(HARLINGEN, Texas) – Texas State Technical College student Keion Orr’s childhood dream was to be an architect.
As Orr grew older, he found the hands-on aspect of building construction more to his liking. He got a job working for a friend at his stucco and home repair business in Florida.
“I worked as a general laborer for three months,” Orr said. “I put shingles on people’s homes and did window repair. My grandfather and uncle also worked in construction. I felt their career paths fueled a creative spark in me.”
Orr’s life took a turn when his mother moved from Florida to take a job at a Harlingen law firm.
“One of her co-workers told her about TSTC,” he said. “That person said the college offered a Building Construction Technology program. I was excited. I moved (from Florida) and enrolled at TSTC’s Harlingen campus last year.”
Orr, who is studying for an associate degree, said the program’s sense of camaraderie makes him feel at home.
“I’ve enjoyed learning about new topics in building construction,” he said. “The icing on the cake is when I was hired for a work-study job during my second semester in the same program. I have driven a forklift and other heavy equipment.”
Hector Rosa, TSTC’s Building Construction Technology program team lead in Harlingen, said Orr’s technical training is equipping him for success.
“The certifications Keion has received, such as OSHA 30, NCCER Core, general carpentry, site layout and project management, will give him a competitive edge for jobs in the workforce,” Rosa said.
Recently Orr recalled having a deja vu moment during a recent lab assignment.
“My classmates and I were putting a wall on a shed,” he said. “Now I’m preparing for a career that’s similar to my childhood dream.”
First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers in Texas earn an average annual salary of $67,650, according to onetonline.org, which projected the number of these positions to grow by 23% in the state through 2030.
Currently Building Construction Technology is available in Harlingen and Waco. The program will also be taught in Marshall, New Braunfels and Sweetwater this fall.
To learn more about TSTC, go to tstc.edu.
