Texas Border Business
By Roberto Hugo González / Texas Border Business
David Fuentes said a new avionics technician program at Weslaco Midvalley Airport will help expose local students to career opportunities in aviation and skilled trades that are often out of reach or unfamiliar to many residents.
Speaking during a ribbon-cutting ceremony announcing the program, Fuentes said the airport itself represents opportunities that many people in the community do not regularly see.
“A lot of us in the general population don’t have access to airports,” Fuentes said. “We don’t normally get to come into the gates and see everything that’s behind here. So how can we possibly know the opportunities that exist behind these gates when you don’t have access to them?”
Fuentes said events like the launch of the avionics technician program help introduce students and families to industries and careers available in the region.
“That’s what’s really cool about days like today is we can open the gates, we can welcome the community, we can welcome the general population to come in and see what’s actually here because there’s so much opportunity that exists here,” Fuentes said.
The new program, developed through a partnership among South Texas College, the City of Weslaco, Hidalgo County Precinct 1, and the Weslaco Midvalley Airport, is intended to provide technical training for students and adults seeking careers in avionics and aviation systems.
Fuentes said the initiative is especially important for young people in the Rio Grande Valley, where economic barriers often limit access to specialized career training.
“You see a bunch of children, kids, students that are sitting in the audience,” Fuentes said. “They really are no different than anybody else that’s out there in the state of Texas and in the nation. We just sometimes don’t have that opportunity.”
Fuentes linked the program to the county’s broader economic development goals, referencing Hidalgo County Judge Richard Cortez’s Prosperity Task Force, which focuses on expanding long-term opportunities for residents.
“The whole goal and intention are for us to give the next generation an opportunity to really go out there and have a much better life than what they may be experiencing right now,” Fuentes said.
He said the avionics technician program addresses workforce demand while providing local students with access to higher-paying careers.
“It’s opportunities like this and programs like this that open the doors,” Fuentes said. “It’s one of the only ones in the state of Texas, and we at Hidalgo County couldn’t be prouder to partner up not only with South Texas College, but the city of Weslaco and the Weslaco airport to be able to provide an opportunity like this for our students.”
Fuentes said the program will help students gain skills in demand in the job market. “When there’s great demand, you’re going to be able to get paid,” he said. “That’s our intention, to give our kids the opportunity that didn’t exist here before.”
He concluded by thanking South Texas College, city officials, airport leaders, and community partners for helping bring the program to Weslaco.
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