(ABILENE, Texas) – West Central Texas’ labor force is diverse.
Job opportunities in several industries are growing, according to the Texas Workforce Commission’s most recent Labor Market Information Department report.
For the second quarter of fiscal year 2025, the trade, transportation and utilities industry is the second-highest employer in the 19-county region, according to the report. More than 20% of the area’s workforce is in that sector, trailing education and health services, which makes up nearly 30% of the region’s workforce.
In the same report, building equipment, oil and gas extraction, and construction are projected to be among the 10 fastest-growing industries in the region over the next seven years.
With the need for a highly-skilled workforce in the region, Texas State Technical College is making sure it meets its mission of placing more Texans in high-demand jobs. In the fall semester, the college will open its newest facility in Abilene for students to begin their career paths.
TSTC is now accepting applications for four new programs being offered in Abilene: Diesel Equipment Technology, Electrical Lineworker and Management Technology, HVAC Technology and Plumbing and Pipefitting Technology.
“People have been talking with excitement about the new opportunities we will be providing to members of our community,” Justin Price, associate provost of the Abilene campus, said. “We are working to make sure the local industries are an integral part of the programs’ development.”
The program team leads (PTLs) have been meeting, and will continue to meet, with industry partners about the new learning opportunities.
“The value of having an organization that supports growth and a lifeline of workers for the Texas economy positions these programs to be successful,” Ronnie Pitts, the PTL for Electrical Lineworker and Management Technology, said. “The state-of-the-art facility and equipment will showcase the best in class of the programs that TSTC offers.”
Brittany Wilson, the PTL for Diesel Equipment Technology, has been talking to some Taylor County industries about the program coming to Abilene.
“Our industry partners have told me that this is a much-needed program in the Big Country,” she said. “It will lead to more homegrown diesel specialists being in the local workforce.”
Kandell Scruggs, the PTL for HVAC Technology, agreed.
“The students are going to be successful in this program,” she said. “They will be training on the most realistic equipment in order to be prepared when they are in the field.”
Nathan Loflin, the PTL for Plumbing and Pipefitting Technology, has been providing local industry officials with information about the new facility.
“From everyone I have talked to, this is a needed training for the region,” Loflin said.
The PTLs said prospective students have scholarship opportunities available to them, including the Hometown High School Opportunity Scholarship and the NC3 National CTE Letter of Intent Signing Day scholarship.
“We want to make sure students who want to enroll in these programs receive as much financial assistance as possible,” Pitts said.
To learn more about TSTC, visit tstc.edu.
