Texas Border Business
HARLINGEN, Texas – Some Texas State Technical College Wind Energy Technology students recently learned about potential careers that they might pursue after they graduate.
During an employer spotlight at TSTC’s Harlingen campus, Eva Gonzalez and Kera Grigsby of the Nordex Group, a manufacturer of wind turbines, discussed the company’s job outlook, top achievements, culture, training program and career progression.
“We are looking for candidates who have a highly motivated demeanor, strong work ethic, willingness to learn, ability to work with others, and have a passion for renewable energy,” said Grigsby, senior talent acquisition specialist for the Nordex Group. “It’s also helpful if students have a job background in electrical, electrical troubleshooting or maintenance.”
Gonzalez is a field support technical specialist for Nordex Group.
“Some jobs that a service technician can be promoted to include the next technician level, a site lead, a site manager or other potential positions,” she said.
The recruitment presentation appealed to many of the students.
Charvel Valverde, who is studying for an Associate of Applied Science degree, asked how the company alerts current employees about new jobs before the jobs are posted publicly.
“Jobs are posted internally,” Grigsby said. “We encourage an employee to tell their manager they are looking for career growth. That manager will keep a lookout and reach out to other managers.”
Denice Acosta, of Harlingen, is also pursuing an Associate of Applied Science degree in the program.
“I liked that I would learn new information,” she said of Nordex Group’s work culture.
The job outlook for the wind energy industry is bright. According to onetonline.org, the need for wind turbine service technicians in Texas was forecast to increase 102% from 2020 to 2030. The average annual salary for a technician in Texas is $56,640, according to the website.
TSTC’s Wind Energy Technology program offers an Associate of Applied Science degree and a certificate of completion at the Harlingen and Sweetwater campuses.
For more information about TSTC, visit tstc.edu.
