(HUTTO, Texas) – With a surge in female students this semester, the HVAC Technology program at Texas State Technical College’s East Williamson County campus creates an environment for women to thrive in a traditionally male-dominated field.
The HVAC Technology program in Hutto has seen a 400% increase in female student enrollment. Jayme Palady, an HVAC instructor at the campus, is glad to see the growth.
“We usually only have one, maybe two, female students in a given semester,” he said. “This semester, we have four female students. It sounds low, but in this industry, that’s a lot. It’s the most I’ve seen in one semester.”
Amber Taylor is in her first semester of the HVAC Technology certificate program. She describes herself as a hands-on learner who does not like lecture-style classrooms.
“I like to learn one-on-one, and in a classroom, that just doesn’t happen,” she said. “Here, I can be taught something, try it, and if I have questions or don’t understand, I can ask and get help.”
Taylor tried auto mechanics in high school. But after rebuilding an engine, she decided that while hands-on learning was for her, auto mechanics was not.
“I knew about HVAC because my high school had several programs, and HVAC was one of them,” she said. “I knew a little about it, and I thought it would be interesting and gave it a try.”
Taylor said she likes it so far, and her classmate, Lacey Pacheco, echoed her satisfaction with the program. For Pacheco, the most important factor is support.
“I went to school before for nursing, and I didn’t feel supported,” Pacheco said. “I heard about TSTC, and there was a lot of communication and transparency. I felt supported and didn’t feel left in a vague state. The instructors (at TSTC) are supportive; I never feel like I’m bothering them.”
Pacheco is pursuing her Associate of Applied Science degree in HVAC Technology.
“I learn hands-on, and when something breaks at home, I like to dissect it,” she said. “When I saw HVAC, it felt natural and it felt like where I needed to be.”
In Texas, heating, air conditioning and refrigeration mechanics and installers earn an average annual salary of $50,190, according to onetonline.org, which forecast the number of such positions to grow 21% in the state from 2020 to 2030.
TSTC offers an Associate of Applied Science degree and certificates of completion in HVAC Technology at its East Williamson County, Fort Bend County, Harlingen, North Texas and Waco campuses.
For more information about TSTC, go to tstc.edu.
