(ABILENE, Texas) – Texas State Technical College’s Electrical Power and Controls students see a bright future in their chosen industry.
Fourth-semester students Alexander Castro, of Denver City, and Tyler Flippen, of Abilene, said earning an associate degree will have a positive impact on their careers.
“I am a machine operator at Great Lakes Cheese Co., and I have learned more since I have been in school,” Flippen said. “This program is giving me more knowledge of the invisible parts of the machine. I know what is happening inside the machine and can make repairs.”
Castro, who describes himself as a former chief executive officer of a landscape company, said he sees a good career path as an electrical technician.
“This is a very in-demand profession,” he said. “We will be filling in the gaps, making sure everything runs smoothly.”
Kevin Staton, an Electrical Power and Controls instructor, said both students are motivated to succeed.
“Alexander works hard in class, and Tyler stays on top of all of his assignments,” Staton said. “Both students will have successful careers.”
Castro and Flippen said the instructors, Staton and Larry Walders, help them prepare for each assignment in different ways.
“Their teaching style builds discipline in you, which is important in the workplace,” Flippen said.
“They will prod you to get the answer on your own,” Castro said. “In the long run, that is going to help you.”
Flippen said he takes knowledge from the classroom at TSTC to the assembly line at Great Lakes Cheese Co.
“I now know more about troubleshooting,” he said. “I can see things I have not seen before and know that this goes here and that goes there. Before, it was not that way.”
The students said those interested in the program should be aware that one high school subject will be used often.
“There is a lot of math in this program,” Flippen said. “I did not realize how much math we would be doing in the lab.”
Both students are looking forward to completing their associate degrees and beginning their careers.
“This is a booming industry right now and a good career for a lot of young people,” Flippen said.
Electrical and electronic engineering technologists and technicians earn an average annual salary of $64,220 in Texas, according to onetonline.org. The growth in the number of such positions in the state was projected to be 14% between 2020 and 2030, according to the website.
TSTC offers Electrical Power and Controls in a hybrid format, combining virtual learning with in-person, hands-on lab work. In addition to the Abilene campus, TSTC’s campuses in Fort Bend County, North Texas and Waco offer the program.
Electrical Power and Controls is part of TSTC’s Money-Back Guarantee. If participating students do not find a job in their career field within six months after graduation, they will receive a refund of their tuition.
To learn more about TSTC, visit tstc.edu.
