(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.