(WACO) – Cooperation among governments, companies, school districts and higher education are needed now more than ever to combat voids left by labor force retirements and meet evolving work skills.

“It will take all of us,” TSTC Provost Adam Hutchison said. “This is a great time to be in Central Texas.”

Hutchison spoke to at least 80 area government, economic and education leaders Thursday at the Heart of Texas Council of Governments’ annual business meeting at TSTC.

Hutchison talked to the gathering about the skills gap in Texas.

He said TSTC’s mission is to drive economic development through workforce education. He said that through 2024 half the labor market will require at least a two-year degree or better, with a lot of the best-paying jobs being in the science, technology, mathematics and engineering fields.

“Low skills are going away and being automated away,” Hutchison said.

The provost said associate degree graduates in Texas who add technical classes to their study programs earn an additional $16,900 more yearly than students who do not take technical classes for degrees.

“TSTC is marvelous,” said Hillsboro Mayor Edith Omberg. “I have children that are older now, but I wish they had the opportunity to get some technical education.”

Some of the programs already in place statewide to stimulate the workforce include the Jobs and Education for Texans Grant Program, the 60x30TX higher education strategic plan, the P-TECH high school plan and dual credit.

Hutchison touted Connally Early College High School in the Connally Independent School District as an example of high school students being able to get technical college credit while working toward high school diplomas.

“These are the good old days, and we need to make sure everyone is part of this renaissance in Waco,” City Councilman James Holmes said.

Hutchison said employers should work on curriculum development and provide internships and other resources to make sure skills being taught can be used quickly in the workplace.

“I believe schools like TSTC are crown jewels in the economic development of a community,” said Rep. DeWayne Burns, R-Cleburne. “If we want to be successful as a community, we need to invest in the education of our workforce and ensure they are provided the necessary skills.”

Burns came from a farming and ranching background and attended Hill College, Tarleton State University and Texas A&M University.

“In the agriculture field, we have equipment that you need to work with, and those certifications are either required or come in handy,” he said. “I don’t know that in my education that I took a technical course per se, but I know the value of those skills.”

Russell Devorsky, the council of governments’ executive director, said TSTC is in the position to lead Texas to higher goals.

“TSTC is a wonderful campus that shows us the future of Texas,” he said.

The Heart of Texas Council of Governments represents Bosque, Falls, Freestone, Hill, Limestone and McLennan counties. The regional council works on economic and community development along with rural transportation and other issues.

For more information on the Heart of Texas Council of Governments, go to hotcog.org.

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

(WACO) –  Texas State Technical College’s Diesel Equipment Technology program hosted on Wednesday a Texas FFA Association Tractor Technician Competition involving nine high school teams from North and Central Texas.

In the Texas FFA Association’s Area 5, Denton High School placed first, Weatherford High School came in second and Mansfield High School placed third.

“We took tests from last year and studied those,” said Jacob Klein, 18, a Denton High School senior. “We also went to two practice contests. It was difficult today but, it feels really good.”

In the Texas FFA Association’s Area 8, Midway High School placed first, Academy High School came in second and Elkhart High School placed third.

“It was our first year (at the competition) and we did not know what to expect,” said Coy Wadsworth, a Midway High School senior. “We haven’t seen any of these types of tractors before. We just went through the process of how to diagnose the problems.”

Other teams competing were from Axtell High School, Teague High School and Riesel High School.

The top three teams from each area will compete in a state FFA tractor competition in March at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo.

Teams of three students took a written test and did a parts identification test sponsored by Tarleton State University.  The students performed a troubleshooting exercise on John Deere and Kubota tractors donated for the competition by United Ag & Turf and Tipton International, both in Waco. Students drove the tractors once the teams found and fixed the problems.

TSTC’s Diesel Equipment Technology program instructors and students created the problems the high school students found in the tractors and served as contest judges.

Joseph Frazier, 18, a TSTC Diesel Equipment Technology major from Frost, competed in the 2017 area contest held on campus as a member of Frost High School’s team. He said he enjoyed being on the other end of the contest, working with his classmates and watching the high school students be challenged on their tractor knowledge.

“I know it’s tough to find the bugs, but it’s a great learning experience,” Frazier said.

John Goebel, a TSTC Diesel Equipment Technology instructor and event organizer, said he wanted the high school students to learn about tractor models and consider the technical college in their academic future. He said several current DET students were in FFA in high school.

Snap-on Inc. donated many of the tools given as prizes to teams and individual winners.

“I try to work with colleges because these guys need to know in their careers that professional tools last longer and have quality,” said John Tilmon, a company account manager based in Tyler.

For more on the Texas FFA Association, go to texasffa.org.

For more information on TSTC, go to tstc.edu.

(WACO) – Evan Hebert is pure Waco.

He was born in the city and is an alumnus of Midway High School and Baylor University.

And in his role as coordinator of Prosper Waco’s CampusTown Waco, one of his jobs is bringing the populations of Texas State Technical College, Baylor University, McLennan Community College and MCC’s University Center together with Waco’s employers, cultural events and restaurants to gather and connect.

Hebert can usually be found working in a booth at Pinewood Roasters on Austin Avenue, but he also has an office at Baylor and periodically visits TSTC, MCC and local businesses.

“I’m hoping to connect students and businesses closely,” Hebert said. “I want to get students plugged into Waco. This is the good work that CampusTown Waco can do.”

Hebert is still planning what he wants to see achieved by the initiative in 2018.

“No matter what campus you are on, you have many of the same challenges – demanding scholastic schedules, financial stresses of college and the social pressures that come with new peer groups, career plans and, in many cases, living on your own for the first time,” said TSTC Provost Adam Hutchison. “CampusTown Waco connects students with opportunities to enjoy our wonderful city. It’s a great way to connect with Waco, and a good way to build relationships and grow personally while going to college.”

Hebert provided flyers to new TSTC students at summer orientations and fall semester move-in last year detailing activities in Waco to stir their interests. And, TSTC students were invited to last December’s I Love Waco Day, which featured downtown businesses providing special deals and activities for students to take advantage of to relieve the stress of final exams.

“I think it’s very important to know your community and engage,” said Michelle Rachels, director of student life and engagement at TSTC. “Waco has a lot to offer and there is plenty to do if you go out to look.”

Rachels’ top recommendation for students to discover in Waco is Cameron Park, the lush, hilly oasis on the Brazos River with hike-and-bike trails, scenic lookouts and quiet places to escape the hustle of life.

Some of Hebert’s work also involves connecting students to available internships, apprenticeships and jobs in Waco. He said having these work opportunities are critical to keeping students in the city at least a few years after graduation to start their careers.

More than 79 percent of Waco’s residents had at least a high school degree as of July 2017, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. More than 58 percent of Waco’s residents make up the civilian labor force at more than 8,500 businesses in the city, according to the census bureau.

Hebert uses social media to plug CampusTown Waco’s social and work opportunities.

Prosper Waco began CampusTown Waco in early 2016 and has support from the city of Waco and the Greater Waco Chamber of Commerce.

For more on CampusTown Waco, go to prosperwaco.org/the-work/.

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

(WACO) – Local Cisco enthusiasts have a place where they can interact with Dallas-Fort Worth- area professionals without leaving Waco.

TSTC is home to the Waco Cisco Satellite Users Group led by John Washington, an instructor in the Computer Networking and Systems Administration program. Monthly video teleconferencing meetings with the Dallas-Fort Worth Cisco Users Group allows students and others throughout the area to learn about Cisco equipment, networking technology and job opportunities.

Washington said his goal for the group is to have more students and area professionals attend and learn.

“When they have their meetings, they ask who is there and if anyone is looking for jobs,” Washington said. “It is a chance for employers and people attending the meetings to contact each other with particular skills.”

The Dallas-Fort Worth Cisco Users Group is the largest and oldest such gathering in the United States, said Beau Williamson, the group’s president.

“Many of the students and people just starting out in their technology careers have been helped by the Dallas-Fort Worth user group to obtain their certifications via study groups, as well as doing people networking,” Williamson said. “Many members have launched very successful careers by actively participating in the user group meetings and study groups.”

TSTC’s Computer Networking and Systems Administration program offers students the opportunity to earn Cisco Certified Entry Networking Technician (CCENT) and Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) Routing and Switching certifications. TSTC is a designated Cisco Academy.

“Cisco Certified professionals are in big demand, and certifications like the CCNA, CCNP (Cisco Certified Network Professional) and CCIE (Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert) are key to opening the door to new or better opportunities for our members,” Williamson said. “The industry is evolving and we are finding that other skills such as Python scripting for DevNet, DevOps and Network Function Virtualization (NFV) are increasingly becoming important.”

The Dallas-Fort Worth Cisco Users Group and Waco Cisco Satellite Users Group meet at 6 p.m. the first Wednesday of each month. The Waco gathering meets in the Bowie Room on the third floor of the John B. Connally Technology Center at the corner of Campus Drive and Crest Drive at TSTC.

The next meeting of the Dallas-Fort Worth Cisco Users Group and Waco Cisco Satellite Users Group will be at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 7. The meeting will be a discussion about mobile threat detection using on-device machine learning engines.

For more information on the Dallas-Fort Worth Cisco Users Group, go to dfw.cisco-users.org.

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

(WACO) – Students in the Building Construction Technology program at Texas State Technical College recently learned about the importance of personal protection equipment.

Ben Sanchez, a safety specialist for Richards Supply Co. in Fort Worth, talked to students about what the safety responsibilities of employers and employees.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration regulates workplace safety guidelines.

There were 991 deaths in the construction field in 2016, according to OSHA. The agency’s “fatal four” for most of these deaths were falls, being hit by objects, electrocutions and caught-in or -between situations involving equipment or collapsing structures.  

Construction industry safety could save more than 630 lives in the United States per year, according to OSHA.

“Employers must protect their employees,” Sanchez said.

Employers should perform a regular hazard assessment and find ways to eliminate problems. After hazards are assessed, employers need to consider what personal protection equipment is needed, Sanchez said. Some of the equipment can include ear protection, respirators, hard hats and safety vests.

Some of the workplace dangers that can occur include falling tools, which can be remedied with tool lanyards. There were 93 worker fatalities from being struck by objects in the U.S. in 2016, according to OSHA.

Sanchez said people in the construction field need to wear face protection to reduce injuries caused by dust particles, cleaning solutions, chemical splashes and other substances. Face protection includes properly fitting, prescription eyewear with the correct indoor and outdoor tints and coatings.

“The quality of the coating matches the cost of the glasses,” Sanchez said.

Eyewear should also include quality foam lining.

“You are not going to get a good seal with just plastic on your face,” Sanchez said.

Some construction work requires respirators, which employers must have employees wear only if they are cleared medically and physically. Sanchez said employers should develop worker change-out schedules when respirators are needed.

“If you can smell or taste it, it’s in your lungs,” he said.

Sanchez said hearing protection should be used according to the decibel level of what is happening around employees. He said the noise-reduction rating should be considered when buying hearing protection.

According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, more than 4 million workers work in damaging noise conditions. In 2017, there were 23,000 cases nationally reported of occupational hearing loss that could lead to hearing impairment, according to NIOSH.

Students said they were glad to hear the information, which is reinforced daily by faculty members through quizzes, course lessons and enforced guidelines for working in the construction lab.

“Looking forward, our end goal is getting a good job,” said Courtney Seelhorst, 29, a Building Construction Technology major from Plano. “To have someone from the outside in industry coming to talk to us makes it real and applicable.”

Mae Allen, 18, a Building Construction Technology major from Waco, said Sanchez’s talk made her think more about protecting her eyes.

“I like taking things and making them new,” Allen said. “I’m good with my hands and doing things myself.”

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

(WACO) – Natalyn Ramos, 11, a Mansfield Independent School District sixth-grade student, experienced what life is like for an astronaut during a visit earlier this week to the Challenger Learning Center at Texas State Technical College in Waco.

Though Ramos said she enjoyed working in Mission Control to guide a mock space mission, space is not where she wants to go as a profession. Ramos said she wants to study forensics and become an FBI agent.

“I like science and love space, but I don’t think I would travel to space,” she said.

Ramos and her classmates from the school district’s Icenhower Intermediate School visited on Wednesday the Challenger Learning Center. On eight days in January, the more than 400-member sixth-grade class will take part in Grand Prairie-based ECHO Education’s “Texas: It’s a Go, Mission Control” program while at the center.

At the learning center, Icenhower’s students will participate in the “Rendezvous With a Comet” mission, visit the planetarium and do a school-led experiment studying the splattering effects of meteorites hitting grass, water, cement and aluminum surfaces.

The field-study trip aligns with Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills standards for understanding Earth and space, said Stacy Rountree, ECHO Education’s director of education and day-programs director.

“I think our Challenger program will grow very quickly because of word-of-mouth,” Rountree said. “I love hands-on (learning). When a child does something hands-on, they will remember it. It’s a one-of-a-kind thing they get to do.”

Rebecca Burton, an Icenhower sixth-grade science teacher, said the Waco visits reinforce what has been taught in space units the students have recently done. And, the students also learn valuable teamwork and communication skills.

“Being able to come here and see what was talked about coming to life is great,” she said. “I would like them to take away that mathematics and science are important every day. They can open up jobs and other possibilities.”

Icenhower sixth-grade student Jordan Tankersley, 12, said he was still interested in theater as a profession but enjoyed learning about zodiac signs in the learning center’s planetarium.

“It was a very cool experience to see what astronauts and mission control staff do and to see how hard it is for them,” he said. “I am excited to be here.”

ECHO Education provides lunch for students and charter bus travel to and from schools. The organization works with more than 40 Dallas-Fort Worth-area school districts.

The nonprofit ECHO Education made it possible for two groups of fifth grade students from the Aledo Independent School District to visit the learning center in November.

ECHO Education staff are already planning school visits for February.

The Challenger Learning Center honors the astronauts who died Jan. 28, 1986, when a booster engine failed on the Challenger space shuttle launching from Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The initiative was founded later that year by the families of the seven astronauts tragically killed. TSTC’s Challenger Learning Center is affiliated with the nonprofit Challenger Center for Space Science Education in Washington, D.C.

For more information on the Challenger Learning Center at Texas State Technical College, go to tstc.edu/challenger.

(WACO) – Building Construction Technology students at Texas State Technical College are seeing the results of learning exercises their fall semester classmates had in interior finishing.

Room 103 in the Building Construction Technology Building was once a classroom, but students have transformed the space into a computer lab able to accommodate 24 students.

John Russell, a TSTC Building Construction Technology instructor, designed plans on the software programs Chief Architect and Inventor. About 50 students built desks, painted, installed Sheetrock and set up cabling during the fall semester. Staff at TSTC’s Information Technology Support Operations helped get computers online.

The desks are made of red oak, plywood and laminate. Staff from Wilsonart in Temple taught students about adhesives and laminates for the project.

“This was a training situation and some students learned faster than others,” Russell said.

One of the students who worked on the project, Michael Shields, 34, of Waco, is scheduled to graduate in April with an Associate of Applied Science in Building Construction Technology. He said it was good experience undertaking construction procedures, from learning blueprints to installing the finished products.

“Building Construction Technology deals with a lot of the aspects of mathematics and being methodical,” Shields said. “The process is important to learn how to put things together.”

Students still need to replace some of the lab’s ceiling tiles. Russell said the room’s carpet could eventually be changed out.

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