MCALLEN, Texas – South Texas College is at the epicenter of today’s changing economy, with businesses coming back from China due to supply chain disruptions and relocating to Mexico.
This is the view of Ricardo J. Solis. The STC president spoke about the “very unique circumstances” occurring right now and how his college can capitalize on this “romance of opportunity.”
Solis spoke at STC’s Fall 2022 College-Wide Professional & Organizational Development Day. The event was held at the McAllen Convention Center with hundreds of STC faculty, staff and workers in attendance.
After Julian Alvarez, the labor representative on the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC), had praised STC, saying it was receiving positive national attention, Solis suggested local media outlets were not picking up on the great things happening at his college.
“Of course, South Texas College really has a lot to offer. A lot of things that he (Alvarez) mentioned today that many of us don’t know about,” Solis said.
“Sometimes the media doesn’t pick it up locally. However, throughout the state it is evident that South Texas College today is at the epicenter of this whole economy.”
Solis explained: “We are now at this new era and capitalizing on the romance of opportunity. Opportunity that we saw many, many years ago, that took place several centuries ago when the first settlers came here. They actually did not come in through through New York or the East Coast. They came in through South Texas, the first settlers back in 1600.”
Just as South Texas played a key part in the founding of America, it is now playing a key role in the new economy, Solis argued.
“We’re seeing now this whole Renaissance taking place with the economy; very unique circumstances that are taking place. Just think about it. We’re seeing these changes now, of course with the economy, with China, Mexico. We’re right in the middle of this whole triangle of opportunity,” Solis said.
“That’s why it’s so exciting. That’s why there’s so much right now, so much vision, so much interest, say, in the Valley, because we have the demographics. We have the people, and most importantly, we have what we have here today. We have you, South Texas College. And I’m so excited to be part of that.”
At the same time STC’s professional and organizational development day was taking place, TWC was hosting an apprenticeship conference in the ballroom next door. STC was praised numerous times for its apprenticeship programs at the TWC event. President Solis was part of the TWC event.
“We were talking about apprenticeships in specific industries, in construction and health. (But), please keep in mind that our core value still and always will lie with instruction with academics. That is what we will continue doing,” Solis said.
“What we’re doing today is taking an opportunity where there’s a huge demand, a big gap with the greatest resignation taking place, with the lowest unemployment, with the big demand of industry as we’ve seen, especially with the supply chain management, all the issues that have taken place.”
Solis said there are no better institutions than the community colleges to help Texas meet the new challenges in industry. And, he said, STC is in growth mode.
“That’s why I’m going on the record here. Our critical point always will be imparting, providing knowledge,” Solis said. “We’re going to continue working diligently, providing more, not only certificates as we’re doing now but (there are) going to be more degrees. And, of course, we’re going to get started growing even Bachelor’s degrees. We’re going to grow even more. That is what I promise we’re going to be doing today.”
Solis added that the days when STC considered its main campus to be in McAllen are over.
“There is no such thing as a main campus. We are a system, a system delivery of education. We are South Texas College, the best system enterprise of delivery not only to industry, but especially to the students and the citizens of the Rio Grande Valley.”
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