Latest news with #WeldingTechnology
Yahoo
20-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
TSTC students network with industry recruiters at job fair
Mar. 19—ABILENE — They picked up notepads, pens and stress relievers. But for more than 260 Texas State Technical College students, they left with something more important: industry contact information. Representatives from more than 60 industries, including digital transformation, health care, manufacturing, power and construction, technical services and transportation, attended the spring Industry Job Fair on Tuesday, March 18, at the Industrial Technology Center in Abilene. Students from TSTC's four West Texas campuses were happy with who they were able to talk to. "This has been a really helpful event for me," Josh Diaz, a Welding Technology student in Brownwood, said. "The people are very talkative, which has given me other ideas about possible careers after welding." His classmate, Stevie Ramirez, found one such career that he might pursue. "I am surprised by the number of HVAC jobs there are and how in demand they can be," he said. "After I finish my time in welding, I could look at that as a second career." Industry representatives said the students presented themselves in a professional manner. "Everyone who has visited our booth has been genuinely interested in what we have to offer," Ely Mize, of waste solutions company Republic Services, said. Lewis Rodarte, a talent acquisition specialist at Shannon Medical Center, saw a common trait among the students. "They are all enthusiastic about the profession they have chosen," he said. "We have been to multiple job fairs, and the students here know what they want to do as a career." TSTC's Career Services department organizes the job fairs in the fall and spring semesters for the college's alumni and students. Many students work with that team to prepare resumes and learn job interview skills. Students are able to showcase those skills during the job fair. To learn more about TSTC, visit
Yahoo
11-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
TSTC Welding Technology student has knack for building things
Feb. 10—BRECKENRIDGE — Luke Holtman said he likes to build things. After visiting his cousin in Snyder who was making knives, Holtman decided to enroll in a welding class at Springtown High School. He is now expanding his knowledge by studying for a certificate of completion in Welding Technology at Texas State Technical College. "I expected our class to be smaller than it actually is, but it is good to have that one-on-one connection with the instructors," he said in a news release. Leroy Brigman, a Welding Technology instructor, sees quality in Holtman's work. "He has a lot of attention to detail," Brigman said in the release. "His background shows because he is ahead of many of our students. With that, he is always willing to help." Holtman's ability to work on projects led his instructors to ask him to work on a special project. "We wanted him to build a scarecrow for Halloween," Brigman said. "We knew he would put a lot of effort into it." Holtman said once it was completed, he was asked to name it. "I decided on Dirty Steve because that was my father's nickname," he said. "I thought it was fitting because welders get dirty on the job." That project led to an additional request from his instructors. Holtman will be one of five Welding Technology students representing Breckenridge at the 2025 SkillsUSA Texas Postsecondary Leadership and Skills Conference in Corpus Christi to be held April 2-5. "I have not done a lot of competitions before, so this will be exciting," he said. "It is good to see Breckenridge have representation in the SkillsUSA event." SkillsUSA is a professional organization focused on employability, leadership and technical skills that can help college students pursue successful careers and be part of a skilled workforce. SkillsUSA has more than 100 categories in which students can compete, from 3D Visualization and Animation to Welding Sculpture, the release said. One reason that the instructors wanted Holtman to compete was because of his plan to work in the fabrication field. "I have always liked to build things, so it is natural to want to work in fabrication," Holtman said. "I like to see the finished product." According to welders can earn a yearly median salary of more than $48,000 in Texas. Welding jobs were expected to increase 23% between 2020 and 2030 in the state, according to the website. Welding Technology is one of nine programs at TSTC that have money-back guarantees. For more information, visit To learn more about TSTC, visit
