Texas Border Business
WESLACo, Texas – By Roberto Hugo González / Texas Border Business
Armando Martinez said a new avionics technician program at Weslaco Midvalley Airport will create local training opportunities for students seeking careers in aviation and help address workforce demand in Texas.
Speaking during a ribbon-cutting ceremony announcing the program, Martinez said the initiative grew out of conversations about aviation industry needs and efforts to expand technical training opportunities in the Rio Grande Valley.
Martinez said discussions with Boeing in Austin about aviation workforce shortages highlighted avionics as a growing need across Texas and the country.
“One of the things that they spoke about was avionics and having an avionics program so that we can actually train people,” Martinez said. “So, I started looking and trying to find out where the closest avionics program was, and that’s in Waco, Texas.”
Martinez said the distance to existing training programs created barriers for students in South Texas seeking certification.
“Students who may want an opportunity would have to drive or travel or move in order for them to become certified,” Martinez said.
The new program, created through a partnership among South Texas College, the City of Weslaco, Hidalgo County Precinct 1, and the Weslaco Midvalley Airport, is designed to provide local access to avionics education and workforce preparation.
“This is something that we need,” Martinez said he told airport leaders. “Not only is the Weslaco Airport growing, but we have vision, and we have a sense of pride to make sure that we bring an avionics program down to the Midvalley so we can provide those opportunities for our students.”
Martinez said the airport’s growth and ongoing improvements made the location a strong fit for the program. He described the Weslaco Midvalley Airport as “a diamond in the rough” and said the avionics program would help position Weslaco as a regional center for aviation.
“We’re going to be making so many improvements to our airport, and I think this would be one last missing piece of the puzzle that we can provide our students and our communities,” Martinez said. “Weslaco is a place to be when it comes to aviation and being an anchor for this.”
Martinez credited local leaders and institutions for helping move the initiative forward, including South Texas College, Weslaco city officials, Hidalgo County Precinct 1, and members of the airport board.
“When we have leaders within the community that are saying yes, when we have a community college here, South Texas College, that is dedicated to providing an education opportunity for our students, it is people like them and Dr. Ricardo Solis that says, ‘Let’s get it done as well,’” Martinez said.
Martinez also thanked Efrain Lopez for donating an aircraft to South Texas College for training purposes. He said the aircraft will provide students with the hands-on experience needed for avionics instruction.
“The point is to allow our students to have a training aircraft where they can wire it and be prepared for an avionics program,” Martinez said.
He concluded by thanking community partners and local officials who helped launch the program and said the effort reflects a shared commitment to creating new opportunities for students in the region.
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