With a regional and national shortage of qualified electricians, Texas Southmost College is introducing a brand-new program in the new year – Electrical Workforce Training with full scholarships available for those who enroll.
TSC’s Electrical program will see its first cohort in Spring 2021, with a class set to begin at the end of January. A high school diploma or General Education Diploma are not required to enroll, and classes are taught in English and Spanish.
Director of Workforce Training and Continuing Education for Construction and Manufacturing Thomas Tynan said this is a necessary trade and the need for the training this program provides is increasing exponentially.
“Everyone needs an electrician,” he said. “This is going to allow us to fill a skills gap, put hard working people to work and hopefully keep them local.”
The Electrical program is 14 weeks or 160 hours of hands-on training.
Students in this program will train in a new state-of-the-art lab equipped with industry-standard tools that will focus on preparing students in electrical power installation, maintenance and repair, lighting and control systems.
Those enrolled will also have the opportunity of registering as an apprentice electrician in Texas and receiving an Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) 10 certification.
“We’re already seeing a high interest in this program from industry leaders who are interested in our future graduates,” said Tynan. “All of our curriculum is based on the National Center for Construction Education and Research (NCCER). This gives the graduates from this program a huge advantage, and the with the grants we’ve received to award full scholarships, there has never been a better time to enroll than now.”
NCCER curriculum helps trainees develop an in-depth understanding of electrical systems in structures, follow blueprints and install wiring and other electrical components such as circuit breaker panels and switches.
Being NCCER trained means that a person is highly trained, knowledgeable and qualified to work in the electrical field.
Graduates from this program can work as apprentice electricians under a licensed electrician in industries such as manufacturing, construction, schools and hospitals.
According the U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics, apprentice electricians can earn on average $14 an hour or more than $30,000 a year.
“This is a long-term career that if dedicated to it, a person can make a substantial amount of money and find life-long success,” said Tynan. “It doesn’t come easy and it doesn’t come quick, but hard work can lead to promotions as journeymen and ultimately licensed electricians.”
Registration for TSC’s Electrical program begins January 4.
For more information or to register, visit tsc.edu, email [email protected] or call 956-295-3724.