(MARSHALL, Texas) – After Bryan Bagley earned his bachelor’s degree in animal science from a four-year university but then found it hard to find a job in that field, he had to make a decision.
“I had always heard that Texas State Technical College was really good about helping people find a job once they graduated,” he said.
So Bagley, of Carthage, enrolled in the Electrical Lineworker and Management Technology program at TSTC’s Marshall campus.
“I love it more than anything I’ve ever done,” he said.
Bagley embraces the competitive atmosphere among his classmates, seeing it as an added challenge that fuels his personal goals. He has set new record times for several lineworker practice exercises at the Marshall campus, such as crossarm installation.
“The most rewarding part is putting in all of the hard work, staying the extra hours, coming in after class and seeing all of those certificates on the board,” Bagley said. “It’s a great feeling.”
Mark Bayliss, an Electrical Lineworker and Management Technology instructor at TSTC’s Marshall campus, was complimentary of Bagley.
“Bryan is always first, never last, in everything that we do,” Bayliss said. “He has leadership qualities and a great work ethic. He’s very coachable and highly intelligent.”
Bagley plans to receive his certificate of completion in December. For now, he is enjoying his time at TSTC.
“I’ve always said that I wanted to work my way up as fast as possible,” he said. “But if the actual work in real life is anything like what we do here, I want to enjoy it, take my time, and hopefully in the next 10 to 12 years I can work my way up to some sort of engineer.”
According to onetonline.org, electrical powerline installers and repairers earn a median salary of $77,560 in Texas, where the number of these jobs was projected to grow 14% between 2022 and 2032.
Electrical Lineworker and Management is available at TSTC’s Abilene, Fort Bend County, Harlingen, Marshall and Waco campuses. The program offers an Associate of Applied Science degree and a certificate of completion.
Registration for TSTC’s fall semester is underway. For more information, go to tstc.edu.