Author Archives: Daniel Perry

TSTC HVAC Technology Program Receives Equipment Gift

(RED OAK, Texas) – Texas State Technical College’s North Texas campus has received an equipment gift from a Mansfield business.

Century A/C Supply has donated a 25-ton York package unit valued at $15,000 to the Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning Technology program.

“I was not going to sell it, and I figured I would donate it for a good cause,” said Eric Huddleston, the company’s branch manager.

HVAC Technology students will use the package unit to understand the concept of three-phase wiring and how to troubleshoot three-phase motors.

Rusty Hicks, The TSTC Foundation’s corporate development officer, said the gift signifies the college’s area-wide reach. 

“We are trying to get the word out all over, not just in Ellis County, but all over the Dallas-Fort Worth area,” he said. “We are seeing some really good results. As long as you have good business partners like Century A/C that understand what we are doing and can donate in-kind, they too — like so many of our employers that hire our students — can see the visible results.”

Douglas McCuen, lead instructor of TSTC’s HVAC Technology program, said Huddleston reached out to him earlier this year about the package unit. McCuen said he is grateful for the equipment.

“He was even kind enough to deliver the equipment to our campus,” McCuen said. “He even had the forethought to have the delivery person bring fork extensions so we could use them on the campus forklift.”

For more information on how to make a gift to TSTC, go to https://www.tstc.edu/tstcfoundation/giving/.

TSTC Programs Ready to Welcome Night Students This Fall

(HUTTO, Texas) – Students interested in learning after the sun goes down can pursue two technical programs at Texas State Technical College’s Williamson County campus.

Offering more opportunities to take classes at TSTC means that students can increase their opportunities in the marketplace and earn higher wages, said Lissa Adams, TSTC’s associate provost.

“We believe it is important to offer flexible schedules to meet the needs of adult learners,” she said. “For many of our nontraditional students, evening classes are attractive because they  allow them to work or take care of their family obligations during the day and attend classes either full or part time.”

The Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) Technology program offers two classes per semester at night.

Curtis Christian, an instructor in TSTC’s HVAC Technology program, said the night cohorts are typically made up of students already working with the desire to expand their knowledge. Most students work toward a certificate, but he said some students have been able to complete an associate degree in the evening hours.

“Because of COVID-19, everyone has to work individually,” he said. “No one can work in groups anymore. They are going to have to work on equipment by themselves.”

The Welding Technology programs will offer all of the first-semester classes and then two classes the rest of the semesters for each cohort. Students are able to work toward an associate degree or certificate.

“It is a good opportunity for working people to upgrade existing skills or gain new skills that will increase their wages or get them on a road to a career, and not just a job,” said Samara Flener, lead instructor in TSTC’s Welding Technology program.

TSTC will use a hybrid format for programs this fall, with some classes being taught online and others using an in-person and online learning combination. Each program will follow campus and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention safety guidelines.

There is still availability for students to enroll in the two evening programs.

“I expect these programs will fill up soon because there are very few daytime spots,” said Chemese Armstrong, TSTC’s campus enrollment executive.

For more information on Texas State Technical College, go to tstc.edu.

Brazos Higher Education Services Corp. Donates to TSTC Scholarships

(WACO, Texas) – The Brazos Higher Education Services Corp. in Waco has given a $25,000 contribution to Texas State Technical College’s Waco campus for two scholarships to help students.

“A lot of the practical things you do in terms of building skill sets for actual jobs for people coming out (of TSTC) is valuable,” said Ben Litle, the higher education services corporation’s president and chief executive officer.

The money will be split between the Texan Success Scholarship and Helping Hands Scholarship at TSTC. 

The Texan Success Scholarship was created in 2016 to help incoming TSTC students pay for their first two semesters. TSTC’s enrollment coaches and recruiters select students who have graduated from high school with at least a 2.0 grade-point average or have a minimum score of 145 on the GED, and have completed the admissions process. The scholarship is non-needs based. Chosen students receive $500 for each of the first two semesters.

The Helping Hands Scholarship is a short-term solution for students who have nonacademic financial problems preventing them from completing classes. Students who are in need of assistance can talk to their enrollment coaches to begin the application process.

“We are thankful for their gift and partnership with TSTC,” said Pete Rowe, a vice president of development  for The TSTC Foundation.

The Brazos Higher Education Services Corp. was founded in the 1970s by the late Murray Watson Jr., a former Texas legislator who filed legislation in 1969 to separate what was an arm of the Texas A&M University system into a stand-alone institution for technical education that would become TSTC. The nonprofit corporation provides student loans for Texans seeking higher education.

“They are great to work with,” Rowe said.

For more information on how to make a gift to TSTC, go to https://www.tstc.edu/tstcfoundation/giving/.

TSTC Plumbing and Pipefitting Technology Program Ready to Fill Jobs

(WACO, Texas) – The plumbing and pipefitting field carries the stereotype of dirty work and smelly situations.

Not so, said Chris Porter, an instructor in Texas State Technical College’s Plumbing and Pipefitting Technology program in Waco.

“Plumbers regulate the safety of everyone, whether it’s water or sewage,” he said. “Someone can become a certified backflow installer/tester, an estimator, be able to build waste- or water- treatment plants, or even run their own business. Plumbing is for men and women alike.”

Paul Abrams, public relations director of Cincinnati-based Roto-Rooter Services Co., which has several locations throughout Texas, said the company has a challenge nationwide in filling jobs because experienced and licensed plumbers are retiring faster than new employees can join the job market. He said geography also plays a role in recruitment because of regulation differences.

“Even larger municipalities have a separate set of rules that must be followed,” Abrams said. “Some places are known as ‘restricted markets,’ meaning only a licensed plumber can do any type of plumbing work beyond sewer and drain cleaning. Even experienced apprentice plumbers aren’t permitted to turn a wrench in restricted markets unless they’re accompanied by a license holder at the job site. This makes it tough because with licensed plumbers in such short supply, we simply can’t hire enough of them at any price.”

Abrams said in unrestricted markets, apprentices can work under a license holder’s license without him or her being on a job site. In this situation, apprentices can repair common plumbing problems and leave extensive work to experienced, licensed plumbers.

Clyff Curry, business manager and financial secretary of the United Association of Journeymen and Apprentices Union 529 in Waco, said people entering the field need to have a good understanding of algebra, geometry and trigonometry and be mechanically inclined.

“We try to impress upon them the importance of being at work on time, being ready to work, being in the right frame of mind, all that good stuff,” he said.

Porter said the keys to success in the plumbing and pipefitting industry are to be a quick learner and have practical skill knowledge.

“It is a hard-working industry, but the rewards can be astronomical in the end, meaning once one has acquired his/her plumbing license from the state of Texas,” he said.

The program’s faculty are continuing to plan for the fall semester.

Porter said the Plumbing Codes I and Blueprint Classes will be offered fully online this fall. The rest of the program’s classes will be offered in a hybrid format with in-person labs. 

The program still has space for students this fall.

Texas had more than 43,100 plumbers, pipefitters and steamfitters making an annual mean wage of $50,320 as of May 2019, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The Woodlands-Houston-Sugar Land area had the highest concentration of workers in Texas with more than 11,700. The Waco area had more than 400 workers. 

Jobs for plumbers, pipefitters and steamfitters are projected to rise nationally to more than 568,000 by 2028, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. This is being attributed to retirements, the adoption of new building codes and the need to maintain and repair plumbing systems. 

For more information on Texas State Technical College, go to tstc.edu.

TSTC Culinary Arts Program Adapts to New Learning Environment

(WACO, Texas) – Texas State Technical College’s Culinary Arts program worked in late March to accommodate a campuswide shift to online teaching due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Until that time the program used Moodle, the college’s open-source learning platform, on a limited basis. But Michele Brown, lead instructor of TSTC’s Culinary Arts program in Waco, said faculty members had to learn new skills quickly. The program worked with TSTC’s statewide online learning office to adapt the curriculum to an online format and still meet its teaching standards.

“It has forced us to reevaluate how we deliver material,” said Len Pawelek, statewide chair of TSTC’s Culinary Arts department. “I think it has actually been better for the students.”

Instructors have created online quizzes, directed students on ways to upload homework, and recorded lectures for online use. The faculty continues to create their own teaching videos.

One way the faculty has transitioned online is by using SoftChalk, an e-learning software for interactive course development.

“It’s a way for [the students] to use different parts of their brain,” Brown said.

Pawelek said faculty cannot forget about teaching students about soft skills. He said working in a kitchen for hours at a time can teach students about building a work ethic, punctuality, respect and other skills.

“I think in this environment, we are going to have to be creative in working with them to be successful in our industry,” Pawelek said.

Hands-on labs resumed in early May so the spring semester could be completed. The online and in-person hybrid format is being used this summer and will carry over into the fall.

“The students come in for an abbreviated period of time,” Brown said. “We don’t want people lingering.”

Dequan Carter, a third-semester Culinary Arts major from Hewitt, said he has adapted well to the hybrid way of teaching.

“I do not have any issues with doing the online section at all,” he said. “The hardest part of it is having to be in a mask (during labs),  but I understand that is necessary.”

This new way of teaching culinary arts is also being adapted as uniformly as possible at TSTC’s Harlingen and Williamson County campuses.

“I think we are dealing with a generation of students that see this hybrid system is actually more beneficial for them,” said Pawelek. “These are the kind of students that will sit down and watch YouTube videos of culinary techniques and perhaps practice them. It is really in line with how our students are learning nowadays.”

For more information on Texas State Technical College, go to tstc.edu. 

TSTC and Midlothian Forge Relationships to Increase Educational Opportunities

(RED OAK, Texas) – Texas State Technical College’s North Texas campus continues to strengthen relationships with municipalities throughout Ellis County. Midlothian, in the northwest part of the county, has proven to be a supportive partner in promoting technical education to residents.

“There has been a lot of collaboration with Midlothian,” said Marcus Balch, TSTC’s provost.

And, there are a lot of people in the area to recruit as potential students.

The city had more than 33,000 residents as of July 2019, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. About 93 percent of residents age 25 and older have at least a high school education. Twenty-nine percent of residents have at least a bachelor’s degree.

Kyle Kinateder, president and chief executive officer of the Midlothian Economic Development Corp., said TSTC plays an important  role when companies are considering sites in the city. The city has the Midlothian Business Park and RailPort Business Park where companies can consider locating.

“We provide our prospects a variety of information on the many training and educational opportunities available in our community; however, it’s far more impactful when we can connect them with one of our many existing businesses that have a positive, first-hand experience working with TSTC,” he said. “This company-to-company approach helps to ensure our prospects that TSTC was there for our existing businesses and they will be there for them too.”

Kinateder said TSTC’s Automotive Technology, Computer Aided Drafting and Design, Engineering, Precision Machining Technology and Welding Technology are some of the technical programs fitting in with Midlothian’s economic plans.

“A resident of Midlothian could pick from any of the programs and graduate fully qualified for the many open jobs currently available in our area,” he said.

TSTC’s Workforce Training department has done specialized training in the past for the Target Distribution Center and Gerdau Ameristeel, both in Midlothian.

Balch said Gerdau Ameristeel continues to send employees to study in the Industrial Systems – Electrical Specialization program. The first cohort of company workers graduated from TSTC in summer 2018.

Jayelle Kryder, Gerdau’s human resources manager, said the company has had three graduating cohorts with 31 employees and another two cohorts, or 18 workers, now studying at TSTC. She said the employees come from throughout the plant.

Kryder said TSTC has been able to adapt the curriculum to the company’s specific needs and equipment. The company works with employees’ schedules to enable them to attend classes one day a week. 

“We have been very fortunate to work with such a collaborative team at TSTC,” Kryder said. “Our employees come away from the program with comprehensive technical knowledge in industrial maintenance. We place these students in (Gerdau’s) maintenance apprenticeship positions early in the program so they can pair the technical knowledge they gain at TSTC with hands-on experience at our plant. We have found that to be the best approach to their development.”

Darrell Phillips, manager of Mid-Way Regional Airport in Midlothian, has had meetings with campus leaders on how to work together in the future.

“We do have an interest in education,” he said. “We want to do some sort of educational program at the airport for our region. I want to get the kids in our area interested in aviation. We are open to looking at some type of opportunity.”

For more information on Texas State Technical College, go to tstc.edu. 

TSTC Process Operations Technology Program Uses Virtual Reality Software

(MARSHALL, Texas) – Faculty members and students in Texas State Technical College’s Process Operations Technology program started working with a new virtual reality software system this summer.

PetroSkills Simulation Solutions’ Distillation VR is in the early stages of use this summer in the Process Technology III – Operations and Process Troubleshooting classes. Students can  access the virtual software through TSTC’s Moodle platform if they are off campus.

The Marshall Economic Development Corp. authorized the purchase of the software in February and donated it to TSTC. 

“Students experience what an actual process operator would see while being in the control room or walking the plant or refinery,” said Nicholas Cram, lead instructor in TSTC’s Process Operations Technology program. “The virtual operator provides students with a view of the plant similar to what you see with Google Earth if you were to scroll down to road level.”

The program’s instructors are able to virtually simulate dangerous scenarios for distillation systems like chemical leaks, explosions and plant fires.

“We can introduce problems into the simulation while it is running, then assess the students’ ability to get the situation under control and back on track,” said Cram. “We think this will be a great asset for the future.”

The program’s first-semester students will use the software starting this fall in the Introduction to Process Operations class.

“The software is very user-friendly,” Cram said. “It’s like anything new. Once you understand the functions of all the buttons, you pick things up really fast.”

TSTC’s program teaches students about industrial processes, troubleshooting, process instrumentation and other topics. Students can use these skills in chemical, gas, pharmaceutical, power plant, refinery and public utilities operations.

“We would like for those individuals to stay in Marshall and work here,” said Rush Harris, director of business services at MEDCO. “It increases our percentage of educated folks in town and increases our annual median and mean income. We are trying to keep the pipeline of employees going to some of these larger companies that pay well.”

Blake Cox, The TSTC Foundation’s East Texas field development officer, agreed. 

“I think the gift has its importance mainly because it is coming from an economic development corporation,” said Cox. “I think that speaks volumes to what we are doing, and they want to reinvest back into their community.”

Instructors and MEDCO leaders see the software as a great recruiting tool.

“Using any educational technology provides a better learning platform for students and really emphasizes the ‘technical’ in TSTC,” Cram said. “We can also accommodate more students in a virtual lab, learning the same or more material than we can in a face-to-face lab. The software will never replace face-to-face, hands-on training, but it certainly shortens the learning curve in understanding process operations technology.”

More than 200 workers in Harrison County were employed  in process operations as recently as 2018, according to a June wage and employment study conducted by MEDCO. The study found the annual average salary for process operations workers was $63,200.

Graduates of TSTC’s Process Operations Technology have gone on to be hired at Eastman Chemical Co. in Longview, Matheson Gas locations throughout Texas, and Sherwin-Williams and Plastipak Packaging Inc., both in Garland.

For more information on Texas State Technical College, go to tstc.edu. 

TSTC Workforce Training Department to Offer CDL Training

(MARSHALL, Texas) – Texas State Technical College’s Workforce Training department will offer a commercial driver’s license course later this summer.

The course will begin on Monday, Aug. 3. The permit part of the course will be taught through WebEx. The skills portion of the course will be taught at TSTC’s Marshall campus. The course lasts five weeks, Monday to Friday. It will enable students to earn a commercial driver’s license permit, with testing being done at the Texas Department of Public Safety in Kilgore.

“Safety is a huge concern at TSTC,” said Dirk Hughes, TSTC’s executive director of Workforce Training in Marshall. “With the state having to deal with the virus, TSTC is taking measures to ensure the safety of its students and instructors. Masks will be worn by students and staff, and the trucks will be sanitized upon the switching of drivers. Safety and health is important to us.”

Tuition for the course is $1,950 for the first six people to sign up and increases to $3,900 for additional  participants.

Some of the occupations that Workforce Solutions of East Texas has listed as needing commercial driver’s licenses include industrial truck and track operators, excavating and loading machine operators, and heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers.

For more information on the commercial driver’s license classes, contact TSTC’s Workforce Training department at 903-923-3374.

For more information on Texas State Technical College, go to tstc.edu. 

Area Residents to Benefit From TSTC Scholarships

(RED OAK, Texas) – Texas State Technical College’s North Texas campus is using the generosity of two donors to help Midlothian-area residents further their education.

The Midlothian Economic Development Corp. recently made the final contribution in a three-year giving cycle to fund the Midlothian Workforce/Careers Scholarship.

The $30,000 scholarship fund will be divided into $1,000 TSTC scholarships for area residents who live within the boundaries of the Midlothian Independent School District and are high school graduates or have General Educational Development certificates.

TSTC Provost Marcus Balch credited Larry Barnett, a former MEDC executive director and current member of The TSTC Foundation’s board of directors, for helping to bring the campus and Midlothian together.

“He really took an interest in us and connected us to a number of industry partners, city officials, and school officials,” Balch said. “It has just been an all-around good partnership from a connection standpoint.”

Another recent scholarship contribution came from Colten Crist, advertising and operations director of the Midlothian Mirror and Waxahachie Daily Light. He contributed $1,500 for scholarships for students who graduated this year from any of Ellis County’s 15 high schools to attend TSTC’s North Texas campus. Three students will receive $500 each, Crist said.

The inspiration for making the financial gift came from the for-profit Best of All-Ellis County Preps sports banquet held virtually this year. The second annual event honored high school athletes at the county’s high schools.

Crist said he felt last year’s event was missing a contribution to the community, so he reached out to Balch and talked about TSTC’s importance to the county.

“I really like TSTC and what they do, honestly,” Crist said. “I think it is something that is extremely needed in our educational system.”

TSTC’s enrollment coaches will tag students in TSTC’s registration system as potential scholarship recipients. The scholarships will be awarded once students register for classes.

For more information on how to make a gift to TSTC, go to tstc.edu/tstcfoundation/giving/.

TSTC Embraces Online Learning Opportunities

(WACO, Texas) – Now is an exciting time for the development of online classes.

“I think this will open the doors to a whole new market of people who want to be part of Texas State Technical College,” said Hector Yanez, TSTC’s senior vice president of Student Learning.

TSTC shifted classes online in late March due to the COVID-19 situation, then in early May went to a hybrid format in several programs so students could complete hands-on labs. The hybrid format is being used this summer and will be used this fall.

“What we are doing is making sure the quality of our online courses has stepped up even further,” said Gina Cano-Monreal, TSTC’s associate vice president of Online Learning. “We are working with subject and content experts in each area to ensure there is the same level of quality in their online programs as we have in our face-to-face courses.”

The  Harlingen campus was the first of TSTC’s 10 campuses to have an online learning office. Since the merger of TSTC’s campuses in 2015, online learning has expanded statewide.

“With the help of the online learning office, our courses have been brought forward in a whole new light, showing the spectrum of information that we teach by giving the students numerous ways to absorb it,” said Nelson Adams, lead instructor in TSTC’s Culinary Arts program at the Williamson County campus.

Instructors are scheduling virtual office hours to further engage with students. And, instructors are working statewide to provide a library of digital content for students to utilize.

“The ability to present course material and resources in multiple formats online allows students to learn from anywhere using a variety of devices,” Cano-Monreal said. “Courses are also more tailored to the personal needs of the student.”

Shannon Ferguson, statewide chair of TSTC’s Computer Programming Technology and Web Design and Development Technology programs, said online classes on Moodle are a way to reach all TSTC students across the state. 

“It opens the door to remove the restrictions of set class times of our programs,” he said. “It is no longer Monday to Friday, 8 to 5, during class time. I am asking instructors to stay in contact with students and let them know we are here. Since we do not have face-to-face labs (for certain classes)  it does not mean they cannot reach out to us. It does not mean we will not have virtual meetings online where we see their screens.”

Some students may have a difficult time adjusting to online classes. Cano-Monreal recommended students take TSTC’s student online learning orientation to familiarize themselves on how to be academically successful online.

“If you are not understanding something, reach out to a faculty member and fellow students,” Cano-Monreal said. “The faculty that we have teaching the online courses are the same faculty that teach our face-to-face courses.”

Cano-Monreal also recommended students practice good time management but embrace flexibility.

“What a lot of our instructors are telling our students is to pretend you are coming to class and schedule that time to go to your online class,” she said.

Yanez said students taking online classes will make them digitally better.

“The students are getting tremendous experience in Zoom and Webex meetings and doing testing online,” he said. “You see dropboxes for homework and classmates doing videos. Pretty much the online students are going to have a tremendous awakening of the digital skills they are exposed to.”

Cano-Monreal said faculty and staff members realize some students can have limited technology access once they are off campus. She said students in this situation can talk to their instructor, who can pass the information on to advisement and retention services staff to determine how best to assist.

For more information on Texas State Technical College, go to tstc.edu.