Category Archives: Waco

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 helps unemployed workers get trained faster with RISE programs

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – The new coronavirus has impacted more than just social gatherings. In Texas, nearly 1.3 million people are unemployed because of the current pandemic, and that number continues to climb.

To help Texans get back to work, Texas State Technical College is deploying the Rapid Industry Skills and Employability (RISE) program that will allow students to quickly learn the skills they need to help them toward a new occupation.

“With so many Texans affected by the pandemic, we wanted to offer courses that would get them the skills needed to enter into industry quickly, while also focusing on providing flexible time commitments,” said Trey Pearson, TSTC’s regional director of student recruitment. “Some of the programs are completely online, and some are taught in a hybrid format, which allows students to complete the coursework while still working or taking care of their families.”

Upon completion, students earn an Occupational Skills Award, which is the formal name for the curriculum designated by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. These short-term courses provide quick and basic entry-level skills that can open up opportunities for those experiencing unemployment and are seeking to get back into the workforce.

The courses are designed to feed into the regular certificates or degrees that TSTC offers if a student wants to pursue additional skills in the field. These courses provide graduates with the ability to apply for positions in their new fields, confident that they have the knowledge to start in a new job.

The idea of shortening the time to gain needed skills to enter the workforce has been in the works, but the current economic crisis necessitated starting the programs as soon as possible.

“RISE was accelerated because of the pandemic,” said TSTC Provost Edgar Padilla. “We’ve had this vision for a while to reduce the amount of time it takes for students to get quality training. The economic climate in the post-coronavirus world really created a sense of urgency for us to move quickly to be in a position to address the economic recovery in Texas.”

Students registered in the RISE program will begin this fall, and registration for the programs will be on a continuing basis.

“The registration process was kicked off in early July, and the applications have started to come in,” said TSTC Senior Vice President of Student Learning Hector Yanez. “These students will begin during our regular fall semester, and some of the programs are designed to be delivered and completed in as little as 7 1/2 weeks.”

Currently there are 12 short-term offerings available online, or via a hybrid format, but that number will change once the first cohorts complete their programs.

“As we continue to roll into the next fiscal year, the goal is to grow the inventory of options in the RISE curriculum,” Padilla said.

Tuition for these programs was also an important factor when they were being created.

“The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act allocated federal dollars to pay for short-term credentials,” Padilla said. “We have launched Occupational Skills Awards that are eligible for this funding immediately, and we have a team working on everything that needs to be in place in order for us to have that funding available for students.”

Hands-on training is one of TSTC’s strongest attributes, and it is something that is the key to the success of the RISE program.

“Every student enrolled will have the same access and opportunities as that of the traditional TSTC college student,” Yanez added. “The TSTC resource teams have been preparing and meeting to make sure that the needs and services of these students are met and provided.”

With a quicker curriculum, TSTC is hoping to provide stability for those seeking a rapid entry into the Texas workforce.

“These programs will really allow students the opportunity to rise to the occasion,” Padilla said. “This is designed to lead to some quality employment opportunities for students, which will ultimately be very impactful.”

To learn more about TSTC’s RISE program, visit https://www.tstc.edu/rise.

First-generation college graduate brings passion for helping others to TSTC students

(ROSENBERG, Texas) – In the seven months that Sugar Land native Yareni Gomez has spent with Texas State Technical College as a program enrollment coach, she has not only assisted TSTC students in Fort Bend County plan for their futures, but also made it her goal that they know they can count on her for help along the way.

“I assist students with anything that they may need while they are completing their degree, from planning and registering for classes, to helping with financial aid items, and everything else in between,” she said.

Gomez is one of the familiar faces in Fort Bend County that students know they can count on as they are completing their programs.

“I am here to ensure that our students are receiving the support that they need, from the moment they submit their application, to when they walk across the stage at graduation,” she explained. “When I finish a session with a student, I want to make sure that they feel supported and know I am available to help in any way that I can.”

Gomez, a first-generation college student, hopes that those she helps do not face the same difficulties that she did when she was obtaining her Bachelor of Science degree in Human Development and Family Studies.

“I want to help make the college journey easier for them than it was for me,” she said. “I remember how hesitant I was to ask for help my first year of college because I didn’t understand some of the higher-education lingo. I love that my position allows me to sit down with students and answer their questions to help them understand certain processes and to remind them that they have someone supporting them in their journey to earn their degree.”

Her willingness to help others succeed brought her into higher education, which came as a surprise journey that ultimately changed her life.

“I entered this career path accidentally as a student worker, and I quickly developed a passion for helping others,” she reminisced. “When I was in college, there were times that I was overwhelmed and hesitant to ask for assistance, but what made a difference for me was the staff and faculty at the University of Houston who took the time to mentor me and teach me things I needed to know.”

The guidance that Gomez received from passionate mentors at her alma mater was a factor in her decision to work in higher education herself.

“I decided to continue my work in higher education to help ensure that all students feel supported and know they have someone they can turn to for guidance and to celebrate their victories with them.”

Fall registration is underway. For more information, visit 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. 

Students do not need experience to begin TSTC aviation maintenance programs, instructor says

(ABILENE, Texas) – Students do not need to have any mechanical experience to start Texas State Technical College’s Aircraft Airframe Technology or Aircraft Powerplant Technology programs.

“We tell people that you do not have to have a mechanical background to be successful,” instructor Josh Parker said. “All of our students start out in the same place and work to get to the same point.”

That point, according to Parker, is to be successful in the workforce. But he also has one additional goal for students.

“We are going to get them to the point that they have the knowledge to pass the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) exam,” he said.

Parker said a majority of graduates find entry-level positions with competitive pay.

“For the past six years, we have been able to put our graduates in the workforce,” he added.

In Abilene, some TSTC graduates have been hired by Eagle Aviation Services, which is on the grounds of the Abilene Regional Airport. Having the company nearby helps, Parker said.

“We do not have a lot of options in West Texas. Having Eagle Aviation right here helps us, especially since they are a maintenance-based company,” he said.

Students in the Aircraft Powerplant Technology program will learn to inspect, maintain and overhaul engine systems. Most of the learning, according to Parker, is hands-on.

“Students learn more when they get in there and do the work,” he said.

The aviation programs are also available at the Harlingen and Waco campuses. They offer both Associate of Applied Science degrees and certificates of completion.

Registration for the fall semester is underway. For more information, 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 Aviation Maintenance Graduates Ready to Fill Job Openings

(WACO, Texas) – Aviation maintenance technicians are needed now more than ever.

Robert Capps, statewide chair of Texas State Technical College’s Aviation Maintenance department, said aviation maintenance and repair businesses working with contracts are doing well, along with aviation manufacturers.

“Our graduates have not had a hard time finding jobs,” Capps said. “Right now, the industry is just sort of in a holding pattern. The airlines are in tough shape because no one is flying commercial aviation. The airlines are only one part of the industry.”

Capps said aviation maintenance students also earning an avionics degree can mean more visibility in the hiring process and the possibility of higher pay. He said aviation maintenance students should be willing to relocate for jobs.

Southern Star Aviation in Midlothian has separate avionics and maintenance divisions.  

Jacob Garcia, Southern Star Aviation’s shop foreman, said it is not easy to find people with experience that fit with the general aviation work the business specializes in.

“I guess it is hard because we are not in the metro area and have the pick of everyone that lives there,” he said.

Garcia said the business provides in-house training on how the maintenance and avionics sides operate.

“Aviation is a niche thing,” he said. “I have seen a lot of people come and go out of this industry. It is a passion kind of thing. You want to be here.”

Texas had more than 16,400 aircraft mechanics and service technicians making an annual mean wage of more than $66,000 as of May 2019, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The largest concentrations of workers in Texas are in the Dallas-Fort Worth and Houston areas. 

The nationwide need for workers is projected to grow to more than 141,000 through 2028, according to the agency.

“Old perceptions of skilled trades involving dirty, hot work must change,” said Jarid King, president of King Aerospace in Addison. “A&P certified mechanics typically work in squeaky clean hangars with the latest in diagnostic technology. It’s hands-on, highly rewarding work. Security concerns have lessened the number of open houses the industry used to hold as a way to expose young people to aviation as a career. The industry needs to champion those again.”

Aviation businesses of all sizes throughout Texas are searching for workers.

Aero Accessories Inc. in San Antonio is looking for a shop mechanic for aircraft engine accessories.

“We are just a small shop, so we have fewer than 10 employees,” said Debra Broyles, general manager. “We can’t pay the scale competing with Lockheed and Boeing.”

Broyles said in the past the business has employed workers with automotive experience to work on its specialty of overhauling and repairing engine accessories for airplanes dating back to World War II. Broyles said the business trains new workers, who need to have electrical and mechanical proficiency.

Capps said the aviation maintenance program at TSTC’s Waco campus is full for the fall semester, but there are still spaces available at the Abilene and Harlingen campuses.

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

TSTC alumnus designs equipment for West Texas oil field companies

(ABILENE, Texas) – Sheryl Givens turned a lifelong passion into a career.

Since graduating from Texas State Technical College with an Associate of Applied Science degree in Architectural Design and Engineering Graphics Technology in 2018, Givens has worked as a designer for SCS Technologies in Big Spring.

“I have always been interested in construction,” Given said. “Growing up, I liked drawing things on a day-by-day basis.”

At SCS Technologies, Givens designs equipment for West Texas oil field companies. The company specializes in programmable logic controller-based systems, control panel fabrication, and custody transfer liquid measurements.

Givens said being part of the TSTC program prepared her for this career.

“Throughout the years, I have admired all the strong work ethic and personal integrity of the field,” she said. “I appreciated all the help from TSTC, which led me to become a motivated and driven professional with a high level of leadership and initiative, as well as excellent analytical, organizational, and problem-solving skills.”

She said TSTC instructors prepared her for a career as a designer.

“They helped me find challenging career opportunities where knowledge, skills, and experience can be effectively utilized with organizations offering opportunities for professional growth and advancement,” Givens said.

The drafting and design program is available at the Abilene, Brownwood, Harlingen, Marshall, North Texas, Sweetwater, and Waco campuses.

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