(ROSENBERG, Texas) – Gilbert Delgado has always loved space. From spaceships and rovers to planets and moons, he dreams of his work being able to reach past Earth’s bounds.
It is Delgado’s biggest motivation for attending Texas State Technical College’s Robotics and Industrial Controls Technology program.
“My goal in life is to build something that is a part of a spaceship or gets off the planet,” he said.
Delgado spends a lot of time in the program’s lab, even when he does not have classes or any specific project to work on. Being able to work on improving his skills and familiarity with the tools is one of his favorite parts of the program.
“Honestly, this program is the best you can get in the area,” he said. “In the first class you have, you are messing with a robot. It is what really hooks people into the program.”
Now in his third semester working toward an associate degree, Delgado had heard about the program through word of mouth from his family. A cousin of his recently graduated from the program as well and is now working in the local area.
Aron Guajardo, one of the program’s instructors, admires the passion that Delgado and his classmates have for the program. While many have no prior experience and are straight out of high school, they graduate from the program ready for jobs in the local manufacturing industry.
“We are about to have our largest group of graduates ever from the program,” Guajardo said. “It is really exciting to see.”
The average annual salary for robotics technicians in Texas is $59,940, according to onetonline.org. The website showed that the need for these specialists in the state was forecast to grow 12% between 2020 and 2030.
At TSTC, students can choose to pursue an Associate of Applied Science degree and a certificate of completion in Robotics and Industrial Controls Technology. The program is available at the Fort Bend County and Waco campuses.
Registration continues for the fall semester at TSTC. For more information, go to tstc.edu.
