(HARLINGEN, Texas) – As manufacturing becomes increasingly automated across the Rio Grande Valley, Texas State Technical College will launch its Advanced Manufacturing program this fall at the Harlingen campus.
Students will learn the fundamentals and troubleshooting skills needed to succeed in a modern industrial environment, according to Jose Vasquez, the program’s team lead in Harlingen. Vasquez, discussed how the program will prepare students for manufacturing careers.
How is the program evolving to prepare students for modern manufacturing careers?
Robotics and industrial maintenance are evolving by directly aligning performance-based education with the automated, high-tech changes taking place in the region. Our program is modernizing lab equipment to include advanced driver assistance automation, smart-factory sensors, programmable logic controllers (PLC) and robotics maintenance systems.
Students will transition seamlessly from foundational maintenance skills to higher-level systems diagnostics, preparing them for high-demand wages.
Why is it important for students to build foundational and troubleshooting skills?
Mastering physical trade fundamentals such as hydraulics, pneumatics and motor controls, along with high-tech automation skills such as PLC programming and robotics, ensures students can troubleshoot the entire smart-factory ecosystem.
This combination makes students adaptable and highly marketable. It prepares them to understand how the physical components of industrial equipment interact with the digital systems that control them.
How do the program’s degree options give students flexibility in choosing a path that aligns with their career goals?
We are evolving both of our Automation and Robotics and Industrial Maintenance programs in Harlingen to keep pace with how fast manufacturing is changing in the region. Cars, aerospace components and factory floors are essentially becoming connected automated systems.
The certificate and associate degree options allow students to choose an educational pathway that matches their goals, whether they want to quickly develop targeted skills for the workforce or build toward a broader technical education.
How will students help meet the workforce needs of industry partners?
Students will begin meeting industry partner workforce needs on the job with hands-on experience in high-demand, specialized technical disciplines, including PLC programming, robotics maintenance, automated systems diagnostics and smart-factory instrumentation.
By embedding stackable industry credentials into the degree pathways, TSTC prepares students to fill immediate skill gaps in high-level technical roles while addressing the regional need for cross-trained maintenance and automated technicians.
For more information about TSTC, visit TSTC.edu.