TSTC Drafting and Design students learn about job opportunities during employer spotlight

(MARSHALL, Texas) – Representatives from Johnson & Pace Inc., a company specializing in engineering, architecture and surveying, recently visited Texas State Technical College’s Marshall campus to give TSTC Drafting and Design students a glimpse of what it would be like to work for their firm.

Johnson & Pace project manager Ken Rust, a TSTC Drafting and Design alumnus, and project engineer and department manager Nathan Spraggins told the students that their firm is a one-stop shop.

“It’s not just about lines on paper,” Rust said. “When we put out structure plans, we’re basically telling a contractor how to build this thing.”

Spraggins said recruits typically start as drafters but can work their way up to computer-aided drafting technicians and beyond.

“Once you show us you know how projects work and you’re not just putting lines on a page, you can think about what needs to go in this set of plans,” Spraggins said. “That’s when we say, ‘This is a technician.’”

TSTC Drafting and Design instructor Suzy Kirkpatrick said she was happy to hear that Johnson & Pace offers management opportunities to drafters. 

“I’ve worked in a lot of engineering firms, and only the engineers were allowed to move up into management,” she said.

Architectural Design and Engineering Graphics Technology student Benjamin Woods said he enjoyed the opportunity to hear about Johnson & Pace’s work in civil drafting.

“I really appreciate that our school does these spotlights,” he said. “It shows that they really care about the students and what they do after they get their degrees.”

According to onetonline.org, architectural and civil drafters earn an average of $58,540 per year in Texas, where the number of such jobs was projected to increase 15% from 2020 to 2030.

Drafting and Design is available at TSTC’s Harlingen, Marshall, North Texas and Waco campuses. The program is also available online.

For more information on TSTC, go to tstc.edu.