(MARSHALL) – Area companies have turned to Texas State Technical College for training workers to improve their skills in manufacturing and production.

“We do have a training capacity for the local area within a 50-mile range,” said Bryan Maertins, executive director of Workforce Training and Continuing Education at TSTC in Marshall. “We have started a statewide direct marketing campaign geared toward companies.”

Cabot Norit Activated Carbon Americas in Marshall has sent workers to learn about different kinds of welding and process training. The training began in January and ended in April with another session scheduled to start in June. This was the first time the company has partnered with the college.

“Their goal is to run 35 people through the training,” said Maertins.

Master Woodcraft Cabinetry in Marshall continues to send six workers to train for mechanical troubleshooting, motor controls, programmable logic controls and the basics of electricity.

The company makes enough cabinets to fill the equivalent of 65 tractor-trailers a week and sent to 35 states. Some of the equipment workers use include computerized chop and gang rip saws and water-based ultraviolet cured finishing lines.

“In maintenance, the machinery we buy is very sophisticated and highly technical and computerized,” said Mark Trexler, the company’s president and chief executive officer. “We have to continue to educate these guys to work on the more complicated equipment.”

Trexler said having TSTC in Marshall was an asset in utilizing faculty expertise and equipment.

“We are very happy or we would not continue to do it,” Trexler said. “They (workers) have to work their shift and they go over to TSTC for training,” he said. “It’s a huge benefit to have them local. If we had to send them to Longview or Shreveport, we would probably not do it.”

Earlier this year, LP Building Products of Carthage sent eight workers to learn more about programmable logic control systems and hydraulics theory, troubleshooting and design. Maertins said the company requested an assessment of its workers before and after the training to see how much they have developed.

Edward Chaney, an instructor and assistant department chair in Industrial Maintenance/Engineering, said workplace safety comes from respecting the equipment being used and repaired.

“Understanding the how’s and why’s give technicians a better understanding of troubleshooting and a better of understanding of how to design and upgrade equipment efficiency,” he said. “With this knowledge comes a better technical team and a safer team.”

To learn more about workforce training opportunities contact Bryan Maertins, executive director of Workforce Training and Continuing Education at 903-923-3442.

(MARSHALL) – Chastity Rhodes is going for her own triple crown at Texas State Technical College.

Rhodes, 33, of Marshall will receive associate degrees in Computer Networking and Security Technology and Cyber Security at the college’s Spring Commencement at 6 p.m. Friday at Julius S. Scott Sr. Chapel at Wiley College.

She already graduated with an associate degree in Biomedical Equipment Technology in 2014 at TSTC.

“I want to make sure I have a wide range of skills to make money for me and my children,” Rhodes said.

Rhodes discovered an interest in network support when she took networking classes for the Biomedical Equipment Technology degree.

“I kind of always wanted to work in a hospital setting but I’m not the nurse type,” she said. “I’m a very technical and analytical person. When I heard about this degree plan that lets you work on medical machines and networking in hospitals and you have to do a lot of security with HIPA (Health Information Privacy Act) too, it was everything I wanted actually.”

Alan Towery, an instructor in the Cyber Security program, said Rhodes was one of the hardest working students he has had.

“She would come up here to campus as much as she could to get help and even when she was not in class,” he said. “She was always asking questions to understand the material more.”

Towery said TSTC in Marshall’s cyber security graduates have gone on to work for school districts, hospitals and communication companies since the program began in the 2011-12 academic year.

Rhodes has been moved up from an internship to full-time employee at Seven Networks LLC in Marshall. Her internship involved server room network administration, cyber security work and network monitoring.

“The only way I have gotten to where I am at is to push myself and not be completely satisfied and work to do better,” she said. “My hopes are to keep this job and grow with this company and get tons of experience and exposure and hopefully have this real awesome career.”

She said she wanted to be an inspiration to younger females to pursue networking and technology as a career.

“I got into biomedical and the other two programs because they are predominately male. That to me is a challenge,” she said. “If they can do it, I can do it. If I would give any advice to any young lady coming out of high school, it is if you are good at mathematics, science, computers and even if you just like that kind of stuff, get involved and do something with your brain. In the end, your brain is going to be the only thing that matters. It’s an exciting field and there are advantages to females being in the IT field or any technology field.”

Rhodes graduated in 2000 from Marshall High School.

She visited TSTC when she came to the realization six years ago that a college degree was a necessity. She has appreciated the encouragement that faculty members gave her to succeed.

Her future academic plans include earning bachelor’s and master’s degrees.

(MARSHALL) – The community has the opportunity to make a meaningful difference in the lives of Texas State Technical College students working toward an education.

The new Make a Texas-Sized Difference campaign was developed by The TSTC Foundation to raise money for the Texan Success Scholarship.

“The goal is to grow TSTC, get our students in school and on track to complete a program and eventually enter the Texas workforce,” Vice President of Institutional Advancement Beth Wooten said. “This is bigger than just TSTC. This is about filling the skills gap in Texas and providing industry with the skilled workers desperately needed.”

Technical degrees and certificates will be critical to have in the next decade. Wind turbine service technology and health care jobs in physical therapy, home health and ambulance driving are predicted to be some of the fastest growing occupations by 2024, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

“A large number of well-paying jobs go unfilled in Texas because employers cannot find workers with the right blend of technical skills,” TSTC Chancellor and Chief Executive Officer Mike Reeser said. “At TSTC we teach those skills needed for these great jobs. We hope more students will be encouraged to consider the benefits of a technical education and the great jobs that result from them.”

New, incoming students can receive the non-need referral based $1,000 scholarship at TSTC’s 10 campuses. TSTC recruiters, faculty member and high school counselors can make recommendations for students to receive the money to pay for two semesters. Each dollar contributed will be matched by the college.

Provost Bart Day said students are notified with a letter that they have received the scholarship.

“The TSS is a great way for us all to invest in students with the potential to be successful in the broad range of programs TSTC has to offer,” he said. “Getting a student beyond that first hurdle can result in a long-term win for the student, the college and the state of Texas. That’s what we’re here for.”

TSTC in Marshall has 14 certificate and associate degree programs in technical areas from biomedical equipment technology to welding.

For more information on the Make a Texas-Sized Difference Campaign and other ways to contribute to TSTC, log on to tstc.edu/tstcfoundation or call 903-923-3209.

(MARSHALL) – Eastman Chemical Co. in Longview has solidified its partnership with Texas State Technical College.

Eastman recently contributed $20,000 to The TSTC Foundation. The money is restricted to scholarships for students in the Process Operations Technology and Industrial Controls Technology programs in Marshall.

“The scholarships pay tuition and fees for two semesters, with additional scholarships available depending on their academic and/or internship performance,” said Mike Tucker, Learning Services Technologist at Eastman.

The company also recently validated the college’s Process Operations Technology program. The validation means students in the program going to work at Eastman will be eligible to receive a higher rate of pay with the opportunity to receive top pay in their job in a year. The validation also makes TSTC graduates eligible for credit towards company training.

“It gives us more credibility to the work that we do,” said Wilson Jones, director of the Process Operations Technology program.

Eastman’s Process Technology Validation team members visited the campus in October to tour and interview faculty members and students. This program has received the validation the last five years. The team was pleased with the communication between Eastman and college staff and the alignment of the curriculum toward what the company needs for process operators.

“I think the feedback from Eastman is valuable to us, suggesting a different course to take,” Jones said. “That’s part of what we expect from our industrial partners – information that we need.”

Eastman has also donated equipment like hard hats and valves.

Eastman was founded in 1920 in Kingsport, Tenn. and has more than 15,000 employees at locations in the United States, Mexico, China, Brazil, Singapore, Japan, South Korea along with several facilities in Europe. The chemical company works with clients in the transportation, construction, agriculture and industrials and chemicals processing industries.

For more information on the Process Operations Technology and Industrial Controls Technology programs in Marshall, call New Student Admissions and Recruiting at 903-923-3207.

Apply today at tstc.edu. Registration for summer and fall semesters continues.