(HARLINGEN, Texas) – The Building Construction Technology program at Texas State Technical College’s Harlingen campus now offers a night class option for students who are busy working at jobs during the day.
Instructors Cecilia Espinosa and Rene Rodriguez teach the classes, which have 15 students enrolled.
Juan Campillo, an Army veteran and employee of TSTC’s Printing Production department in Harlingen, is studying for an Associate of Applied Science degree in the program.
“I enrolled in the program to expand my current skills,” he said. “I wanted to learn the proper way to use equipment.”
Michelle Zarate, of Brownsville, is also working on an associate degree in the program.
“The labs are great, and I learned that I need to improve my strength,” she said. “The instructors are motivating when they explain the importance of teamwork, critical thinking and communication.”
Espinosa said incorporating real-life examples is beneficial for the students.
“One of my talking points I use when I teach is my work experience,” she said. “Recently we had a discussion where I explained why reading blueprints is important for the job.”
Rodriguez said he enjoys motivating students during labs.
“After they finish an assignment, I review their project and offer a few examples about how they can improve their work,” he said.
First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers in Texas earn an average annual salary of $67,650, according to onetonline.org, which projected the number of these positions to grow by 23% in the state through 2030.
TSTC offers an Associate of Applied Science degree in Building Construction Technology and a certificate of completion in Building Construction – Craftsman at its Harlingen and Waco campuses.
Registration continues for the spring semester at TSTC. For more information, go to tstc.edu.
