(ROSENBERG, Texas) – Three representatives from Houston-based Centerline Manufacturing recently visited Texas State Technical College’s campus in Fort Bend County, meeting with Precision Machining Technology faculty and students — as well as TSTC Career Services representatives.
“Here it’s not just teaching — it’s really like production,” TSTC Precision Machining Technology instructor Deogratias Nizigiyimana told the representatives, describing the program’s curriculum and training pathway for students.
During the visit, Centerline CEO Simon Feinsilver, CEO Tim Rueter and shop foreman Juan Luna toured the Precision Machining Technology lab, examining manual and computer numerically controlled (CNC) machines.
TSTC Precision Machining instructor Taylor Marze showed the trio a sampling of projects that students have been working on, including a band saw, with every piece made from scratch.
“I think it was really cool,” Feinsilver said of the visit. “We were excited to come out.”
Rueter remarked about the quality of the equipment and the rigor of the training that TSTC students are completing.
“It seems pretty solid,” he said. “They’re getting a good foundation for the basics.”
Feinsilver invited students to visit Centerline’s facility to see the company’s employees in action.
They also extended the offer of part-time positions for this summer as some of the students work on finishing their degrees, with the possibility of full-time work contingent upon graduation.
Established in 2005, Centerline primarily machines parts for the oil and gas industries. Recently the company has been entering additional industries, including aerospace.
“We’re just looking for guys who want to work,” Feinsilver said. “Right now, it’s tough to find qualified machinists.”
While Centerline has not yet had the opportunity to hire TSTC graduates, Rueter remembered hiring and working with alumni from TSTC’s Waco campus at another machining shop some 20 years ago.
“They were always good,” he said. “These guys were a lot faster, and we had less investment in training.”
TSTC’s campus in Fort Bend County offers an Associate of Applied Science degree in Precision Machining Technology, certificates of completion in Machining and Precision Machining Technology, and an occupational skills award in Basic Machining. Precision Machining Technology is a Money-Back Guarantee program. If participating graduates are not hired in the field within six months of earning their degree, TSTC will refund their tuition.
Computer numerically controlled (CNC) tool programmers can earn an average annual salary of $59,680 in Texas, according to onetonline.org, which predicts that the number of these positions will grow by 29% statewide through 2028.
The Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land metropolitan area employs the fourth-highest number of these positions in the nation, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Registration for TSTC’s fall semester is underway. Learn more at tstc.edu.
