Texas Border Business
By Joey Gomez
MCALLEN, Texas – South Texas College commemorated the start of its Construction Technician Apprenticeship Program with a visit from McCoy’s Building Supply representatives who presented the program with $2,500 worth of materials, as well as $500 worth of tools to students.
“McCoy’s is a company where we’re always wanting to give back to our community, and it’s really important for us to stay connected not only with our builder community, but with anything that really affects our industry,” said Manny Gonzalez, McCoy’s store manager based in Pharr. “I was just really inspired by the fact that there’s a big need for tradesmen in our area and in our industry as a whole. You have you have a lot of young students who want to enter our industry and we want to be a part of that effort to motivate them and inspire their pursuit through this business.”
The Construction Technician Apprenticeship Program is a collaboration between STC, Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) as well as the college’s partners in the business community, which stemmed from a need by builders for additional house framers, who among their chief duties specialize in maintaining foundations, as well as exterior features like doors, windows, walls and roofs.
The new apprenticeship program is funded through a grant by TWC to STC, registered and approved by the U.S. Department of Labor, which will award students an apprenticeship certification after completing the course. As part of a requirement for the course, students will build a small home from the ground up as part of their practical training.
STC’s Continuing Education department helped establish the program and tapped Construction Supervision Program Coordinator Israel Medrano to teach the class.
“We are so thankful for the donation by McCoy’s, and we plan on sharing that check between the apprenticeship program and the construction supervision program,” Medrano said. “We plan to spread the funds for materials so we can finish the small house project that is part of the requirements for students to receive their certification.”
STC recently enrolled its first class for the new apprenticeship program, which is a 192-hour journeyman certificate that includes 2,000 hours of field experience for students entering the construction industry.
STC faculty say what started as a course with 14 students has since grown to 30 students in two separate classes which covers elements of house framing, safety, and estimating for future leadership positions in the construction industry.
“We are growing so, so fast, and we are hoping to have more partners in the community come out and help us so that we can continue to grow our construction program,” Medrano said. “Here at South Texas College, we are training the next generation of (construction) superintendents, project managers, or any other position of leadership in the construction field.”
Christina Aguilar, faculty with STC’s Electrician Technology program, said she jumped at the chance to enter the new apprenticeship program to supplement her knowledge in the construction field.
“I got involved because I wanted to know more about what goes on in the construction side. I already do electrical work, but I wanted more construction skills. We’re already building two little houses along with the framing, rafters, walls and flooring,” Aguilar said. “We even go through tool usage and how to properly use all the tools and set them up. It’s a lot it’s a lot of information and it’s beneficial to learn at all.”
STC student and veteran Eddie Luna said he has already received an Associate of Applied Science in Electrician Technology as well as an associate in Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration (HVACR) and is taking the new apprenticeship program to build a home.
“I think it’s a good it’s a good program. It’s taught me a lot about the actual techniques and the way everything is supposed to be done so I can build my home the right way,” Luna said. “This is all about knowing exactly the way everything is supposed to be built. That’s what this course gives its students.”
Classes for the construction technician apprenticeship program are already full for the spring semester but will next enroll students in the fall. Students can visit STC’s Construction Supervision program for more information at www.southtexascollege.edu/academics/construction/index.html or call 956-872-6262.
