(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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