(RED OAK, Texas) – Of the 48 Electrical Power and Controls program graduates at Texas State Technical College’s North Texas campus from summer 2017 to summer 2024, only one was a woman.
Maggie Ramirez, the program’s newest instructor at the North Texas campus, hopes to change that statistic in the future.
“What excites me most about teaching in the electrical power and controls field is witnessing the incredible opportunities that await our TSTC students,” she said. “Introducing them to the fundamentals of electrical theory can initially feel like unraveling a mystery, but guiding them through that journey is deeply rewarding.”
Ramirez joined TSTC’s Electrical Power and Controls faculty earlier this year. She has experience as a construction electrician in the U.S. Naval Construction Battalions, also known as the Navy Seabees. She has also worked as a member of the Electrical Training Alliance (formerly the National Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee) and as a signal controls and traction electrification engineer for Dallas Area Rapid Transit.
“Not only can I effectively teach both the theoretical concepts and hands-on practical skills, but I also serve as a living example of the rapid growth, multifaceted nature and diverse opportunities available in the electrical field within the Metroplex,” Ramirez said.
According to Data USA, an online clearinghouse for government data, as of 2022 only 9.6% of women nationwide worked as electrical and electronic technologists and technicians.
“The trades power our country,” Ramirez said. “Nothing else can be achieved without tradesmen and women creating and maintaining a robust infrastructure.”
The Electrical Power and Controls program at the North Texas campus has more women taking classes now than it has ever had, according to program faculty members. Eight women take day and evening classes, with two of the women being related to each other.
Alexia Baca and her daughter, Victoria Baca, both of North Richland Hills, are in their fifth semesters in the program and scheduled to graduate in April. Both are working toward Associate of Applied Science degrees.
“This is a very lucrative field,” Alexia Baca said. “She (Victoria Baca) was curious, and I pushed her in this direction.”
The Bacas said they came into the program knowing very little about electricity. During their time at TSTC, the two have learned about AC and DC circuits, electrical theory, power distribution, programmable logic controllers, and other topics.
“There are so many jobs in the field,” Victoria Baca said. “There is something for everybody. I don’t think anyone should be intimidated.”
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, there will be a need for more than 102,000 electrical and electronic engineering technologists and technicians nationwide in 2033.
For more information on TSTC, go to tstc.edu.
