Texas Border Business
BROWNSVILLE, Texas – Industrial Mechanics and Maintenance Technology is one of the newest programs at Texas Southmost College, welcoming only its second cohort of students this fall.
One of those students is Michael Ramey, an Army veteran, who served a tour in Afghanistan and has lived around the world but has settled down in the Rio Grande Valley with his family and is ready for a new career.
“I joined the Army at 17, never stepping foot in a college after high school. I am ready for a new beginning, a new career,” said the Tennessee native. “TSC is my chance to finally earn a college degree and it’s already opening doors of opportunity for me.”
After leaving the military in 2015, Ramey went to work in chemical sales and account management, but the job was no longer fulfilling for the 32-year-old.
“I didn’t want to do this for the rest of my life,” he said. “I had friends back in Tennessee and Virginia who worked in industrial maintenance and mechanics. They encouraged me to take a new career path.”
Ramey found TSC’s Industrial Mechanics and Maintenance Technology program after an extensive research of colleges in the area and career opportunities in the field.
“My hobby has always been to troubleshoot and repair engines, most recently building off-road vehicles, so I figured why not use my hands and my hobby to create a career,” said Ramey. “Even though the field is completely new to me I already enjoy what I do, and I can see this becoming a lifelong career.”
Industrial Mechanics and Maintenance Technology students like Ramey gain the foundational knowledge and skills needed in areas such as electrical, troubleshooting, maintenance planning, programmable logic control systems, blueprint reading and welding, in addition to piping, hydraulics and pneumatics and motor control.
With more than 75% of the program focused on hands-on training, students have access to a state-of-the-art lab equipped with a robotic arm and workstations that allow students to practice their skills.
Program Coordinator and Instructor Kenton Ferguson said the goal is to fill a skills gap in the manufacturing industry.
“This is an industry that struggles to hire highly-skilled employees and TSC’s program is changing that,” said Ferguson. “We are meeting an industry demand with graduates who are top-notch in the field because of the training and experience they will gain in our program.”
Combining his 40 years of experience in industry with the program’s curriculum, Ferguson said students will also learn about numerous specializations that are currently in demand within industry such as lean manufacturing, a systematic way of eliminating waste and creating flow in production processes, and Six Sigma, a quality control methodology.
“Going above and beyond for our students and in what we teach them is going to make them marketable and competitive to potential employers,” he said. “Our ultimate goal is giving each student the skills and tools they need to be successful, build careers and in turn support our local industry.”
Employment opportunities for graduates from TSC’s Industrial Mechanics and Maintenance Technology program include industrial machinery mechanics, industrial maintenance technicians and millwrights among others.
As for Ramey, he’s already thinking about an internship next semester to practice and apply the skills he’s learning in the classroom, in the real world.
“I’m still early into the program, but it’s already opening my eyes to opportunities I never imagined,” said Ramey, who expects to graduate in spring 2023. “I know that the training we are receiving and the new technology we are using will help me get to where I want to be in life. I know I am going to be successful.”
For more information about TSC’s Industrial Mechanics and Maintenance Technology program, visit tsc.edu.
Spring 2022 classes begin Jan. 17.
