Category Archives: Marshall

Scholarship Campaign Kicks Off at TSTC

(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.

TSTC, Longview Company Partner on TWC Grant

(MARSHALL) – Representatives from Texas State Technical College, the Texas Workforce Commission and The Crosby Group in Longview gathered Friday morning to commemorate their partnership providing workforce training and development.

The TWC formally announced a $192,179 Skills Development Grant will be used for training 263 Crosby Group workers in blueprint reading and sketching, computer numerical controlled machining, advanced gas tungsten arc welding and machining, mathematics, measurements and safety. TSTC faculty members will provide the training.

“It is TSTC’s mission to enable the growth of the state’s economic engine through workforce education, and in over 50 years of dedicated service to the state of Texas, our industries and our students, we’ve built a well-earned reputation for doing that,” TSTC Provost Bart Day said.

People taking advantage of the training include maintenance technicians, forge operators, production welders, machine and drill press operators, technicians and others. The average wage for the trainees will be $21.41 per hour.

Bob Livingston, TSTC’s vice president of industry relations, said the training would improve product quality and stimulate good morale.

“It is our mission to train Texans,” he said. “That is what we do every day.”

The Crosby Group is based in Tulsa, Okla. and specializes in lifting, rigging and material handling applications.

“We are right now in the middle of an interesting transition,” Plant Manager Christopher Burbick said. “We are moving into a new facility and updating equipment with automation and robots along with having a cultural transformation. This grant is important because it raises the skill level for a new generation.”

Rep. David Simpson, R-Longview, said TSTC had a critical importance in the region providing students with the skills and knowledge to drive economic development. He said he was pleased the partnership was taking place in east Texas.

“Texas is great not only because of the government, but the people who use their freedom responsibly,” Simpson said.

TSTC in Marshall offers 14 certificate and associate degree programs ranging from biomedical equipment technology to welding.

Julian Alvarez III, a TWC Commissioner Representing Labor, was attending his first check presentation since being appointed by Gov. Greg Abbott in February. Alvarez has ties to TSTC: he is an alumnus and was once director of college information at the Harlingen campus.

“TSTC is a model,” said Alvarez. “This is one of the many checks that will TSTC will be on the receiving end.”

_DSC0422 resized

Longview Company Contributes to TSTC

(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.

Texas State Technical College’s Electrical Linemen Program Fills Need for Trained Workers

Texas State Technical College students work in the outdoor electrical pole lab in Waco.

(MARSHALL) – Electrical lineworkers are some of the first people to respond to emergencies, such as downed power lines from hurricanes and ice storms.

Scott Buckelew, an Electrical Lineworker Technology instructor at Texas State Technical College, said he has been encouraged by the need for employees with the recent hiring of nine program graduate by AEP.

“Every county basically has a co-op that has roughly 15 to 20 men working for the electrical office,” he said.

Buckelew worked 25 years in various positions at Brazos Electric Power Cooperative Inc. in Waco before making a career change to teaching. He began job shadowing at the college last November and is now teaching his first full semester.

“I like to show the students what is going on and that I got something out of it,” Buckelew said.

Students can earn a certificate and associate degree in Electrical Lineworker Technology at TSTC in Marshall. The Marshall program currently has more than 30 students.

Texas employs the highest number of electrical lineworkers in the country. The hourly mean wage for Texas workers is $26.19 with the annual mean wage at $54,470, according to May 2014 statistics from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. In Texas, electrical lineworker jobs are expected to rise 24 percent by 2022.

“The job market is great for lineworkers,” said Robert Mitchell, an instructor in the Electrical Lineworker Technology program. “The baby boomers are retiring and companies across the state are needing trained linemen.”

Some of the qualities needed to do the work include the ability to be mentally tough when working in the elements and at heights as well as the stamina to balance on the side of a pole for periods of time.

“Students who like the outdoors and who are physically capable of performing manual labor in all kinds of extreme weather are geared to our program,” Mitchell said. “Climbing a pole and building power lines is a challenge which our students look forward to. We sometimes start our labs at 4 a.m. so the students can get accustomed to working at night and in the dark. Linework is a 24/7 operation and we prepare students for the real world.”

Tyler Kussad, 19, of Lexington is scheduled to graduate this spring with a certificate in Electrical Lineworker Technology. He said he has already accepted a job that is being held for him at an area electric cooperative.

Kussad enjoys working with his hands and climbing to the top of the electric poles at TSTC’s outdoor lab in Waco. He said he also likes driving the program’s boom truck.

“This program is not as expensive as others,” Kussad said “I like it a lot. We have good instructors and I’ve learned a lot since I have been here.”

Patrick Rayson, 21, of Temple is scheduled to graduate with a certificate in the fall. He said he became interested in electrical line work when he watched a transformer be changed out at his father’s house.

He wanted to pursue an outdoor career and hopes to get hired by an electrical company in Waco after graduation.

The Marshall program currently has one automatic boom truck that students use to prepare for the commercial driver’s license test.

The College Preview Day at TSTC in Marshall will be from 4:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Friday, April 14 and from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, April 15. For more information go to tstc.edu/openhouse.

Apply today at tstc.edu. Registration for summer and fall semesters begins April 4.

Texas State Technical College Instructors Helping Student-Veterans

Daniel Nixon, left, and and Nathan Cleveland, right, Computer Aided Manufacturing instructors at Texas State Technical College in Marshall, show one of the jalapeno popper grills they made to help student-veterans.

(MARSHALL) – Two Computer Aided Manufacturing instructors at Texas State Technical College in Marshall made jalapeno popper grills to help student-veterans raise money to attend a conference next year.

The handiwork of machining instructors Daniel Nixon and Nathan Cleveland was recently on display at Marshall’s FireAnt Festival. The grills are shaped like the state of Texas and can be used to stuff peppers with cheese and wrap with bacon and cook on a grill or in the oven, Nixon said.

“It was just the right thing to do since these men and women have sacrificed a lot for our country and anything we can do to support them is just what we want to do,” Nixon said.

Stesha Colby, TSTC’s Veterans Program Office at the Marshall and North Texas campuses, was familiar with Nixon and Cleveland’s work.

“They had made some grills before I was an employee here,” Colby said. “Folks liked them and they had them in the bookstore. When we were doing a fundraiser brainstorming session, a co-worker suggested asking them. I approached them to help out and they said yes.”

Nixon said he and Cleveland can weld 30 grills in four hours.

People who want to learn more about the jalapeno grills can contact Colby at stesha.colby@tstc.edu.

The Student Veterans Association in Marshall and the Student Veterans Alliance at the North Texas campus began raising money this summer to send as many members as possible to the Student Veterans of America’s 8th annual National Conference from Jan. 7-10 in Orlando, Fla.

“I attended the conference as a student when I was in college,” Colby said. “I liked the networking, the breakout sessions for various groups such as female veterans, veterans at two-year colleges, four-year colleges, private colleges, STEM colleges.”

Texas State Technical College in Marshall Hosts Industry Career Day

More than 20 businesses and companies from Texas and Louisiana gathered recently at Industry Career Day at Texas State Technical College in Marshall

(MARSHALL) – More than 20 businesses and companies throughout Texas and western Louisiana were represented at the Fall 2015 Industry Career Day at Texas State Technical College in Marshall.

The event’s purpose was to connect students and graduates with employers that have immediate hiring needs,” said Benjamin “Benji” Cantu, Director of Industry Relations and Talent Management in Marshall.

Some of the businesses and companies that participated included Trinity Industries in Dallas, EasTex Tower in Longview and Woodlawn Manufacturing in Marshall.

Representatives of International Paper in Mansfield, La. visits several area career days throughout the year.

“We find great recruits on every visit to TSTC,” said Michael W. Stewart, the company’s Area Maintenance Manager – Balance of Plant. “This visit provided nine very good potential employees, two of which will graduate in December and we plan to hire them in January. With the lack of local apprenticeship programs in 2015, these events are the perfect avenue for recruiting team members ready for the workforce.”

The Marshall campus will have its next Industry Career Day on March 24. And, Industry Career Day is planned for March 31 at TSTC in Waco and April 7 at TSTC in Harlingen.

Campuses in Abilene, Breckenridge, Brownwood and Sweetwater have several Employer Spotlights each semester when area businesses speak with directly with classes.

Georgetown Company Filling Technician Needs Through TSTC

TASUS Corp. employees (left to right) Dean Bernhard of Leander, Anthony Bunch of Jarrell and Leo Trigo of Hutto are studying industrial maintenance at Texas State Technical College’s East Williamson County Higher Education Center in Hutto.

(HUTTO) – The 15-minute drive from Texas State Technical College’s East Williamson County Higher Education Center in Hutto to TASUS Corp. in Georgetown is a path for employees to meet their educational and work training goals.

Eight employees at TASUS are currently attending TSTC and studying industrial maintenance. And, company leaders consider the college a pipeline to provide a need for maintenance technicians and workers to acquire the skills needed to receive increased work responsibilities.

Tracy Jackson, human resources manager for TASUS in Georgetown, said the company and college have a good relationship and hope it grows in the future.

“TSTC is helping to provide the educational knowledge for TASUS employees and has been a strong educational partner in our community,” Jackson said.

TASUS has more than 150 employees working three shifts in automotive injection molding, blow molding and extrusion molding. Some of the items that are shipped worldwide include vehicle visors, consoles and brackets. The company has been in Georgetown for a decade and is owned by Tsuchiya Co. Ltd. based in Nagoya, Japan.

Anthony Bunch, 29, of Jarrell is one of several TASUS employees who take advantage of the company paying a portion of college tuition to those studying in fields related to their work.

Bunch, a production operator, began attending TSTC a year and a half ago and discovered that he liked the hands-on course work.

“It always makes one a little nervous to see who you will meet and how it will all work out on the first day of class,” Bunch said.

Bunch has a goal of getting an associate degree at TSTC once he finishes the Industrial Maintenance Mechanic certificate.

“I wanted to go to TSTC to better myself and learn more,” Bunch said. “I have a 4.0 grade point average. The people at TSTC are great. I like how the teachers work with each individual student.”

Dean Bernhard, 48, of Leander has also kept up a 4.0 grade point average working on a certificate in Industrial Maintenance Mechanic. He is taking Motor Control and Industrial Power Plants during the fall semester.

“They have a really good program,” Bernhard said. “Almost everything is hands-on. You gain more doing it and it helps bring the formulas from the book and shows you what they are for. If you can’t do the work, the homework won’t do you any good.”

Bernhard has been a preventive maintenance administrator for more than two years at TASUS. His work includes opening and closing work tickets and reviewing orders for parts.

“Sometimes there is a sharp learning curve,” Bernhard said. “I watch and I ask a lot of questions.”

Leo Trigo, 48, of Hutto is a maintenance technician who has worked at TASUS for eight years and is taking night classes at TSTC in Williamson County to work on an associate degree in Industrial Maintenance – Mechanical Specialization. Trigo already has an Industrial Maintenance Mechanic certificate from TSTC.

Trigo graduated in 1985 from Hutto High School and was inspired by his children and observing a TSTC industrial maintenance class to consider returning to the classroom.

“With my age, about half the material was new to me,” Trigo said. “I had worked in manufacturing for 22 years before I started school, so I had seen a lot of the stuff we were working on in class. The Programmable Logic Controllers I class was new to me.”

TSTC offers associate degrees and certificates in Industrial Maintenance with concentrations in electrical and mechanical at campuses in Marshall, North Texas, Waco and Williamson County.

Longview Company Provides Work Experience, Scholarships to TSTC Students

(MARSHALL) – Four Industrial Controls Technology students at Texas State Technical College in Marshall are receiving scholarships and valuable experience this year at Eastman Chemical Co. in Longview.

The company offered paid summer internships to Alex Archer, 24, of Shreveport, La.; Bailey Green, 19, of Ore City; Dakota Skinner, 19, of Hughes Springs and Zach Stalnaker, 22, of Longview. The students enrolled for fall classes and received scholarships from the company to pay for their education until graduation.

“None of them were scholarship students out of high school,” said Garland Underwood, a workforce technologist for 33 years at Eastman. “They were in the top of their class and they were what we were looking for. We turned around and gave scholarships to those four students for their second year.”

The students have worked with troubleshooting, calibrations and device, pump, motor and instrument installation at Eastman.

“I enjoy working at Eastman because the people that I work with are very understanding and take the time to teach and show me how things work,” said Archer, a 2009 graduate of C.E. Byrd High School in Shreveport. “I appreciate the financial help.”

Green, a 2014 graduate of Ore City High School, said he was grateful for the financial help, too.

“Eastman has made a big impact on me. This experience will definitely help me in the future regarding school work and what goes on in the field,” he said. “Also, receiving the scholarship was a big help. I have learned so much in these past three months that it’s unbelievable.”

Eastman gives scholarships to about 25 area high school seniors yearly who enroll at the Marshall campus to pursue electrical and maintenance work, welding or technology. Eastman’s student support continues with a summer internship if they maintain a 3.0 grade point average, completed at least two semesters and have good attitudes and people skills.

“They get a lot of hands-on and life experience and they will hire most of the students that are doing an internship,” said Jimmie Wilson, an instructor of Industrial Controls Technology at TSTC in Marshall.

Underwood said he has been pleased with the quality of TSTC students and graduates who have gone on to work at Eastman.

“Overall, we are happy with the program in Marshall,” Underwood said. “Jimmie Wilson worked at Eastman for more than 30 years and he is one of the best electricians that have been in our plant. He turns out very high quality electricians and instrumentation people.”

Skinner, a graduate of Hughes Springs High School, became interested in the electrical field after working on small wiring projects.

“All of the people at Eastman are really supportive and aren’t afraid to help you with any question you may have,” he said.

Students interested in studying Industrial Controls Technology can pursue an associate degree at TSTC in Marshall. There is also an associate degree in Instrumentation Technology offered at TSTC in Waco.

Students can also earn one-year certificates in Industrial Electrical Systems at TSTC in North Texas, Industrial Electrical Systems at the Williamson County campus and Owens-Illinois Industrial Technician in Waco.

Eastman Chemical Co. 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.

– # –

Longview Company Provides Work Experience, Scholarships to TSTC Students

Texas State Technical College students (l to r) Dakota Skinner, Bailey Green, Zach Stalnaker and Alex Archer are receiving scholarships this year from Eastman Chemical Co. in Longview.

(MARSHALL) – Four Industrial Controls Technology students at Texas State Technical College in Marshall are receiving scholarships and valuable experience this year at Eastman Chemical Co. in Longview.

The company offered paid summer internships to Alex Archer, 24, of Shreveport, La.; Bailey Green, 19, of Ore City; Dakota Skinner, 19, of Hughes Springs and Zach Stalnaker, 22, of Longview. The students enrolled for fall classes and received scholarships from the company to pay for their education until graduation.

“None of them were scholarship students out of high school,” said Garland Underwood, a workforce technologist for 33 years at Eastman. “They were in the top of their class and they were what we were looking for. We turned around and gave scholarships to those four students for their second year.”

The students have worked with troubleshooting, calibrations and device, pump, motor and instrument installation at Eastman.

“I enjoy working at Eastman because the people that I work with are very understanding and take the time to teach and show me how things work,” said Archer, a 2009 graduate of C.E. Byrd High School in Shreveport. “I appreciate the financial help.”

Green, a 2014 graduate of Ore City High School, said he was grateful for the financial help, too.

“Eastman has made a big impact on me. This experience will definitely help me in the future regarding school work and what goes on in the field,” he said. “Also, receiving the scholarship was a big help. I have learned so much in these past three months that it’s unbelievable.”

Eastman gives scholarships to about 25 area high school seniors yearly who enroll at the Marshall campus to pursue electrical and maintenance work, welding or technology. Eastman’s student support continues with a summer internship if they maintain a 3.0 grade point average, completed at least two semesters and have good attitudes and people skills.

“They get a lot of hands-on and life experience and they will hire most of the students that are doing an internship,” said Jimmie Wilson, an instructor of Industrial Controls Technology at TSTC in Marshall.

Underwood said he has been pleased with the quality of TSTC students and graduates who have gone on to work at Eastman.

“Overall, we are happy with the program in Marshall,” Underwood said. “Jimmie Wilson worked at Eastman for more than 30 years and he is one of the best electricians that have been in our plant. He turns out very high quality electricians and instrumentation people.”

Skinner, a graduate of Hughes Springs High School, became interested in the electrical field after working on small wiring projects.

“All of the people at Eastman are really supportive and aren’t afraid to help you with any question you may have,” he said.

Students interested in studying Industrial Controls Technology can pursue an associate degree at TSTC in Marshall. There is also an associate degree in Instrumentation Technology offered at TSTC in Waco.

Students can also earn one-year certificates in Industrial Electrical Systems at TSTC in North Texas, Industrial Electrical Systems at the Williamson County campus and Owens-Illinois Industrial Technician in Waco.

Eastman Chemical Co. 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.

TSTC Team Wins Spelling Event

(MARSHALL) – The team of Mara Hartsell, Glena Lowe and Alan Towery represented Texas State Technical College in Marshall and won the Marshall – Harrison County Literacy Council’s Spelling Bee held Friday, Sept. 11 at First United Methodist Church in Marshall.

The team won by spelling “credibility” correctly.

“I was actually in it last year so I had studied the word list they gave out then as well as the list for this year,” said Towery, an instructor of Internet Technology Studies. “The winning word was spelled by Mara Hartsell (success coach) who was a last minute replacement for Patty Lopez. We also had to spell the word the other team that was left misspelled, which was ‘esophagus’ which I spelled.”

Teams represented 14 area school districts, companies, colleges and media outlets.

“The spelling bee was totally awesome,” said Lowe, coordinator of workforce training and continuing education in Marshall. “I had a great time meeting other competitors from Harrison County.”

The spelling event is the literacy council’s only fundraising event and raises money providing free adult education to county residents. Organization staff work with clients in reading, writing, mathematics, English as a Second Language and pre-GED instruction.

“It raises about a fourth of our annual operating budget, so it’s success largely determines how many people we can serve during the year,” said Karla DeLuca, the literacy council’s executive director.

– # –