MAKING THE CASE FOR TECHNICAL EDUCATION In the white-collar service sector, worker supply exceeds job demand to the point where entry level workers are willing to work for nothing (internships) just for a chance to get hired. It’s a much different story in the manufacturing and industrial sectors for graduates with certificates and two-year A.A.S. degrees. Throughout the country and here in the Texas Panhandle, manufacturing, transportation and energy companies are hard pressed to find qualified applicants for well-paying entry-level jobs in instrumentation, electronics, machining, power plant, welding and HVACR. Over the last 20 years, pursuing a technical credential went out of fashion when large swathes of our industrial base moved off-shore to low-wage havens in Asia and South America, forcing our steel belt to become the rust belt. Parents steered their children to fouryear colleges in pursuit of white collar jobs because the merits of a technical education were perceived as inferior. ACTX.EDU
While the U.S. shuttered factories and plants, skilled workers retired or were laid off without younger workers coming up through the ranks to take their place. Now the U.S. doesn’t have enough skilled technical workers to fill the current job vacancies in machining, instrumentation, industrial maintenance and powerplant management. The good news is that the number of skilled jobs in these sectors are projected to increase over the next 10 years at a rate of 6-10% per year as plants open, workers retire and a number of manufacturing jobs return to the U.S.
At Amarillo College we are challenging the outdated notion that a technical education is an inferior education, that four years in school are better than two, and that technical career paths are limiting.
Employers come to us looking to hire students straight out of our programs, and all too often, we can’t meet their hiring needs because the demand is so high. Opportunities for well-paying technical careers in industry, transportation and manufacturing are expanding here in West Texas, where the demand for trained workers is higher than supply and will be for years to come. The challenge now is to create the desire in our students to pursue technical careers and to show them the opportunities and possibilities that exist in choosing a technical career path that’s right for them.
SOURCE: https://wspanhandle.com/site_main/labor_ market_high_dmnd_oc.php
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RECRUITING AND ADVISING FOR TECHNICAL EDUCATION: JEFF WALLICK AND MELODIE GRAVES Even though the word “recruiting” isn’t in Jeff Wallick’s official title of Coordinator of External Technical Training, he’s the unofficial recruiter for the Technical Education programs on the East Campus. An important part of Jeff’s job is getting the word out about the increased rigor of Tech Ed. Students need solid language and math skills to succeed in the workplace, and the curriculum at AC now reflects that rigor. Although the impression is slowly changing, there’s still an outdated notion that Technical Education is a safety net for lower performing students who’ll just need to wield a wrench to succeed. Today’s graduates need solid academic skills to read equipment manuals, accurately complete compliance forms, write reports, utilize algebra, geometry and trigonometry, and interpret schematics, just to name a few.
Melodie Graves, the Sr. Advising Associate for Technical Education, makes sure that our students get all of the information they need to make the best decisions about the field they should pursue and the right amount of credits to take for work/life balance. Her work is invaluable in making students feel comfortable and prepared, and her door in the Student Services Center on the East Campus is always open.
SHOW ME THE MONEY: TECHNICAL CAREERS CAN DO THAT Convincing students to pursue a certificate or two-year technical education at Amarillo College should be easy once they see the earning potential. With the minimum wage in Texas at $7.25 the chart below shows real wages for a cross section of careers in West Texas right now. For more information about wages and careers in our area go to actx.emsicareercoach.com.
WAGES FOR TECHNICAL CAREERS IN THE TEXAS PANHANDLE CAREER ENTRY WAGE MEDIAN WAGE HIGH WAGE AUTOMOTIVE BODY REPAIRER
$12.65
$16.28
$24.89
$8.78
$14.54
$27.34
AVIATION MECHANIC
$18.69
$26.87
$34.25
DIESEL ENGINE SPECIALIST
$11.92
$17.56
$27.91
ELECTROMECHANICAL ENGINEER
$12.12
$23.38
$29.72
ELECTRONICS ENGINEERING TECHNICIAN
$25.12
$32.05
$36.38
HVACR MECHANIC/INSTALLER
$11.44
$17.60
$29.12
MACHINIST
$11.73 $21.05 $33.79
AUTOMOTIVE REPAIR TECHNICIAN
POWER PLANT OPERATOR (I& E)
$20.51
$30.04
$40.61
WELDER
$12.52 $16.97 $25.31 SOURCE: actx.emsicareercoach.com
ACTX.EDU
SCHOLARSHIPS: THE RIGHT TOOLS FOR THE JOB Along with the mandates for uniform shirts and personal protective equipment (PPE), Amarillo College is now requiring students to purchase their own tools while enrolled in technical education programs. The tool lists vary by program but a complete set will be required for students to receive their certificates or degrees. An investment in tools by our students sends a signal to potential employers that our graduates know how to use them and are prepared and ready for the workplace. It’s an important part of Amarillo College’s commitment to our industry partners.
AUTOMOTIVE TECHNOLOGY: TRANSFORMING THE LINCOLN HYBRID With help from industry partners Acme Body Shop and English Color, Eddie Cassias’s auto collision class turned a regular, hail-damaged Lincoln MKZ Hybrid into a thing of pure beauty and excitement, complete with a world class sound system with ear pounding sub-woofers. Commissioned to promote the art and craftsmanship of precision auto body repair and painting, the car will be on display at public events to advertise the programs on the East Campus.
This requirement can be quite expensive for students. Companies or individuals interested in donating funds to the AC Tool Scholarship Program should contact Tracy Dougherty at the Amarillo College Foundation at 371-5106, or tddougherty@actx.edu.
HIGH DEMAND TECHNICAL OCCUPATIONS IN THE TEXAS PANHANDLE SOURCE: https://wspanhandle.com/site_main/labor_market_high_dmnd_oc.php
TECHNICAL OCCUPATIONS
ANNUAL AVERAGE EMPLOYMENT 2010 2020
NUMBER CHANGE 2010-2020
PERCENT GROWTH 2010-2020
AIRCRAFT MECHANICS AND SERVICE TECHNICIANS
130
140
10
7.70%
AIRCRAFT STRUCTURE, SURFACES, RIGGING, AND SYSTEMS ASSEMBLERS
80
100
20
25%
AUTOMOTIVE BODY AND RELATED REPAIRERS
240
260
20
8.30%
AVIONICS TECHNICIANS
20
20
0
ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONICS ENGINEERING TECHNICIANS
150
170
20
13.30%
ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONICS REPAIRERS, COMMERCIAL AND INDUSTRIAL EQUIPMENT
50
60
10
20%
ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONICS REPAIRERS, POWERHOUSE, SUBSTATION, AND RELAY
20
30
10
50%
ELECTRICAL POWER-LINE INSTALLERS AND REPAIRERS
200
240
40
20%
ENGINEERING TECHNICIANS, EXCEPT DRAFTERS, ALL OTHER
80
90
10
12.50%
EXCAVATING AND LOADING MACHINE AND DRAGLINE OPERATORS
110
120
10
9.10%
MAINTENANCE WORKERS, MACHINERY
230
270
40
17.40%
MOBILE HEAVY EQUIPMENT MECHANICS, EXCEPT ENGINES
190
240
50
26.30%
PUMP OPERATORS, EXCEPT WELLHEAD PUMPERS
90
120
30
33.30%
ROTARY DRILL OPERATORS, OIL AND GAS
190
260
70
36.80%
STRUCTURAL METAL FABRICATORS AND FITTERS
210
250
40
19%
WELLHEAD PUMPERS
100
130
30
30%
0%
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NOVEMBER 2014
Many thanks to Bobby Cooper and the staff at Amarillo Truck Center for hosting The Women in Industry Club meeting.
TECHNICAL EDUCATION: WOMEN JOIN THE CLUB Every year a Women in Industry day is organized for women to tour the East Campus and explore career opportunities offered by technical education. As part of the general recruitment effort, guest speakers from local industry are invited to talk about the rewards and challenges of what it’s like to be a woman in their field and how they achieve work/life balance.
Out of 650 students on East Campus, there are only 35 women currently enrolled in technical programs. In an effort to improve retention and to create a welcoming environment for women in traditionally male dominated disciplines, a Women in Technical Education club has been organized at the Amarillo Truck Center. If you would like to get involved with this club please contact Lyndy Forrester at (806) 335-4352, lforrester@actx.edu.
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