(MARSHALL, Texas) – Once equipment is installed at a chemical plant, personnel are needed to operate it.

Texas State Technical College’s Process Operations program in Marshall teaches industrial processes, troubleshooting, process instrumentation and other topics to students interested in pursuing jobs as chemical, gas plant, power plant or refinery operators.

“We have started to get Process Operations known by our Instrumentation Technology contacts that have gone back to their plants and gone to their operators and said we have the program at TSTC,” said Robert Lovelace, TSTC’s statewide department chair for the Instrumentation Technology and Process Operations programs.

Eastman Chemical Co. in Longview continues to hire interns and graduates from TSTC’s Process Operations program, said Mike Tucker, a company learning services technologist. Since 2017, the global specialty materials company has hired more than 20 TSTC alumni.

TSTC is one of two colleges in Texas that have industry-validated Process Operations programs the company looks to for prospective employees.

“It is challenging to fill these positions, so we use our internship program as a three-month interview,” Tucker said. “The internship screening process is rigorous.”

Nick Scott, operations support manager at Pergan Marshall in Marshall, said the company has seen an increase in applicants for internships and full-time employment in the last year. But, he said it is becoming harder to find good candidates who understand the commitment to working at a facility that operates 24 hours a day, every day of the year, and can be part of a diverse group of employees. The company manufactures full-line organic peroxide for the processing and polymer production industries.

Scott said TSTC’s faculty and staff make it easy to find job candidates with an understanding of the basic principles of manufacturing.

“We often prefer hiring graduates from TSTC’s Process Operations program because the students chose this path because they had an interest in manufacturing,” Scott said. “They committed to multiple semesters of coursework, they have a general understanding of the equipment used in manufacturing environments and they are aware of safety hazards that could be present in a plant environment.”

Brady A. Sedler, site human resources manager at Sherwin-Williams in Garland, said the company had a challenging time filling reactor operator jobs.

“But, with the relationship we’ve built with TSTC and the programs they offer, it’s been nice to see future talent come to Sherwin-Williams from TSTC,” Sedler said. “We look forward to the continued partnership.”

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

(MARSHALL, Texas) – More than 30 graduates received certificates and associate degrees at Texas State Technical College’s Fall 2019 Commencement held Friday, Dec. 6, at the Julius S. Scott Sr. Chapel at Wiley College in Marshall.

Several graduates already have jobs, while others are making plans for the future. 

Trevor Dammeir grew up in California and came to TSTC to study Precision Machining Technology. He will receive an associate degree at the ceremony. He chose TSTC because it is affordable, and has housing and is close to relatives living in Tyler.

While at TSTC, Dammeir took part in SkillsUSA and competed both statewide and nationally in the CNC Turning competition. 

“I like working with my hands,” he said. “TSTC had what I was looking for.”

Rush Harris, director of business services at the Marshall Economic Development Corp., was the ceremony’s guest speaker. He talked to graduates about knowing who they are, challenging themselves and to never stop learning. 

“TSTC is not an average college and you are not average graduates,” Harris said. “This school and your degrees are different from traditional post-graduate degrees. You have learned, and will continue to learn advanced technical skills. That dedication combined with the demand from employers results in very positive outcome for you graduates to stay committed.”

Harris is a graduate of Marshall High School, Southern Methodist University, the Thunderbird School of Global Management and the University of Oklahoma Economic Development Institute.

For more information, log on to tstc.edu.

(MARSHALL, Texas) – Texas State Technical College’s Marshall campus is expanding its offering of night classes for students.

The Industrial Systems – Electrical Specialization program will have its first night cohort starting in January for the spring semester. Students will attend classes two nights a week and during the day on Saturdays.

Nathan Cleveland, TSTC’s associate provost in Marshall, said the program was selected because of industry demand.

“We have more requests to fill jobs than we currently have graduates,” he said.  “For a nontraditional student that is working, they can come in the evenings and they can move up further in their job at their current employer.”

The first program to offer night classes on campus, Precision Machining Technology, is thriving this semester and will offer a second night cohort in January.  

Danny Nixon, a Precision Machining Technology instructor, said more than half of the 12 students in the program this semester work full time during the day and attend classes four nights a week. The students range in age from 19 to 33, Nixon said.

“They are so mature and willing to learn and attentive,” he said.

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

(MARSHALL, Texas) – About 150 Texas State Technical College students met potential employers from Texas and throughout the nation on Thursday at its semiannual Industry Job Fair on the Marshall campus.

Attendees talked to representatives from about 30 companies set up at tables in the South Building. Some of the companies were seeking students interested in jobs as diesel technicians, fleet management supervisors, industrial painters and powerplant operators.

Cheyenne Riordon, a regional recruiter for Equipment Depot in Irving, said it was the company’s first time at the Marshall event. She was interested in talking to Diesel Equipment Technology students about forklift mechanic positions. The materials handling and equipment rental company’s only East Texas location is in Longview.

“I just want to get our name out there,” Riordon said. 

TrinityRail, which is headquartered in Dallas and has locations in Hallsville and Longview, was interested in insulators, paint preparers and welders.

“The employees that come out of TSTC are ready to start their careers and are very moldable,” said Hunter Hembrough, a TrinityRail talent acquisition specialist. “They are ready to work.”

Students asked questions and clutched company brochures as they explored the event’s information tables.

Dakota Smith, a Welding Technology student from Gladewater, is scheduled to graduate in December from TSTC. She said she talked to as many employers as possible and liked what she heard.

“I’m keeping a clear head about it,” she said. “I will go wherever the job is as long as it is a good fit.”

Lucas Wilson, an Industrial Systems – Electrical Specialization student from Mount Enterprise, attended his first campus Industry Job Fair. He said he was interested in internship opportunities but also wanted to see what East Texas companies are looking for.

“I am here to network and get my name out there,” Wilson said. “A lot of the companies are looking for industrial maintenance.”

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

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(MARSHALL, Texas) – Texas State Technical College’s Welding Technology students are finding a need for their skills regionally and throughout the country.

The demand for brazers, cutters, solderers and welders is projected to increase up to 439,100 workers by 2028, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The agency attributes this to replacing the country’s aging infrastructure, as well as the construction of new natural gas and oil pipelines and power generation facilities.

Many of TSTC’s Welding Technology graduates like to work near their hometowns, said Philip Miller, a TSTC Welding Technology instructor.

“As for being work-ready, we train them to work like they are already out in the workforce, showing up on time, being ready to start the day, having a good attitude. And we also inform them on the right and wrong for workplace conduct,” he said.

Smith Tank & Equipment Co. in Tyler hired one of TSTC’s summer Welding Technology graduates. James Blair III, the company’s president, said he likes TSTC’s students because they understand the hands-on skills and theory of welding.

“Getting good candidates for employment has been an ongoing challenge in some years more than others,” said Blair. “When the oil field is good, it is harder to get them. Everyone is busy.”

Blair said female welders can make a valuable contribution to the industry.  

“Women tend to be very good workers,” he said. “Women tend to focus a little more than the guys.”

Warfab Inc. in Hallsville and Longview hired a graduate of TSTC’s Welding Technology program earlier this year. The company specializes in forging-press work, heavy equipment, manufacturing and specialty welding services.

David Ocheltree, Warfab’s human resources manager, said the company looks for welders who have a combination of fabrication shop and field experience. He said while fabrication work is high quality, field work involves getting dirty and lifting heavy equipment.

“We take all forms of experience coming in here,” Ocheltree said. “We have some that come in with absolutely no experience whatsoever, to the person who has 20-plus years of welding. The person that comes in and wants to work at Warfab comes in as a cleaner or has a few tools, and we bring them in as a helper. They can work under an apprenticeship-type aspect.”

TSTC’s Marshall campus offers a Structural Welding certificate.

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

(MARSHALL, Texas) – Consumers need to keep personal security in mind when transitioning to new mobile phones.

Amy Hertel, an instructor in Texas State Technical College’s Cyber Security program in Marshall, said people need to know that information on their mobile phones does not disappear. She advised people not to sell their old phones themselves because stored information can be easily interpreted by tech-savvy people.

“Until it is overwritten, it is there,” Hertel said. “If you hook it up to a computer and have the right software, you can pull that stuff right off.”

Some people will switch mobile service providers and keep their phone number when they buy new phones and stay in the same geographical area. This practice is known as porting, according to the Federal Communications Commission. 

The FCC recommends using personal pin numbers or passwords for mobile phone accounts to prevent people from “porting out” phone numbers. Scammers who get hold of a combination of phone numbers and personal information can intercept calls and get access to bank accounts, social media accounts, emails and other information accessed through mobile phones.

Hertel said the subscriber identity module (SIM) card can be moved from old to new phones. But, she said information is not actually stored on SIM cards because information is sent to a cloud-based system.

One of the most important things to do is keep up with mobile phone software updates, Hertel said.

“They do have security fixes tied into them,” she said. “The quicker you get an update, the safer you will be.”

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

(MARSHALL, Texas) – Students attending Texas State Technical College this fall have found two programs that have been updated and renamed, and a third that replaces an older program. 

“This is evidence of TSTC’s ongoing efforts to tailor our programs to the precise skill sets Texas employers need,” said Barton Day, TSTC’s provost in Marshall.

The Automation and Controls Technology program (formerly Industrial Controls Technology) teaches automatic control principles, energy industrial safety, electrical theory and motor controls. Graduates can pursue jobs as electrical engineering technicians and industrial engineering technicians, among others. 

“They can stay local,” said Nathan Cleveland, TSTC’s associate provost in Marshall. “They are going to the same places that an instrumentation technician would go. They do a little robotics, they do a little programmable logic controls, a little instrumentation.”

The Industrial Systems program (formerly Industrial Maintenance) offers an associate degree with an electrical specialization, as well as a mechanic-electrical certificate.

“This is a program we can place students in jobs all day long,” Cleveland said. “It is an in-demand occupation.”

Computer Programming Technology replaces Software Development Technology. It teaches advanced Java programming, database programming and mobile applications development. 

“Most of the work that Computer Programming Technology graduates would do around here is the development of business applications,” Cleveland said. “If you go into the San Antonio and Austin areas, you are going to get more into the gaming applications.”

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

(MARSHALL, Texas) – More than 30 graduates received certificates and associate degrees at Texas State Technical College’s Summer 2019 Commencement held Friday, Aug. 16, at the Julius S. Scott Sr. Chapel at Wiley College in Marshall.

Rush Harris, director of business services at the Marshall Economic Development Corp., was the ceremony’s guest speaker. He talked to graduates about the power of having a degree from TSTC.

“My advice to all graduates here today is to hone your skills and never stop learning,” Harris said. “You will work in an ever-changing environment. Pay attention and learn each day. Know that with technological advancements, you will likely undergo future training. Look for companies that invest in their employees.”

Harris is a graduate of Marshall High School, Southern Methodist University, the Thunderbird School of Global Management and the University of Oklahoma Economic Development Institute.

Some graduates either have jobs or are waiting on word about employment opportunities.

Jacob McCombs of Harleton recently wrapped up an internship at Southwestern Electric Power Co. in Marshall. He earned an Associate of Applied Science degree in Electrical Lineworker Technology.

He came to TSTC after working in a fabrication shop where he did welding.

“I didn’t like being stationary,” McCombs said. “Electrical Lineworker Technology pays well. I have a big family, a wife and four children, and just needed something that will provide well for them and something that I would enjoy doing long-term.”

Graduates are already making their plans for the future.

Lazaro Gonzalez of Carthage said he made the right decision coming to TSTC to earn a structural welding certificate.

“I’m excited but a little nervous,” he said. “They (the instructors) taught me a lot more than what I learned in high school. This is a good start.”

This fall, Gonzalez plans to pursue an Associate of Applied Science degree in Welding Technology at TSTC’s Waco campus. Eventually, he wants to work with tungsten inert gas welding.

“Welding is a good profession if you want to travel,” Gonzalez said. 

For more information, log on to tstc.edu.

(MARSHALL, Texas) – Nicholas Delaurelle of Longview is relieved that he has been hired for a job before he graduates from Texas State Technical College.

“It is reassuring making some money, because I have bills to pay,” he said. “I’ll be moving into an apartment the day after graduation.”

Delaurelle is one of more than 30 candidates for graduation at TSTC’s Summer 2019 Commencement at 6 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 16, at the Julius S. Scott Sr. Chapel at 711 Wiley Ave. in Marshall. Delaurelle is scheduled to receive a structural welding certificate from the Welding Technology program.

“It’s been a pretty good amount of learning,” he said. “I really enjoyed TIG (tungsten inert gas) welding and the torch itself, watching the metal melt into the joint. I enjoyed learning how all the torch stuff works and how the processes differ so much.”

Delaurelle will begin work this month at Smith Tank & Equipment Co. in Tyler, a supplier of horizontal and vertical steel tanks used for liquid food handling systems.

Philip Miller, an instructor in TSTC’s Welding Technology program, said Delaurelle could have gotten a job anywhere with his skills and work ethic.

“He was probably one of the best (students) we have had,” Miller said. “He could make a 98 on a test and ask to retake it. He hit over the mark every time.”

Miller said the faculty encourages students to search for jobs while still taking classes. He said the faculty can help students practice their welding tests before job interviews.

“We hope they get hired before they graduate,” Miller said.

Delaurelle is a 2018 graduate of Pine Tree High School in Longview. He originally wanted to be an auto mechanic, but he changed his mind once he took a welding class during his senior year and found he enjoyed the work.

“Some people think (welding is) hard, but they don’t know how to deal with the conditions,” Delaurelle said. “If you have a strong will, you can deal with it.”

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

(MARSHALL, Texas) – More than 40 Texas State Technical College students became better prepared for job hunting after practicing their interview skills on Wednesday.

TSTC’s Career Services office hosted an interview practicum at the South Building on the Marshall campus for students to sit down with TSTC staff for mock interview sessions.

“I want the students to get used to talking to people they aren’t used to,” said Hannah Luce, TSTC’s Career Services coordinator. “I hope they are more confident going into a real-world interview.”

Natasha Davis, a Computer Networking and Systems Administration major from Longview, said she found the practicum valuable because she had not received feedback after doing professional interviews before.

“I worked really hard at hiding my nervousness,” she said. “I learned not to question myself so much in interviews.”

Devon Edwards, an Electrical Lineworker Technology major from Palestine, said he was confident during his mock interviews. Edwards said it was good to be prepared for unexpected interview questions.

“It is good practice,” he said. “It helps you when you get in the real situations because you can answer the questions.”

Students received insight from the interviewers during and after each of their three 10-minute sessions. 

“That last round, they (the students) seemed more relaxed and were taking some pointers from other interviewees,” said John Balensia, an instructor in TSTC’s Electrical Lineworker Technology program. “But, they need to work on their verbal skills and work on their job experience.”

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