Category Archives: North Texas

3-D Printing Streamlines Processes in Drafting

(RED OAK) – Texas State Technical College’s Computer-Aided Drafting program is now using high-tech 3-D printing as a way to streamline processes and teach students more effectively.

“The intent is to 3-D print in every class,” said Victor Ramirez, computer-aided drafting program chair. “The output is no longer the end result of a paper drawing. Because the technology is there for us to print it and see it and have a model of it, that’s what the end result should be.”

Before, the lengthy process involved the drafting students sending plans to the precision machining program to be cut from metal, having it welded, and finally receiving it back to analyze it for changes.

“Now, in engineering and research and design, that all happens virtually,” Ramirez said. “You don’t even have to have a set of drafting prints anymore because you have a 3-D model. You send that 3-D model to the printer and it prints out. It’s really changed the output of manufacturing and design.”

Chace Groves, a student in the Computer-Aided Drafting program, has probably used the 3-D printers the most, working on a project he originally built out of parts from the hardware store.

“I saw a product that I liked, but I wanted to make it better,” Groves said. “I opened up my tool box and built one, brought it to Mr. Ramirez and asked him what he thought.”

According to Ramirez, the first three variations of Groves’ project took three months to make.

“He did the drawings, but it had to be fabricated by somebody else,” Ramirez said. “It was a process. Draw it, have it fabricated, see what it looks like and make revisions.”

After the program started 3-D printing, the processing time was shortened by more than half.

“After printing the first one, we critiqued it and designed a second iteration of it,” Ramirez said. “These only took days of change, versus months. Once we got used to the printer, from the fourth to the fifth one, it took one day. Now we’re able to design so fast with the software, it’s the printing process that takes the most time.”

Groves believes the printing process is beneficial to the program, and has created most of the projects used in the mechanical class.

“When we print out the plans, it’s one thing to look at it on the computer or print this out on a sheet of paper,” Groves said. “It’s another thing to hold it and work with it. Now we have something for people to look at, and a way for the students to see what they’re actually drawing.”

Since 70 percent of all classes at TSTC require hands-on learning, this is particularly important.

“In classes, some of the students have never seen the parts we talk about,” Ramirez said. “Now when we talk about these things we can pass them around and show threading patterns and nuts and bolts.”

The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects a 23 percent increase in Texas drafting jobs through 2022, with a median annual salary of $64,240. TSTC offers an Associate of Applied Science and a level two certificate in Computer-Aided Drafting at the North Texas campus.

TSTC will begin enrolling new students for the summer and fall semesters on April 4. For more information on the Computer-Aided Drafting program and the college, or to apply, visit www.tstc.edu.

Three Programs at TSTC Attain 100 Percent Job Placement

(RED OAK) – Three programs at Texas State Technical College in North Texas have 100 percent job placement. Graduates of TSTC’s Diesel Equipment and Logistics Technologies who graduated in December are all working in industry now, while students of the High Voltage Electrical program, now known as Electrical Power and Controls, have all been brought on as paid interns for Oncor, and will be offered full-time employment after graduating in August.

Leroy White, the program chair for the three programs, said he’s not surprised.

“You can’t imagine a modern society without electricity,” said White. It touches every facet of our lives. The field is not only lucrative, but it’s in demand. I receive calls from companies that are looking for employees and they just can’t find people. There is a demand for skilled technicians in this field.”

White says Logistics has also become very popular in the area.

“If you look at the I-35 corridor here, you see a lot of trucking and logistics companies,” White said. “For example, Amazon has three facilities in the north Texas area and Fedex has a facility in Hutchins. There are many companies that have distribution centers and warehouses in this area. Also, the DFW airport is a Foreign Trade Zone, making the Dallas-Fort Worth area a hub for international activity. TSTC’s mission is to support the workforce of Texas and here in North Texas, logistics is large part of that.”

A rise in the need for qualified diesel technicians follows the logistics boom.

“Diesel and logistics kind of work together,” White said. “To be able to transport or ship inventory, those vehicles must be properly maintained to stay in good working condition.”

TSTC in North Texas Provost Marcus Balch said the success of these programs shows the school’s potential.

“We’ve only recently began serving the North Texas area, and these achievements show that TSTC chose the right area to expand in,” said Balch. “We hope we can continue to serve Red Oak and the surrounding cities with the same fortitude.”

The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects faster than average growth in Texas across all three areas over the next six years. A 21 percent increase in Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists is expected through 2022, while Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technician jobs will grow by 18 percent, and Logisticians by an impressive 40 percent.

TSTC will begin enrolling new students for the summer and fall semesters on April 4. For more information on the college, or to apply, visit www.tstc.edu.

TSTC Announces New Leadership at North Texas campus

(RED OAK) – TSTC Vice Chancellor Jeff Kilgore announces the appointment of Marcus Balch to serve as provost for the Texas State Technical College campus in North Texas, effective immediately.

Balch began his career at TSTC more than 15 years ago as an Admissions Advisor at the Waco campus. Today, he serves as TSTC’s Vice President of Student Recruitment for all ten campuses. Over the past year Balch has led the transition of recruiting department from a regional focus to statewide. Previously, he served as TSTC’s Associate Vice President of Enrollment Services at the Waco campus

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“The provost serves as the senior campus executive in developing, implementing and maintaining strategies that grow TSTC’s student and donor markets, builds the TSTC brand regionally, improves the quality of the local campus and experience of its students, and works to unify the faculty and staff in making TSTC a great place to work,” said Kilgore. “Growing enrollment and the TSTC brand in North Texas is of the highest priorities. Marcus’ experience and leadership in recruitment combined with the high respect he has earned from his teammates in North Texas has positioned him well for this new assignment,” added Kilgore.

“I am excited about the opportunity to lead the growth efforts at one of TSTC’s strategic locations. We have an aggressive goal for growth at TSTC in North Texas and I’m confident that working closely with our faculty, staff, community partners and industry partners we can make technical education followed by a rewarding career accessible to more people in this region,” said Balch. “I’m proud to be a part of the TSTC family and look forward to working more closely with the folks at TSTC in North Texas to Place More Texans.”

Balch earned a Bachelor of Business Administration from Texas Wesleyan University. He is a member of Texas Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers and American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers. Balch was the recipient of the Chancellor’s Excellence Award in 2009 and honored as Employee of the Year at TSTC in Waco in 2006.

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.

TSTC’s Laser Electro-Optics Program to hold information session at North Texas campus

(RED OAK) – Texas State Technical College will hold a free information session from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. on Tuesday, October 13 in Room 126 of the Industrial Technology Center at 119 Lowrance on the TSTC campus.

The information session is for potential students who would like to earn an Associate of Applied Science Degree in Laser Electro-Optics. The session will include information about the degree plan, career opportunities and a hands-on skilled lab project.

Space is limited. To reserve your seat email ronald.neumann@tstc.edu today.

For more information, contact the Laser Electro-Optics Department at 254-867-4857.

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Logistics Program at TSTC Expects First Graduates in Fall

(RED OAK) – Last fall, TSTC in North Texas debuted its Logistics Technology program, catering to those who want to specialize in the lucrative industry of logistics.

The program, which expects its first graduates in Dec. 2015, covers the logistics industry from start to end.

“It starts with purchasing raw materials,” said Instructor William Scott, “then we cover the transportation of those raw materials to the manufacturing plant, storing inventory, operation of storage facilities and distribution.”

How does TSTC’s Logistics program differ from others in the state?

“We’re the only logistics program that has the hands-on component of a technical school,” Scott said. “The other schools that offer logistics degrees, you can get an associate degree in logistics, but there’s no hands-on training.”

Kay Jones, one of the Logistics students on track to graduate in December, said she originally came to TSTC to do a computer-related program, but decided it didn’t fit. After sitting down and talking to Program Chair Leroy White, she chose logistics instead.

“It is the best decision I ever made,” Jones said. “Logistics is so vast and it’s so cutting-edge right now that I’m sure I’ll be able to get a job. Plus, we have the best professor. I’d put him against anybody in the state. He’s wonderful.”

After graduation, Jones hopes to become a U.S. Customs Broker.

“I graduate on Dec. 11, and on the 14th, I help set up the US Customs Broker course that is going to be taught here at TSTC,” Jones said. “I’m going to start that course and get my Customs Broker License by April, and I want to start a global import/export business.”

Jones hopes to eventually go into humanitarian logistics.

“I want to go into third world countries and help women in poverty. They make these items and sell them, and people take them to other countries and sell them for double. I want to go in there and pay them more to help these women out of poverty.”

Logistics Technology is exclusively offered at TSTC’s North Texas campus. For more information on the program, visit www.tstc.edu, or call 972-617-4040.
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Edgar Rojas

 Welding student Edgar Rojas is first graduate from TSTC’s North Texas campus.

(NORTH TEXAS) – Edgar Rojas is celebrating several firsts. He is the first in his family to graduate college. He is the first in his family to get a welding certificate. And, he is the first graduate ever from Texas State Technical College in North Texas.

The 19-year-old Ferris native walked across the stage at the TSTC’s Spring Commencement Ceremony in Waco this month to receive a Certificate in Welding.

School and studies have never come easy for Rojas.  He wanted to drop out as far back as junior high school but his parents, immigrants from Mexico who came here to give their children a chance at an education,would not let him.   And, high school was an even bigger challenge.

“I really struggled in high school.  Bookwork and paperwork just wasn’t my thing,” remembers Rojas.  The only thing I liked was FAA and Ag Mechanics.”

Rojas became increasingly frustrated with his academic disappointments. He began to hang around with the wrong crowd and eventually got into some legal trouble.

“During my junior year I got a DWI.  I thought my life was over.  I felt like a real failure,” said Rojas.

But, his parents, his five older siblings and some teachers would not let Rojas give up.  Those educators, aware of the teenager’s hands-on skills, started motivating him to apply to TSTC.

Rojas says when he submitted his welding application he didn’t expect to be accepted.  When he finally became a college student, burdened by low self-esteem and a fear of academic disappointment, he almost dropped out.

“It came to a point that I wanted to give up.  It’s hard.  I didn’t trust myself that I could do it,” said Rojas.

But Rojas’ TSTC instructors believed in him and challenged him to put in the extra time and work needed for him to succeed.

“Edgar is a great student. Yes, he kind of struggled with bookwork but he’s a real quick learner once you show him what is expected,” said Welding Instructor Samuel Elizondo. “(Instructor) Mr. (Mark) Lipscomb and I guided him and mentored him to where he was confident in completing our curriculum.”

Motivated by his instructors, Rojas persevered. Today he says hands-on learning was critical to his success.  The majority of TSTC technologies on the 11 campuses are 60 percent hands-on instruction.  It’s a cornerstone of a TSTC education that makes graduates very valuable to hiring industries in Texas.

“If you like working with your hands, TSTC is for you. I feel really proud of myself,” said Rojas.  “A hundred doors will shut in your face.  But I’ve learned, you only need one door to open and change your life.”

Today, Rojas is focusing on those positive changes and his renewed confidence.  He is presently in the middle of job interviews and remains optimistic that he’ll be joining the workforce in the near future.

In addition to North Texas, TSTC offers Welding Programs in Breckenridge, Brownwood, Harlingen, Marshall, Sweetwater, Waco  and Williamson County.   For more information, go to www.tstc.edu.

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TSTC North Texas gains campus status from Legislature

(NORTH TEXAS) – House Bill 1051 passed the Texas Senate unanimously on Monday, upgrading the status of Texas State Technical College’s extension center in Ellis County to a campus. The bill is now before Governor Greg Abbott awaiting his signature.

HB 1051 was co-authored by Rep. John Wray, R-Waxahachie, and Rep. Pat Fallon, R-Grand Prairie. The bill was sponsored  in the Senate by Sen. Brian Birdwell, R-Granbury, and will allow TSTC to better serve the Dallas-Fort Worth region. There is a growing need for skilled workers to attract and retain employers in this area.

TSTC is well known in many parts of Texas for its affordable tuition and its impressive track record of teaching job-related skills that qualify graduates for well-paying jobs.

Local community leaders brought TSTC to the region two years ago when they contributed land and resources for the extension center. It was again at the community’s urging that the extension center be elevated to a full campus. By becoming a campus location, the TSTC in Ellis County is eligible for a wider range of funding sources,” said TSTC Chancellor, Michael L. Reeser, “It means we can better meet the fast-growing demand we think there will be in Ellis County.”

“We have enjoyed partnering with Red Oak and the surrounding ISDs,” said Reeser. “Our first graduate from the North Texas campus just walked the stage – the first of what is sure to be many – as more North Texans pursue careers in technical fields.”

“We carefully selected programs that prepare students for high-demand jobs in this region so we expect that the North Texas location could be serving thousands of students in the years ahead,” added Reeser.

On January 24, 2014, TSTC North Texas broke ground for its first major facility in Ellis County – a $10 million, 103,000 sq. ft. technical education facility, located on a 29-acre parcel of land behind Red Oak High School. The Industrial Technology Center building opened Sept. 2, 2014 and houses the Welding, Logistics, High Voltage Electrical Systems, Diesel and Industrial Maintenance Departments.

TSTC’s academic and Information Technology Departments are located at the Career and Tech Education building about two blocks away. There, students study Computer Maintenance Desktop Support, Cyber Security, Computer Systems Network Administration, Computer Aided Drafting and HVAC.

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TSTC Holds Ribbon Cutting in Red Oak

Texas State Technical College Representatives, along with Red Oak ISD, Red Oak community leaders, and state representatives dedicated the new $10 million, 102-square-foot TSTC Industrial Technology Center on October 17, 2014.

Currently, the Red Oak campus has 133 students enrolled.

The Red Oak campus offers career programs in Basic Machining, Computer Aided Drafting, Computer Aided Manufacturing, Computer Systems Desktop Support, Computer Systems/Network Administration, Cyber Security, Diesel Equipment Technology, Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning & Refrigeration, High Voltage Electrical Applied Engineering Technology, Industrial Maintenance, Logistics Technology and Basic and Combination Welding.