Film, and Interactive festival. SXSW in particular brings many companies to the area, which helps with the employment. There are over 40,000 employees in Austin that work within he creative and digital media technology industry. They run throughout many different companies, creating and innovating in all areas. The culture in this filed is one of diversity and pro-business.

Technology
The field of technology is growing all over the world - people are demanding it and companies have to supply it. Still, it may seem strange that Austin, Texas is a place where technology companies do a lot of hiring, manufacturing, researching, and developing. Part of the reason is that the climate is right: many universities nearby, a centralized location for shipment, and a large customer base. The other reason is that they have found that people from Austin are hard workers and willing to learn and go with the flow when technology changes.

Right now, they are hiring everything from the brains who are going to come up with the newest iPhone to the people who can demonstrate and sell the items in retail settings. There are also some factories here where people who are good with their hands need to be. Austin is a perfect place to find that wide variety of people. More and more companies, large and small, are coming into the area. You can work in a startup that is building the newest app or piece of technology that could be the future. There are also some well-known companies that hire at all levels:

Dell, Inc.
Dell is one of the top developers in the country, selling and supporting computer production that goes around the world. Dell is based in Round Rock, staying here to employ many people in all factors, including the sale of personal computers, working in customer service, operating network switches and data storage devices, developing new software, and tech repair.

IBM Corp.
For those who are extremely well prepared, the Austin location of IBM works extensively with the infrastructure of computers and the way they help other businesses. You may work in consulting, where you help people determine which systems will work best for them. You can even get a job in nanotechnology. IBM holds more patents than any other country in the United States, so their research and development sectors are huge.

AT&T
With headquarters in San Antonio, AT&T is the largest telecommunications company in the world. They are the largest provider of fixed and mobile phones in the US. They consistently hire customer service reps, marketing team members, and technicians.

Flextronics (formerly Solectron)
Flextronics is an electronics manufacturing services provider. They offer OEM (original equipment manufacturer) support and services. They also work with supply chains to help with transportation and packaging. This includes people who do all of that to people developing new systems to manage the industry. Currently, there is an increased need for people who do digital design and after-sales.

National Instruments
Another company that keeps its headquarters in Austin, National Instruments connects education and technology by producing automated testing equipment and virtual instrumentation. They are looking for people who want to revolutionize the way people learn and test. Some of the companies they work with include software (LabVIEW, LabWindows/CVI, TestStand and Multisim), hardware (VXI, VMEbus, and PXI frames and modules; interfaces for GPIB, I²C, and other industrial automation standards) as well as real-time controllers (Compact FieldPoint and CompactRIO).

Applied Materials
Applied Materials is a capital equipment producer that works within the semiconductor, TFT LCD display, Glass, WEB and solar (crystalline and thin film) manufacturing industries. They work to create and commercialize the nanomanufacturing technology that is used in the production of semiconductor chips for electronics, flat panels for computers and television, glass coatings for buildings of all kinds, web coatings for solar cells, and modules used in all forms of technology.

Activision Blizzard
For those who are more interested in gaming development, artistry, or performance, Activision Blizzard is a company that is best known for its Call of Duty and Warcraft franchises. They also work with names like Transformers, James Bond, and X-Men.

Data Management
Once again, almost all of the companies on this list have data center operations that look at complex databases. Some of the high profile companies in the Austin area include Bazaarvoice, InfoChimps, Sotera Defense Solutions, and Tableau Software. They are looking for people who have technical expertise and are creative. Some of the fields that require data management in Austin include retail, real estate, government, education, and telecommunications.

Education
Working in education doesn't mean just being a teacher or professor. There are plenty of jobs available to those who look - from architects and urban planners who work with the layout of campuses to the maintenance staff that helps clean up, everyone can find a place in education. A lot of the industry centers around people who do research. These are the people who use resources from the schools and make breakthroughs that will be attributed to the university as well - think a job like the men on Big Bang Theory have.

Schooling systems also provide jobs for those in criminal justice and management - all campuses have their own security systems, which are great places for people who have just graduated. There are also IT departments, healthcare needs, food handling, marketing, communications, religious positions, and high education positions like deans and recruitment members. Here are the educational facilities in Austin with the most employees and average openings:

Austin Independent School District
1111 West Sixth Street

One of the largest employers in Austin is the fifth largest school district, the Austin Independent School District. With over 124 schools and a growing population, there is an immense need for teachers. According to the Austin city website, there are other area schools that need many, many teachers - so much so that they are recruiting from the Northeast. These schools include Pflugerville ISD, Leander ISD, Hays ISD, and Round Rock ISD.

University of Texas at Austin
The University of Texas at Austin (known as UT Austin) is the largest component of the public The University of Texas System, which is made up of 16 academic and health institutions. There are over 51,000 students here and well over 24,000 faculty and staff members. They are constantly hiring new key team members in all areas.

Austin Community College
Employing more than 5,000 people in Austin, Austin Community College has 10 campuses and 8 centers located all over the greater Austin area. They are willing to hire people from all walks of life - including those who have significant experience in some of their certification areas.

Space Technology
With some of the strongest aerospace and aeronautical engineering programs in the country, Austin is home to research centers and advance computing areas that work with the Austin spirit of entrepreneurship, commercialization, creativity, and a lot of industrial and technology companies. In Austin, big data, cloud computing, platform solutions, and the internet come together to work within space technology. This is an emerging, growing, and forever changing industry instead of one that is passive and the same old same all the time. As we go toward the future, there will be more openings coming up and Texas will continue to be the ideal destination for more space companies. There are many companies pushing into the race to get to Mars, which will be something interesting to witness first hand.

Government
Working in the government is a huge responsibility and it requires a lot of hard work. Still, government agencies are some of the biggest employers in the area. Jobs range in size and scope from politically charged jobs that require campaigning, traveling, and a lot of public policy know-how to those that protect the building and the occupants inside of it. More so, a lot the workers are those that take on communication skills - secretaries, speechwriters, researchers, and those who work with the public outreach components of the offices. Austin is a hub for both major political parties as well as smaller, independent parties. Even more importantly, many other companies work through the different government agencies, including sanitation engineers, schooling positions, public transportation, and drivers.

City of Austin
The City of Austin itself is a top employer in the government industry. They run all of the city and local government operations, including city and residential business services. The City of Austin's Green Building program has been a fantastic program for those interested in sustainability and green living - it has been gifted with many awards for their environmental initiatives.

State of Texas
As the state capital, Austin has a ton of government activity. You can find some of the best jobs with state agencies, including the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts; Texas Department of Transportation; Texas Department of Public Safety; Texas Water Development Board, and the Texas Department of Health. Note that for many of these jobs you will have to pass vigorous clearances and background checks. For the United States Government, the IRS and the Post Office have major hubs here..

Industrial
You can find a wide range of jobs within the “industrial industry” as well. In Austin, this is a wide ranging field that includes people who are just starting out and those who have already have a lot of success and experience. You will also find people who are going to make it big, they just need to take the time to make it work. There are hundreds of job titles that can fit into this field, so you can go almost anywhere and find a job. Many of them will require a specific degree, certification, or a lot of training. Some of the most popular jobs include industrial engineers, industrial development, industrial organization, business organization, industrial technology, and construction work. Austin has one of the best environments for industrial development in the United States, which means that there are many companies who are willing to move here to develop and employ citizens. More and more companies come to Austin every year and it looks like that number is only going to continue to rise.

Some of these companies include:
3M Corporation
Austin is the global headquarters for one of the most prolific companies in the world, 3M Electro and Communications Business (ECB). It is the only multi-division site for the company outside of St. Paul. The company has multiple facilities that help with their work, including a research facility and a manufacturing plant where the produce hard goods and new product manufacturing that supports 3M all over the globe.

Austin Energy
Austin Energy is a public utility company that provides electric to a 421-square mile area that include Austin. It is a part of the government since has been owned by the City of Austin since its inception, but it requires a large number of workers at all of the five power plants that it runs.

Retail
One of the fastest growing industries in Austin is the retail market. Almost all of the companies mentioned so far have a need for customer service professionals. Two of the largest companies to employ people in Austin are Whole Foods and Wal-Mart.

Career and Employment Market in Austin, Texas

Austin is, simply put, one of the most exciting places to be if you are considering starting out a career. There are many companies, especially those in tech and design that continue to move to the Austin area because of the great school system, the companies that are already here, the plentiful opportunities, government connections, and a good transportation system. Many businesses settle here for a long time, thriving and continuing to expand and hire more people.

Colleges and Trade Schools in Austin, Texas
The University of Texas at Austin
The biggest public college in the start, The University of Texas at Austin is a four year school that has both undergrad and graduate programs. There are 46, 993 students enrolled full time and 4,320 enrolled part time. Some of the biggest programs include life sciences, communications, and marketing.

ITT Technical Institute Austin
ITT Technical Institute in Austin is a small, four-year school that offers undergraduate programs. There are 365 enrolled full-time and 82 people attend part time. These degrees are often in highly specialized categories.

Texas State University
Texas State University is a large, four-year public school with many different undergrad and graduate programs. There are about 28,000 students enrolled full time and another 8,000 enrolled part time.

Austin Community College
Austin Community College has many technical and professional programs that allow people of any age to get degrees to improve their current position or move on to a new one.

 

References for Austin:
http://www.austinrelocationguide.com/Major-Employers-and-Top-Companies-in-Austin/
http://austininno.streetwise.co/2015/12/15/fastest-growing-startups-tech-cos-16-to-watch-in-austin/
https://www.austinchamber.com/