TC workforce program lights up community
The workforce development program at Texarkana College is certainly a gem, as it is changing not only the lives of students, but also the entire community and region.
The college recently broke ground on the $1.2 million Center of Workforce Innovation, which will house four programs—construction technology, electrical technology, industrial maintenance/multi-craft and electronics technology/innovation.
Brandon Washington, dean of workforce and community & business education, said they have been working with local industry to develop the programs.
“With a lot of the emphasis in our region going to the manufacturing area, this new facility will really help target a lot of the areas where we need to replenish workers as far as the production workers and material handlers,” he said. “Tons of those jobs are open at this time.”
He’s also been working with industry to create internships with manufacturers to give students experience off the campus and on job sites.
“It helps students so much because there’s only so much we can do in the classroom. There’s only so much equipment and training we can do before they go out and be hands on,” Washington said. “And it helps the employers because it’s a feeder for them to see what our instructors are able to do and it helps them replace employees through attrition. A lot of the baby boomers are leaving, so it gives our students the opportunity to be shoulder to shoulder with a veteran or an experienced employee.”
A new one-semester industrial maintenance certificate will also be offered beginning in August to help train those employees.
“It puts them on the path to come back to school to work on a certificate in mechanics or industrial maintenance, automation and robotics,” he said. “It gives them the opportunity to at least start, get basic electrical training so they can at least start and then come back to come back to work on a certificate for higher level training.”
The 16-week certificate and the four-semester certificate both include soft skills training, along with technical instruction and an OSHA 10 certificate.
“We’ll assess attendance, skill performance, dressed in uniform—all of the soft skills manufacturers say are needed. These are issues they say they’re seeing when people come in to apply,” Washington said. “We’re really going to put a lot of emphasis on developing that type of student graduate who comes out with soft skills, professionalism and work ethics.”
Those who complete the program will receive a portable certificate, which is similar to a transcript and includes an attendance record.
“When they go in to apply, they’ll have that certificate to present to the employer,” he said. “The whole purpose is to give that person with zero years of experience some basic background in electrical and manufacturing. The long-term goal is to find good feeder programs for industry, that way, they can send them to the college, put them through the 16-week program and come back.”
Dr. Donna McDaniel, vice president of instruction, said the programs are a reflection of workforce needs across the country.
“Nationwide right now there is this big push—we’ve got students standing in line to get in four-year universities, while the demand is a skilled workforce,” she said. “One of our things we’re going to focus on is to really bring that home by marketing and publicizing to our students the great opportunities we have here at Texarkana College to provide workforce courses. In one year you can go through three semesters and start out making $50,000 and greater, depending on what you focus on.”
For more information on the program, go to www.texarkanacollege. edu.