Texas Border Business
BROWNSVILLE, Texas – With employment opportunities in the construction industry surging, Texas Southmost College is set to provide residents of the Rio Grande Valley with the opportunity to enter the workforce and earn nearly triple the income of an average laborer.
TSC’s office of Workforce Training will launch 11 new crafts skill training programs set to begin enrollment for Jan. 2020 to accommodate the ever-increasing demand for skilled laborers.
“There’s no question that the Rio Grande Valley is the place to be when it comes to jobs,” said Dr. Joseph Fleishman, associate vice president of Instruction and Workforce Training at TSC. “When we look at just one liquefied natural gas company coming into the region, we expect over the next one to five years to add between five and seven thousand new jobs to this region.”
Fleishman goes on to say that entry-level laborers can expect to make $24 an hour, a “game changer” for residents in the Rio Grande Valley and for anyone who has a desire to learn a skill, learn a craft, and improve the quality of their life.
Among the construction-related programs are 14-week welding classes, critical because Texas is the number one employer of welders in the nation. To support Keppel AmFELS, a shipbuilding company at the Port of Brownsville, there is a two-week shipfitting program. Shipfitters put parts of ships together through welding or riveting.
The other new programs include training for: pipefitters, electrical, solar installation and plumbing – all 14-week long courses. Other programs for insulators, riggers, forklift operators can be completed in less than two weeks. An Alliance Safety Council course that will focus on safety on construction sites will also be offered.
“Students who complete these programs will quickly be able to enter the workforce and earn excellent high-paying jobs,” said Fleishman. “They will need to decide for themselves what kind of college experience they want. Do they want a two-week program that leads to $80,000 or do they want a 14-week program that leads to $80,000? Their choice.”
Fleishman points out these programs are good for anyone who is unemployed or underemployed. You do not need a high school diploma to take the training and these programs will be taught in Spanish, as well as English. Scholarships are available and hiring pipelines with local companies have been established. Both men and women are being accepted into the programs.
For more information about upcoming crafts skill training programs at TSC, call 956-295-3724 or email wtce@tsc.edu.
About Texas Southmost College
Originally established in 1926, Texas Southmost College currently offers the first two years toward a bachelor’s degree, along with career and technical education leading to certificates and associate degrees, college preparatory studies to prepare students for college-level work, workforce training, and continuing education. TSC offers 50 programs of study leading to an associate degree or certificate.
