It was TSTC’s first in-person commencement event since fall 2019. Provost Barton Day said it was good to see students honored during the ceremony.

“It’s truly a thrill to have both students and families join us to celebrate our students’ success in a far more personal setting,” he said. “The class of fall 2021 is also the largest graduating class from the Marshall campus in recent years, with 84 graduates eligible to walk the stage.”

Some graduates of Process Operations have made plans to celebrate their accomplishments together.

“We are going on a cruise together next week,” said Hallsville resident Allison Weaver, who was president of the Phi Theta Kappa honor society chapter at the Marshall campus.

Weaver, along with Colin McGregor and Levan Stapleton, who each earned an Associate of Applied Science degree, will begin the new year together working for Eastman Chemical Corp. But first they will enjoy a celebratory cruise.

“This has been such a good year for me, and this has been the best school for me,” Weaver said. “I am so excited to be part of this group, and they will always be my friends.”

McGregor said walking across the stage was a surreal moment and he is grateful for the new friendships.

“I have made some lifelong friends, and I am looking forward to working with them at Eastland when we return,” he said.

Stapleton said he surprised himself during his time at TSTC.

“I did not know what to expect when I started the program, but now I have a career,” he said. “Having my family and friends watch me walk the stage is important because they helped me get to where I am now.”

Shane Nunley, who also earned an Associate of Applied Science degree in Process Operations, said he made the decision at age 50 to begin a new career.

“I had my own business and decided I wanted to do something else,” he said. “It paid off for me because I kept up my grades, worked hard and graduated.”

Nunley said the only thing he wishes could have happened during graduation was for his late parents to have watched him earn his degree.

“But my kids are able to see me do something special tonight,” he said.

Jada Reaves, who earned an Associate of Applied Science degree in Process Operations, decorated her mortarboard with her accomplishments. It depicted a chemical plant with a woman holding both a wrench and a diploma.

“I want to show everyone that women can do anything they put their mind to, and that is what I did,” she said. “This has been a long journey for me, and it means a lot to be walking with my friends.”

Drew Cooper, who earned a certificate of completion in Welding Technology, said his hard work paid off after walking across the stage.

“I will have more of an advantage at work since I have this certification,” he said of his job as a custodian at Hallsville ISD. “It is great to earn this certificate and have the skills to do something to help others.”

Preston Emerson, who earned an Associate of Applied Science degree in Electrical Lineworker Technology, arrived from his job with Mesa Line Services in time to graduate.

“I am going to walk the stage and have to get right back to work,” he said.

Rush Harris, executive director of the Marshall Economic Development Corp., congratulated the graduates during his commencement address.

“You are now a leader,” he said. “I want to challenge you to be part of whatever community you live in.”

Registration for the spring semester at TSTC is underway. For more information, visit tstc.edu.

Massey is a graduate of Texas State Technical College in Marshall, where she earned two associate degrees, one in Environmental Health and Safety and the other in Industrial Maintenance and Engineering (now Industrial Systems). She also has a bachelor’s degree in general studies from Texas A&M University-Commerce and plans to work on a master’s degree.

What was growing up in East Texas like for you?

I grew up in Quitman, where my stepdad owned a mechanics shop. I would always help him. My husband was also a mechanic.  I didn’t finish high school; I got my GED and went to work. I was on my own at 17. When I was 23, I was married, had a 4-year-old and was pregnant with my youngest when my husband got killed in a motorcycle accident. I waited tables, and after about six years, I entered TSTC to take care of my children.

What factored into deciding what you would study at TSTC?

Safety is a big issue, no matter where you work. Being a mom, you are trying to keep your kids safe. I figured that it would be something I would enjoy. When I graduated, companies were doing safety in-house and not bringing in people from the outside. I was offered offshore jobs. I did work in the field, but I did the safety and purchasing side. I had three different positions in the company I worked at, which is where I did my internship out of college. That is when I decided to go back to college.

I was doing Diesel Equipment Technology, but I dropped the program and continued on with Industrial Maintenance and Engineering. I worked my way up. I have done health care, the chemical field, the food industry and then went to the federal courthouse. I am in a six-figure job now.

What is a typical workday like?

I get up between 4 and 4:30 a.m. The guys are coming in and out (of work), sending me texts if they have trouble clocking in or something is down. My day starts at home, but for work I start between 6:30 a.m. and 7 a.m. We run 24 hours, seven days a week, so I have crews there all the time. I order parts, walk the floor, check on the machines, get updates on production while machines are down, and have meetings with the engineering and other departments. 

Why should more women pursue the industrial systems field?

Females do the work because they can do the work. Females think differently than the males do. They bring a different viewpoint on everything. They are able to think things out differently, and they pay attention to the details that the men do not. They come at the situation differently.

What career advice do you have to offer?

I love the fast pace. I love to make good decisions, which got me in the position I am in. You need to be able to think on your feet, make the decisions and not second-guess yourself. You need to be confident in the decisions that you make.

The Industrial Systems program is part of TSTC’s Money-Back Guarantee. Students in their first semester are eligible to sign up for free with campus Career Services representatives. Students are able to take part in workshops learning about resume writing, interview techniques and other employment skills. Industrial Systems graduates who are not hired in their field within six months after graduation may be eligible to get a tuition refund for their time at TSTC.

For more information, go to tstc.edu.

“The buzzwords in the industry are smart devices, the internet of things and also Industry 4.0,” said Douglas Clark, the program’s lead instructor. “There are big things surrounding this new push in automation.”

Clark said there is new equipment aligning with what workers are using in the field. Some of this includes three industry-standard robotic arms and a two-sided, stand-alone process instrumentation unit.

One of the adjustments the program has made is expanding on how wiring is taught, covering sizes, cutting methods, splicing and making connections. Clark said workers in the automation field handle smaller-gauge wires than electricians do.

Tennile Tsosie, of Longview, received an Associate of Applied Science degree in Automation and Controls Technology earlier this year and is now working on an associate degree in Industrial Systems – Electrical Specialization. She grew up with an interest in robots, with the movie “Terminator” spurring on her interest in mechanical engineering.

“I have lots of experience working in manufacturing as an inspector,” she said. “Maintenance has always been something I enjoy doing at home or work.”

Tsosie said she knows there will be a need for more technicians in the future.

“My future goals are to understand more about robotics and mechanical motors to develop uses out in the field where manufacturers can look to build more systems to enhance productivity,” she said.

According to the U.S. Department of Labor’s CareerOneStop website, electro-mechanical and mechatronics technologists and technicians in Texas make a yearly median salary of more than $52,000. Jobs are concentrated in the Austin, Dallas-Fort Worth and Houston areas. The federal agency has projected that more than 1,800 workers will be needed by 2028.

Clark said a lot of automation-related jobs are being seen now in the oil and gas and manufacturing industries.

Louisiana-based Danos, which has locations in Houston, Kenedy and Midland in Texas, is a family-owned energy services provider. The company currently has automation technician, deep-water automation technician and instrument controls automation engineer positions open in Louisiana, Oklahoma and Texas. There are also openings for instrumentation and electrical technicians.

Brandon Barrilleaux, Danos’ automation operations manager, said artificial intelligence, automation and controls are the future.

“Titles and degrees are great, but finding someone with experience to accompany those qualifications can be a challenge,” he said. “These jobs come with a lot of hazards, so we need people who are comfortable with what they are doing.”

Clark said one field needing workers surprises him: the heating, ventilation and air conditioning industry.

“They do big buildings like hospitals and schools where everything is controlled automatically,” he said. “They work with programmable logic controllers (and) frequency drives and do programming on temperature controllers. They program the system once it is installed and maintain it.”

Clark said some program graduates go on to pursue bachelor’s degrees.

For more information, go to tstc.edu. 

The first meeting was recently held at the Texas State Technical College campus in Marshall. Leading the meeting was Cary “Mac” Abney, the board’s new chairman. Abney previously served as the board’s treasurer.

“My service on The TSTC Foundation board allows me to help the youth of Texas prepare for their future,” Abney said. “The skills they master improve the quality of life for all Texans and help the state move forward. This is a win-win for both the students and our state.”

Abney, of Marshall, is a certified public accountant and president of Abney and Co. He is a member of the Texas Society of Certified Public Accountants, the Texas Forestry Association and the Texas Association of Sports Officials. He is also president of the Sabine River Authority of Texas. Abney is a board member of the Harrison County Soil and Water Conservation District and the Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation.

At the meeting, board members received an update on the State of the College delivered by TSTC Chancellor Mike Reeser; reviewed Fiscal Year 2021 year-end reports for the budget year, financial services and operations; received the field development quarterly report; and approved the Fiscal Year Foundation Operating Plan.

Some of the financial gifts the Foundation has helped bring to the Marshall campus in the past year include a $100,000 pledge from the American Electric Power Foundation for scholarships for Electrical Lineworker Technology students and $146,000 in equipment from Terex Corp. for the Diesel Equipment Technology program.

“The TSTC in Marshall campus is excited that The TSTC Foundation board meetings are now taking place right here in Harrison County,” said Blake Cox, The TSTC Foundation’s associate field development officer. “From a development standpoint, we have some exciting things that are brewing here in East Texas, and the Foundation will now have an even bigger footprint in our region benefiting our community as a whole.”

Board meetings are held in a combined virtual and in-person format. The next board meeting will be in January.

For more information, go to tstc.edu. 

The equipment separates chemicals based on boiling point. It is made of glass so that students can view the distillation process.

“Products come off the column at different points and are captured for resale or further processing,” said Nicholas Cram, an instructor in TSTC’s Process Operations Technology program. “This is the exact same type of column that you will see in refineries. The difference is the size.”

Some of the program’s classes focus on applied physics, process instrumentation, process technology and the petroleum industry.

“The addition will greatly enhance students’ hands-on knowledge and experience while in the training program,” said Barton Day, provost of TSTC in Marshall. “Ultimately these added skills increase a student’s ability to add to an employer’s bottom line on day one, and that’s what we aim for every day.”

Petroleum pump system operators, refinery operators and gaugers can make a yearly median salary of more than $81,000, according to the U.S. Department of Labor’s CareerOneStop website. The state will have a need for more than 11,000 workers by 2028, according to the federal agency.

TSTC offers an Associate of Applied Science degree in Process Operations Technology at its Marshall campus. Program graduates can pursue jobs in the electrical, petrochemical, pharmaceutical and refining fields.

For more information, go to tstc.edu. 

Some of TSTC’s technical programs that were previously taught in person on select campuses are now available in online formats. Some of TSTC’s programs that high school students are taking include Architectural Design and Engineering Graphics Technology, Business Management Technology (Accounting) and Web Design and Development.

Dual enrollment students are taking classes either at TSTC, at their home campuses or online. Some of the hybrid-format programs available to the students include Diesel Equipment Technology – Off-Highway Specialization and Structural Welding.

The Howell Homeschool and Panola Schools have students taking dual enrollment classes this year, along with the Longview, Marshall and Quitman school districts.

“This year is the first we have partnered with Quitman High School,” said Kadie Svrcek, TSTC’s director of internal operations for dual enrollment. “We have nine students in the Cybersecurity program. Cybersecurity is the new hot program in Texas career and technical education, and school districts are really catching on to the future needs in the state. The group of kids from Quitman are really smart and excited about this program.”

Marshall High School has 30 students taking classes in five online programs and two in-person programs at TSTC. Svrcek said this is the most students from the high school that have signed up for dual enrollment with TSTC in at least the last five years.

“Marshall Independent School District students are able to get exposure to college classes and the rigor and disciplines that come with college classes while in high school,” said D. Garreth Durrant, the school district’s CTE and STEM coordinator. “Marshall ISD students are able to earn high school credit and college credit at the same time.”

Some of Marshall High School’s students are taking online classes in the Medical Office Specialist certificate of completion program, which is under TSTC’s Health Information Technology program.

“The high school students are building their self-confidence as they are held to the same expectations as college students,” said Sarah Brooks, TSTC’s statewide lead in the Health Information Technology program. “The courses students take with the Medical Office Specialist program can benefit them in any career they may pursue within the health care field.”

For more information, go to tstc.edu.

“Some companies are just looking for a well-rounded individual to work for them,” said Danny Nixon, lead instructor in Texas State Technical College’s Precision Machining Technology program in Marshall. “One day you are machining a part, the next you are actually assembling the end product, inspecting the end product, testing the product, or getting the shop and machine set up for the next product. It is not just about cutting metal anymore.”

TSTC’s Precision Machining Technology program is taught in the evenings to accommodate students who work during the day, or those who just prefer to take classes after the sun sets.

“It is a portable skill set that graduates can use to find employment basically anywhere in the state of Texas due to the demand,” said Nathan Cleveland, TSTC’s associate provost in Marshall.

Remtex in Longview and Republic Elite in Marshall are some of the area companies that have recently hired program graduates, according to information from TSTC’s Career Services department.

The East Texas Council of Government’s 14-county service area had more than 4,900 workers in machining-related occupations in the first quarter of 2021. The workers include brazers, cutters, machinists, solderers, team assemblers and welders.

Machinists in the ETCOG’s service area made an average annual wage of $44,400 in the first quarter of 2021.

TSTC’s Precision Machining Technology program in Marshall offers an associate degree, a certificate and an occupational skills award.

Registration continues for the fall semester, with scholarships available. For more information, go to tstc.edu. 

The campus was named Hometown Best College/University for 2021 in the newspaper’s annual readers poll. The formal announcement was made in Sunday’s edition of the News Messenger.

“This is a very humbling recognition for the outstanding work all of our teammates do in support of our mission to Place More Texans in Great-Paying Jobs,” said Barton Day, provost of TSTC’s Marshall campus. “We are truly honored to have been selected.”

TSTC’s Marshall campus has seven programs taught in a hybrid format of online classes and in-person labs. Two of the programs, Diesel Equipment Technology and Electrical Lineworker Technology, are part of the college’s Money-Back Guarantee initiative. This program for associate degree students enables them to receive a refund for their time at TSTC if they do not get a job in their field within six months of graduation.

TSTC’s Career Services department houses the Money-Back Guarantee program.

“We have some very strong relationships with industry partners that make TSTC their first stop in hiring their employees,” said Hannah Luce, TSTC’s director of planning and special events for Career Services. “My department tries to teach the students the soft skills they need to enter the workforce and help the students be ready for an interview with resume writing help and mock interviews.”

TSTC also offers workforce training to upskill East Texas workers or teach new skills, such as commercial driver’s license training.  

“The success of workforce training for TSTC in Marshall is not financial,” said Dirk Hughes, TSTC’s executive director of Workforce Training. “It is sitting back and realizing that the efforts that we have done have impacted the life of the student.”

Students also have access to 16 online programs, including Biology and Web Design and Development.

The News Messenger has held the Hometown Best recognitions for many years, said Johnnie Fancher, the newspaper’s multimedia sales executive.

Fancher said registration forms are printed in the newspaper in late May, with readers checking off their picks on who is the best in Marshall. Those receiving the most votes in each category are the winners. Fancher said each winner receives a certificate.

Registration for the fall semester at TSTC is underway. For more information, go to tstc.edu.

“There is an increase in demand for wastewater treatment process operators, but the number of jobs in this career field is less than jobs available in chemical plants and oil refineries,” said Nicholas Cram, lead instructor in Texas State Technical College’s Process Operations Technology program. “The benefits of a job in wastewater treatment is a day schedule, very few weekends, and you don’t work a 12-hour swing shift.”

According to the U.S. Department of Labor’s CareerOneStop website, water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators in Texas can make a yearly median salary of more than $39,000. It projects that there will be a need for more than 12,000 workers by 2028 in Texas.

“There will be an increased focus on wastewater treatment in our program due to the number of jobs available,” Cram said. “This is also a very rewarding career since water conservation and providing quality drinking water is critical to our survival.”

Having an area workforce that can work with water and wastewater treatment ties into economic development.

“You have to have capacity to have industry to come in,” said Steven K. Williams, city manager for the city of Carthage. “We are in good shape as far as that goes. With the labor force, you have a lot of technical people that work here in oil and gas. It is great if we can get an industry that uses them so they don’t have to travel. I think we have a good labor force.”

Randy Chelette, executive director of the Texas On-Site Wastewater Association in Bridge City, said as new growth takes place in cities and counties, more on-site septic, or underground wastewater treatment systems, are needed. 

Chelette said there is a need now for designers, inspectors and maintenance workers to ensure that treatment systems maintain water quality and health standards.

“The systems of yesterday are old in the ground and passive but yet commonly failing septic systems because you relied on the soil to treat the wastewater,” he said. “Today’s technologies allow us to treat the wastewater prior to it going into the ground, so the ground does not have to meet the same qualities to treat the wastewater as in the old septic systems.”

Selina Tabor is manager of the city of Longview’s water purification division and oversees staff at the city’s three water plants that monitor water levels and pressure. The monitoring work is done through a computer, but every few hours samples are pulled for tests such as chlorine, temperature and pH levels. The work is guided by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.

“What we report to the state is what we physically run,” Tabor said. “What we are reading on the computer is keeping us in check.”

Tabor said she and her staff have thought about the future, when they will be retired and new workers will be needed to continue their work. She said internships are available to college students with interests in biology, chemistry and technology to give them experiences of what to expect after graduation.

“It’s a stable job,” Tabor said. “The stability is the key. When everything was closing down because of COVID-19, we never stopped working. Water is not going away, and neither is wastewater.”

TSTC offers an Associate of Applied Science degree in Process Operations Technology at its Marshall campus. Program graduates can also pursue jobs in the electrical, petrochemical, pharmaceutical and refining fields. 

The program continues to add new equipment, including a fractional distillation hands-on trainer that students will start using in August.

“We focus on hands-on training, but projects in critical thinking using 3D virtual software are also valuable teaching tools,” Cram said.

Registration continues for the fall semester, with scholarships available. For more information, go to tstc.edu.

Automation is the ability to transform raw material into a finished product with very little human interaction, said Douglas Clark, lead instructor in TSTC’s Automation and Controls Technology program in Marshall.

Automation, which combines instrumentation, mechatronics and robotics, is increasing in East Texas and throughout the nation, Clark said.

“Right now, I can’t place as many students as there are jobs,” he said. “Manufacturing has gone through a new era. It is called Industry 4.0, the Fourth Industrial Revolution. It is a revolution of smart devices. We are at a point where everything can communicate with everything else via smart devices. That has changed everything with manufacturing.”

Some of the automation jobs open now in East Texas include those for automation engineers, automation technicians and electrical maintenance technicians, according to Indeed.com.

TSTC Automation and Controls Technology graduates have been hired by AEP, Phillips 66, Worley and other companies, according to information from TSTC’s Career Services department.

“Today’s students, and tomorrow’s industrial leaders, must be automation-savvy,” said Doug Shryock, director of workforce and economic development at the East Texas Council of Governments in Kilgore. “They must have foundational knowledge and be fearless in learning new applications and techniques. Companies in the age of telemarketing looking to hire are less concerned about where their employees sit, and more concerned about connectivity and technological aptitude.”

The World Economic Forum has estimated that by 2030 more than one billion people will need to be reskilled because of job transformation during the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

“Maybe it (automation) will do away with certain traditional jobs, but it will create specific jobs that understand how the robotics work, how the operations work, how manufacturing works, how smart sensors work and how to interpret the data,” said Roland Leija, lead instructor in TSTC’s Mechatronics Technology program in Harlingen. “What we are doing is training that generation of technicians that is familiar with smart systems, automation systems and Industry 4.0.”

Leija said workers may find themselves next to “cobots,” collaborative robots that have built-in sensors. He said they are low-velocity robots that can be within inches of a person and stop if bumped into. He said preventive maintenance is a key component of automation. Workers will be needed to maintain conveyor belts, robots and other equipment.

Clark said it is critical to tout the benefits of automation jobs and the salaries that can be earned to students before they enter college. But workers already in different stages of their careers also need to consider the future of automation jobs.

“We have a great opportunity to train that young workforce to be ready and willing to tackle this new technology, and the companies will prosper because of that,” Clark said.

Leija is excited about the future of automation and its job potential.

“It is only going to get better,” Leija said. “At some point, it will transition to some basic levels of artificial intelligence where you will have a system to manage certain things, maybe with some human interactions and permissions given to it.”

Registration continues for the fall semester, and scholarships are available. For more information, go to tstc.edu.