WESLACO, Texas - Not enough high school students in the Rio Grande Valley know about the workforce training programs South Texas College has to offer.
This is the view of Carlos Margo, STC’s dean of advanced training and apprenticeships.
“It’s unfortunate… we still have way too many high school students who have no idea the amount of workforce training, certifications and credentialing programs that South Texas College has to offer,” Margo told the RGG Business Journal.
Such courses do not offer a degree but there is no reason a student cannot pursue an associate’s or a bachelor’s further down the line, Margo said.
“In the short-term, these students have hundreds, probably thousands of different options to be able to get a certification, a short-term credential, and get to work right out of high school, within a very short time period. A lot of these training programs are less than six months, even three months,” Margo said.
And the entry-level pay rates are good, Margo explained. He listed some of the programs on offer.
“In terms of entry level wages, basically very good paying jobs with a simple certification, such as OSHA, a new certification that we have in plumbing through NCCER, an electrical assistant,” Margo said.
“Something that will get somebody in the door in the workplace, such as re-certified production technician, which they can do in 100 contact hours. That will get them a job in advanced manufacturing, warehousing, distribution, food and beverage processing, which are all over the Rio Grande Valley.”
Asked why not enough high school students know about the workforce training programs STC offers, Margo said:
“I think over the last 30 years, South Texas College has done a tremendous job in promoting… come to South Texas College and earn your degree, which is extremely affordable. And these are rigorous bachelor degree programs, associate degree programs.
“But in addition to that, we also have non-credit workforce training programs. I think it is going to take a collective effort to make sure students understand that STC is not necessarily a degree option only. There are also short term certifications that are plentiful, that are readily available, that can provide them with jobs that currently exist in the Rio Grande Valley, in South Texas, and across the state.”
With the expansion of industry all across the Valley, all of STC’s certification programs in the workforce training division will help students get jobs, Margo said. ‘these are not just part-time, band-aid, types of jobs. These are long term sustainable career paths,” he said.
In his interview with the Business Journal, Margo also spoke about the potential impact of AI. He said he agreed with U.S. Sen. John Cornyn that learning skills that offer a pathway into the trades is a better way to fight off the competition AI may provide.
“Anytime I speak to high school students or young graduates, I always tell them, think about higher education, but don't just learn something. Learn how to do something. Learn how to do something that requires a technical skill and (you are) going to be in high demand.
“For example, you mentioned AI, well, if you learn how to program computers and learn how to program robots, machinery, equipment, and are able to analyze data in integrated automated systems, that skill is going to be applicable in healthcare, advanced manufacturing, distribution, you can go on and on. Those are skills that the senator was talking about, because they are applicable outside of your desired place of employment.”
Here is a video recording of the RGG Business Journal's interview with Dr. Margo:
