Category Archives: Waco

TSTC Industrial Systems Program Meets Job Needs

(WACO, Texas) – Graduates of Texas State Technical College’s Industrial Systems program in Waco should know that work opportunities are out there when they graduate.

“The program in Waco is designed to provide our students with a wide range of valuable skills, from basic machining to boiler maintenance and even programmable logic controllers, which are the prevalent control systems in industry today,” said Edward Chaney, TSTC’s statewide chair of the Industrial Systems department.

Jobs for electromechanical and mechatronics technologists and technicians are projected to rise to 15,100 nationally by 2029, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The agency predicted job growth will be seen in the control instruments, electromechanical, machinery, motor vehicle parts and navigational manufacturing areas.

Texas had more than 1,900 electromechanical and mechatronics technologists and technicians earning an annual mean wage of $56,750 in May 2019, according to the labor statistics bureau.

“People move around, especially when a new company comes in and expands,” said Jose Palacios, manager of business and industry initiatives for the Heart of Texas Workforce Development Board Inc. in Waco. “Several companies in the area have expanded or added shifts to their work schedules.”

Palacios said workers are needed for logistics, particularly to maintain conveyor belts and other related equipment.

Rj Garcia, a sales executive at Placements Unlimited Inc. in Waco, said the company gets many people looking for production-type work in the city. 

“It all depends on what the company is looking for,” Garcia said. “We do have success filling those jobs.”

Anthony Spalding, director of interns and apprentice programs at HOLT CAT in Irving, said it can be challenging to find qualified applicants for industrial systems, welding and other heavy equipment and manufacturing fields. The heavy equipment company has several locations throughout Texas, including Waco.

“To work in this field or any other trades-related field, the individuals need to have an interest or desire to work with their hands and create, from concept to finish, a product they had a part in,” he said. “As far as inspiring interest, it is exposure to the fields and education on career opportunities and compensation.”

Palacios said utilizing the federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act is a way the workforce board motivates people of all ages to pursue industrial systems jobs and other technical fields.

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

TSTC Auto Collision Program Provides Women With Skills for the Workforce

(WACO, Texas) – For Texas State Technical College student Haley Rios of Bryan, auto collision and repair work is a family tradition.

Her grandfather used to own a paint and body shop where several relatives worked. She would go to the shop as a child and watch repair work being done.

“It was nice,” Rios said. “I liked it.”

Rios took automotive classes in high school and learned about brake repair, oil changes, shocks, struts and other vehicle components. When it came time to select a college after high school, Rios chose TSTC’s Waco campus, which her father also attended. 

Rios said she has enjoyed learning about different painting techniques and how vehicles are put together.

“The time spent out here (at TSTC) is actually working,” she said. “I am a hands-on learner.”

Rios will start work at Caliber Collision in Bryan after graduating in December from TSTC. She is a candidate for Associate of Applied Science degrees in Auto Collision and Management Technology – Refinishing Specialization and Auto Collision and Management Technology – Repair Specialization.

Rios’ advice for women interested in pursuing the auto collision and repair industry is simple.

“Go for it, and ignore what everyone says,” she said.

Jannifer Stimmel, an instructor in TSTC’s Auto Collision and Management Technology program, said women should pursue the field because it is fulfilling and rewarding.

“Women are very successful in this industry because many women are detail oriented,” she said. “That is a huge asset in our field because in our industry, details play a huge role. Auto collision requires such specifics, whether it be finding the smallest scratch, choosing the correct tint for paint matching, finding hidden damage, identifying flaws in welds — you name it and it applies to some aspect of this industry.”

Stimmel did not have Rios in classes, but did teach Emma Espinoza, who is scheduled to graduate from the program in December.

“She (Emma) was the top performer in her class, along with another female student that was there at the time,” Stimmel said.

Espinoza grew up in Leander and now lives in Liberty Hill. She is a candidate for graduation at TSTC for an Associate of Applied Science degree in Auto Collision and Management Technology – Refinishing Specialization.

Espinoza took automotive tech classes for three years but wanted to do something using her creative side.

“I had no clue about what I wanted to do,” she said.

She was invited to tour TSTC by her boyfriend, Burke Anderson, who is in TSTC’s Automotive Technology – Toyota T-Ten Specialization program. Once she visited the Auto Collision and Management Technology program, she knew what she wanted to do.

“It’s been pretty fun,” Espinoza said. “I stayed quiet at first, but you get used to being around guys.”

Espinoza said she has enjoyed learning about airbrushing and working with vehicle panels.

After graduation, Espinoza wants to work in custom repair in the Austin area.

Jobs for automotive body and related repairers are projected to be at 159,000 in 2029, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Workers will be needed to fill positions as people retire or transition into other occupations, according to the agency.

In Texas, there were 11,000 automotive body and related repairers earning an annual mean wage of $45,720 in May 2019, according to the labor statistics agency.

Registration continues for the spring semester. For more information on Texas State Technical College, go tstc.edu.

TSTC hosts Rosenberg Army recruiting station on Veterans Day

(ROSENBERG, Texas) – Texas State Technical College welcomed an Army recruiting station to its Fort Bend County campus on Veterans Day.

An avionics system vehicle was situated on the parking lot in front of the Brazos Center on Wednesday afternoon. Upon request, the Army recruitment team gave tours of the vehicle to any present military personnel and TSTC students while following coronavirus safety guidelines.

TSTC’s Director of Veteran Recruitment Kenneth Buford said this showcase is yet another way that TSTC can show its commitment to our service members.

“Highlighting this showcase enhances transparency and reaffirms our commitment to the community and to our veteran population,” he said. “It provides an extraordinary opportunity for our TSTC family to extend an open and warm invitation for any who may be willing to join us in celebrating our military service members of the past, present and future.”

He added that the showcase also brought about a chance for surrounding areas to see what TSTC can do for veterans in the community.

“This presents TSTC with the opportunity for increased public awareness, visibility and military support,” he said. “It is vital that we come together, support our military, support one another, and create pathways capable of securing more Texans and Texas veterans in higher-paying careers.”

One of TSTC’s goals is to help military personnel with a seamless transition when their time in the service is over.

To learn more about TSTC and the options available to veterans, visit https://tstc.edu/veterans.

 

TSTC Student Utilizes Scholarship for Hutto Residents

(HUTTO, Texas) – Matthew Barringer’s most prized possession is on four wheels and comes with history.

He owns a 1998 Dodge Dakota that belonged to his grandfather, who died when Barringer was in elementary school.

“That is the only physical memory I have of him,” said Barringer, a Hutto resident.

When it came time to choose where to go to college, Barringer said he knew a four-year university was not for him. He considered going into police work after graduation but decided to take his love of vehicles and make a career out of it. He chose Texas State Technical College’s Waco campus to study Automotive Technology.

“It has been the best decision I have ever made,” Barringer said. “I am so happy here. I like not having big student loans so I can make money right out of the gate.”

Barringer is a recipient of the Hutto Education Foundation’s scholarship, a joint effort with the city of Hutto and The TSTC Foundation.

“Since 2006, the (Hutto Education Foundation) mission has been to enhance educational opportunities for students and staff in the Hutto Independent School District through our grant and scholarship programs,” said Lizzy Samples, the foundation’s director of community education. “We are excited to partner with TSTC to provide for Hutto ISD graduates/TSTC students in their third and fourth semesters. With deep Hutto roots and with a TSTC hands-on educational experience, these students are bound for greatness.”

Barringer is using the scholarship so he can pay for the fall semester and not take out a loan. 

“Here (at TSTC), I wake up and go to class, and I am ready to learn,” he said.

Barringer is a 2018 graduate of Hutto High School, where he played football.

“He is a great kid,” said Bradley LaPlante, the high school’s head football coach and athletics director. “He always had a nice souped-up truck in the parking lot that was always fresh and clean. With him being in the Automotive Technology program, I think that is right up his alley.”

In the spring, Barringer will do a program-required cooperative at a Hutto-area dealership. He wants to build on his interest in electrical work, learning from experienced automotive technicians.

Barringer’s goal is to stay in the area to work once he graduates from TSTC.

“For him, he is going to be successful at what he puts his mind to and what he wants to do,” LaPlante said.

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

TSTC Welding Technology Program Dedicated to Filling Jobs

(WACO, Texas) – Samuel Esqueda, of George West, began welding when he took his first agriculture class as a high school sophomore. 

“It stuck with me more than anything else,” he said. “I wanted to turn it into a career.”

Esqueda is pursuing an Associate of Applied Science degree in Welding Technology at Texas State Technical College’s Waco campus. He is scheduled to graduate in 2022.

“It is way above what I was expecting,” he said. “It is fun getting out and welding.”

Esqueda said he has found the online portion of his studies challenging, mainly because he has not done entire classes online before. Earlier this year, TSTC’s Welding Technology program adopted a hybrid teaching format with hands-on labs being done in-person, and lectures and quizzes completed online. This was done due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Esqueda is already planning his career path after graduation.

“I’m looking in fabrication and where they (the employers) need me in one spot,” he said.

Jobs for brazers, cutters, solderers and welders are projected to rise to about 452,500 by 2029, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The nationwide job growth is attributed to repairing the nation’s aging infrastructure.

“We have been monitoring online to keep up with what’s going on,” said Carl Wilmeth, co-lead instructor of TSTC’s Welding Technology program. “We know we have new construction in Waco. We are going to attack it and make new contacts.”

Texas had more than 50,700 brazers, cutters, solderers and welders making an annual mean wage of $46,940 as of May 2019, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Jose Palacios, manager of business and industry initiatives for the Heart of Texas Workforce Development Board Inc. in Waco, said welders are in steady demand in Central Texas.

Palacios said utilizing the federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act and partnering with the Greater Waco Advanced Manufacturing Academy are ways the workforce board motivates people of all ages to pursue welding and other technical fields.

“We work pretty hard and fill those positions and promote the career pathways,” Palacios said.

Wilmeth and Griffin Smyth, co-lead instructor of TSTC’s Welding Technology program, said its statewide advisory board is being revamped, with new companies invited to have representation. Each of TSTC’s programs has advisory boards consisting of business professionals who give insight into what needs to be taught to students to match what is going on in industry.

Students graduating from TSTC’s Welding Technology program leave with skills in gas metal arc welding, gas tungsten arc welding, flux-cored arc welding and shielded metal arc welding. Students graduate also versed in welding codes and standards.

Esqueda said high school students and those who want a career change should consider welding.

“If you like hands-on work and are not afraid to get dirty, this is the job you want to do,” he said.

Registration continues for the spring semester, and scholarships are available. For more information on Texas State Technical College, go to tstc.edu. 

TSTC, Bombardier Celebrate Federal Apprenticeship Program Registration

(RED OAK, Texas) – Representatives of Texas State Technical College and Bombardier announced Wednesday the registration of the company’s apprenticeship program by the U.S. Department of Labor.

The Bombardier Aviation Apprenticeship Program is based at TSTC’s North Texas campus in Red Oak. The program was announced in December 2019 and so far has trained 55 people to work at the Montreal-based aviation company. 

“This will enable Bombardier to attract qualified individuals from the United States,” said Tony Curry, the company’s general manager.

Curry described the training program as a grassroots pipeline to produce aerospace workers. He said he is happy the company can provide training at TSTC and good-paying jobs for its future employees.

“We could not have wished for a better partner,” Curry said.

Marcus Balch, provost of TSTC’s North Texas campus, credited the TSTC Workforce Training department’s collaboration with Bombardier in helping to make the training happen. He said each cohort has about 25 members.

“There is a desire to come on at Bombardier,” Balch said. “It is evidence of how you treat your people.”

The apprenticeship program will have eight cohorts by 2022. Cohort members train for 90 days at TSTC and 90 days of on-the-job training at the company. The third cohort is currently being trained.

“This is a great addition to the assets and resources in Red Oak,” state Sen. Brian Birdwell said about the training program.

The company’s more than 900 employees produce the Advanced Metallic Wing for the Global 7500 aircraft in Red Oak.

“This is a great opportunity for anybody who wants to do this or needs a career change,” said David Setzer, executive director of Workforce Solutions of North Central Texas.

Ellis County Judge Todd Ellis credited Bombardier with investing in the county’s youth and changing the landscape of opportunities in the county.

“The best is yet to come for our next generation,” he said.

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

TSTC Aims to Guide Johnson County Graduates Into Technical Careers

(RED OAK, Texas) – Some Johnson County college students are looking to Texas State Technical College to shape their futures. During the fall semester, more than 60 county residents are attending TSTC’s campuses in North Texas, Marshall, Sweetwater and Waco.

“The hiring potential in the Dallas-Fort Worth, Ellis County and Johnson County areas is increasing as the economy opens back up,” said Lyle Guinn, an instructor in TSTC’s Precision Machining Technology program at the North Texas campus. “The older generation is retiring, and companies are looking for competent, qualified people to fill the void left by those retirements.”

TSTC is viewed as an asset for Cleburne’s economic development. 

“It certainly helps as a recruiting tool when we recruit a new manufacturing or industrial business in Cleburne that is looking for a highly skilled workforce,” said Grady Easdon, the city of Cleburne’s economic development manager. “It is an outstanding recruiting tool for us.”

Triangle Pump Components Inc. in Cleburne gets less than three-quarters of its business from petroleum-based customers. The majority of the company’s employees are machinists, said Sam Kelton, Triangle’s vice president and general manager.

“Machinists with the skill set and experience we look for were more difficult to find before the pandemic,” Kelton said. “Since the pandemic started, many DFW-area companies that employ machinists have experienced layoffs.”

Kelton said machinists need good computer programming, mathematics and spatial reasoning skills.

“The job is both challenging and interesting,” he said. “Machinists are usually very intelligent and creative thinkers. Machining work will hold one’s interest and be motivating at the same time, while being hands-on at the same time.”

Kelton said he is confident the demand for future machinists will grow in the future but more people need to pursue the industry.

“Our business is structured to withstand the volatile swings in the oil industry,” he said. “The pandemic added an additional challenge we have not seen before. Businesses must be more creative and adaptable now than anytime I have seen in over 40 years of management.”

Sachem Inc., which is headquartered in Austin and has a facility in Cleburne, is a private chemical science company specializing in high-performance and high-purity products and services for the agrochemical, biotechnology, oil field and pharmaceutical industries.

Katie Cash, the company’s senior human resources manager in Austin, said the company frequently hires chemical operators on a temp-to-hire basis.

“We are a 24-hour, seven-days-a-week facility, and the production department where this role is works on a rotating swing shift, which is a mix of days and nights,” Cash said. “It can be a challenge to find individuals who can work this type of schedule. Some love it because it affords a string of days off on a regular basis. The operator, who technically starts as a packager, is involved in filling totes of product, monitoring tanks and processes, and preparing the product for shipping.”

Cash said the company also occasionally has maintenance and shipping jobs to fill.

“We tend to hire applicants who have some work experience in manufacturing environments. Some have forklift experience but are willing to train if not, and all have energy, drive and motivation and are reliable to come to work on time,” she said.

For Cleburne to have the workers for the future, students need to be inspired now.

Eighth grade students in the Cleburne Independent School District take a college and career readiness course in which they build a personal graduation plan for high school.

“The sooner we can get laser-focused toward a pathway, it shows graduation rates are higher and dropout rates are lower,” said Mark McClure, the Cleburne school district’s career and technical education director. 

Cleburne’s high school students in the health science pathway have the opportunity to earn pharmacy technician or registered dental assistant certifications, while students in the diesel technician program do internships at local businesses before they graduate.

“What we are doing is forecasting future jobs,” McClure said. “They say about 75 percent of the jobs today’s third graders will have haven’t even been invented yet.”

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

Red Oak IDC provides scholarship opportunity to TSTC

(RED OAK, Texas) – A new scholarship is available for students living in Red Oak and who are planning to attend Texas State Technical College’s North Texas campus.

The Red Oak Industrial Development Corp. board of directors recently approved a resolution donating funds to TSTC’s Red Oak IDC scholarship. Scholarships in the amount of $1,000 will be awarded to students.

“The Red Oak IDC Scholarship available at TSTC will provide financial assistance to our students for attaining upward mobility and improve the quality of life for our students and their families,” said Lee McCleary, economic development director for the city of Red Oak. 

“In addition, the TSTC North Texas campus provides our students the opportunity to receive state-of-the-art higher education technical and vocational workforce training in Red Oak so they may be better prepared for success well into the future,” he said.

Rusty Hicks, TSTC’s corporate development officer, said the gift will help Red Oak’s workforce.

“We are excited to receive this type of commitment,” he said. “Not only will we have students coming to our North Texas campus, but it will get them back into the Red Oak workforce.”

The scholarship will be available to students living within Red Oak’s city limits and may be used for TSTC school-related expenses. Recipients must attend the North Texas campus to be eligible.

Recipients may be traditional or nontraditional students and attend school on a full-time or part-time basis. The scholarship is open to new and current students, and all students must be in good academic and behavioral standing to be eligible.

The college’s staff will award the scholarship, which may be presented to recipients in multiple semesters. 

For more information about TSTC, visit tstc.edu.

City of Red Oak and TSTC officials signed an agreement to provide scholarship opportunities to Red Oak residents. Pictured from left to right are Rusty Hicks, TSTC’s corporate development officer; Lee McCleary, Red Oak’s director of economic development; Ben Goodwyn, president of the Red Oak Industrial Development Corp. board; Jessica Toney, chair of The TSTC Foundation board; Beth Wooten, CEO of The TSTC Foundation; Dr. Mark Stanfill, Red Oak’s mayor; and Marcus Balch, provost of TSTC’s North Texas campus. (Photo: TSTC)

TSTC to host virtual job fair for its students and alumni

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – Texas State Technical College is committed to helping its graduates find jobs in their respective fields. Next week, TSTC students will be given the opportunity to find their new careers during the college’s Virtual Job Fair.

The event, which is online due to TSTC’s coronavirus protocols, will take place on Oct. 29 and is open to TSTC students and alumni.

TSTC’s director of Planning and Special Events, Hannah Luce, said that despite not having a physical location, the job fair will work much as it traditionally would have.

“Those attending will still be able to visit with attending employers and network just as if it were an in-person event,” she said. “One of the differences is the format.  The job fair starts at 11 a.m., and each employer will be in their virtual booth every hour for 45 minutes.”

Luce said that because of this, students will have to be selective about which prospective employers they decide to visit. She also suggested that students be prepared with interview-related materials and dress appropriately, just as they would if the event were in person.

“Students should have a resume prepared before the job fair and make sure to dress to impress,” she said. “There will be video capability at the Virtual Job Fair, so students and alumni should make sure they look professional.”

TSTC’s director of Talent Management, Viviana Espinosa, said that students should also make sure they test their login information prior to the job fair.

“Students and alumni should make sure they can log in to hireTSTC,” she said. “They should make sure their profile is up to date, upload their resume, and register for employer sessions they are interested in.”

Ultimately the Virtual Job Fair aims to continue TSTC’s mission of helping students and alumni find well-paying jobs.

“Our purpose is to help our students and alumni find great-paying jobs in their chosen field,” Luce said. “It is very important that we continue to have a way to connect them to companies that are hiring in their fields.”

Espinosa added that despite the job fair being online, the dedication to making sure that students get hired is still the same.

“It is of utmost importance that we host the Virtual Job Fair and give our students the opportunity to connect with employers,” she said. “This is our first one, and we have over 100 employers from all over the state registered to participate. We are excited that our students will have the opportunity to access a wider network of employers.”

To learn more about TSTC, visit tstc.edu.

 

 

TSTC Welding Students Create Sign for Former High School Teacher

(WACO, Texas) – Daniel Gormley and Travis Kight have known each other since they were in middle school in Boerne. Now they are in their fourth semester as Texas State Technical College students studying Welding Technology.

The students are completing a special project that is sure to make Dorman Vick, their former welding instructor at Samuel V. Champion  High School in Boerne, happy.

“He (Vick) texted me and asked for the (TSTC Welding Technology) instructor’s phone number,” Gormley said. “He wanted a sign to hang in the shop.”

Vick, who came from the welding industry to pursue teaching, said several of his students in the last 16 years have studied at TSTC’s Waco campus. He said he is impressed with TSTC’s advanced pipe welding class and the instructors.

“I rank you all (TSTC) the best after-high school welding program in the state,” Vick said. “I rank you all high in the nation.”

Gormley and Kight designed, produced, polished and painted a special rectangle-shaped sign bearing the TSTC logo and an image of a welder. The students created the sign as a project in the Welding Automation class taught by Richard Vargas. The students used Lincoln Electric’s Torchmate software to create the design.

“The students are excited to learn on the computer numerical controlled plasma table,” said Vargas, a TSTC Welding Technology instructor. “They like to get really creative on their projects.”

The students said they have enjoyed expanding their knowledge beyond the metal inert gas welding and shielded metal arc welding they learned in high school. The students said they have learned about tungsten inert gas welding and robotics at TSTC.

Gormley said TSTC’s Waco campus was the only college he visited before enrolling, but Kight initially planned to pursue firefighting.

“I came to look at TSTC with Daniel,” Kight said. “I did welding in high school, and I grew to really like it.”

After graduating in December, the students said they are interested in pursuing pipeline work.

“Find out what you are good at,” Gormley said. “Don’t get stuck with something you will hate.”

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