(HARLINGEN, Texas) – In today’s fast-paced aviation field, there is demand for highly skilled aircraft mechanics who can contribute to the success and safety of getting airplanes off the ground and into the sky.
That is where Texas State Technical College steps in.
TSTC’s aviation maintenance program at the Harlingen campus has produced many skilled aircraft mechanics for companies such as Southmost Aviation in Brownsville, ST Engineering in San Antonio and Sun Valley Aviation in Harlingen.
“Most of the mechanics we’ve hired from TSTC have been educated about current aviation regulations and know the practices to get the job done,” Jon K. Douglas, director of maintenance for Southmost Aviation, said. “Sometimes the blend of a new hire combined with our seasoned aircraft mechanics works. Our aircraft mechanics needs to be familiarized with current information.”
Johnny Valdez is senior technical recruiter for ST Engineering.
“TSTC’s aviation maintenance graduates consistently bring a high level of professionalism and technical knowledge,” he said.
Rolando Rodriguez, director of maintenance for Sun Valley Aviation, said the professionalism of TSTC’s aviation maintenance graduates sets them apart.
“TSTC’s comprehensive aviation maintenance curriculum includes knowledge of basic electricity, power plant and airframe technology,” Rodriguez said. “It helps our company to stay competitive by filling the gaps for technical worker positions with fairly skilled individuals who can be molded to our company’s standards with ease.”
Leo Guajardo, TSTC’s aviation maintenance program team lead in Harlingen, said students are trained to provide excellent technical skills to any aviation company from day one.
“(Our students) develop a strong foundation in problem-solving and safety,” Guajardo said. “That makes them highly sought-after aircraft mechanics who can make an immediate impact in the workforce.”
According to onetonline.org, aircraft mechanics and service technicians in Texas earn an average of $77,640 a year. The website projected that there would be a 16% increase in the number of such jobs in the state from 2020 to 2030.
TSTC offers Associate of Applied Science degrees and certificates of completion in both Aircraft Airframe Technology and Aircraft Powerplant Technology at its Abilene, Harlingen and Waco campuses.
To learn more about TSTC, go to tstc.edu.
