(HARLINGEN, Texas) – For George Castillo and Isaac Romero the transition from learning automotive technology to leading a service team has been a journey toward professional success.
The two Texas State Technical College Automotive students have spent the last six months balancing school work with leadership roles at Oil Changers in Weslaco.
“I serve as a lead technician,” Castillo said. “I oversee daily shop operations, train new technicians and perform automotive maintenance.”
While Castillo manages the floor, Romero takes on administrative responsibilities.
“I am an assistant manager,” Romero said. “I help guide a team of technicians through the various services we offer our clients.”
Anthony Gonzalez, the manager at Oil Changers, said the two employees have made a significant impact on the business.
“George and Isaac bring enthusiasm to the team, and are dedicated employees,” Gonzalez said.
Both students credit their program experience for the ability to handle complex customer issues.
“I have learned much more about cooling and transmission machines,” Castillo said. “It has increased my knowledge regarding the work I complete on customers’ vehicles.”
For Romero, the technical lessons at TSTC recently saved a customer from a major issue.
“I learned that when a sensor has gone bad, it can show you that you have no gas or cause the gas meter to fail entirely,” Romero said. “At work, that exact situation happened to a customer. I suggested that she have her fuel pump checked, and later she told me that fixed the problem.”
Their paths to the automotive industry began in different garages. Castillo discovered his passion while helping a neighbor fix a vehicle, while Romero grew up working on a Ford Mustang with his father.
Instructors Jose Avila and Rosendo Rodriguez said seeing students take on leadership roles while in school is an advantage in the industry.
“They are proving they can take on any position in an automotive shop and be successful,” Avila said.
The website onetonline.org projected that there would be 7,490 job openings annually in Texas for automotive service technicians and mechanics from 2022 to 2032.
In Automotive, TSTC offers an Associate of Applied Science degree and several certificates of completion at the Fort Bend County, Harlingen, Sweetwater and Waco campuses.
For more information, go to tstc.edu.