(HARLINGEN, Texas) – It is not every day that a company invests directly in an employee’s college education. But that is exactly what TIA Aeronautics did for Rigoberto Almaraz, an engineer at the company who scans and inspects aviation parts.
The Harlingen-based aviation maintenance company needed a skilled machinist to manufacture parts for its airplanes. A decision was made to have one of its own employees, Almaraz, enroll in the Precision Machining program at Texas State Technical College’s Harlingen campus and help meet the company’s growing demand for parts.
Almaraz, who is pursuing an associate degree in the program, said he appreciated that the company was willing to invest in his technical education.
“I explained to my boss (Steven Ritter) that with our company planning to purchase more computer numerical control equipment, it would be beneficial to have an experienced machinist operate them,” the Brownsville native said. “I offered to take on that role.”
Ritter, vice president of business development for TIA Aeronautics, said Almaraz has completed many challenging projects during his three months with the company.
“By sending Rigo to develop his CNC machining skills at TSTC, our company will be better positioned to continue its growth into innovative industries beyond aviation,” Ritter said.
Almaraz said he is enjoying the camaraderie with his TSTC classmates during his first semester of the Precision Machining program.
“My classmates and I work on our modules and learn together,” he said. “We enjoy that interaction because each of us wants to succeed.”
Daisy Novenario, a Precision Machining instructor at TSTC, said Almaraz is enthusiastic about learning new skills.
“Once Rigoberto learns how to program on a Mastercam and operate a five-axis CNC machine, he will be able to save his employer money,” she said.
TSTC offers an Associate of Applied Science degree and a certificate of completion in Precision Machining, as well as a certificate of completion in CNC Machine Operator, at its Fort Bend County, Harlingen, Marshall, North Texas, Waco and Williamson County campuses.
For more information about TSTC, go to tstc.edu.