WESLACO, Texas – South Texas College held a ribbon-cutting ceremony on its Mid-Valley campus to celebrate the renovation and expansion of its Workforce Center.
The center, which houses the welding, automotive engineering and heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) programs, increased its space by 47 percent, including a newly constructed freestanding building. The renovation added over 40 new welding booths for the campus’ welding lab, as well as a brand new indoor lab and covered outdoor space for HVAC students. The new building, constructed next to the center, is equipped with three workstations and elevators so automotive students can work on vehicles.
The event was attended by local and state officials, including Texas State Senator Morgan LaMantia and Texas State Representative Armando “Mando” Martinez, as well as STC faculty and staff.
Sara Lozano, dean of business, public safety and technology at STC, thanked the college’s board of trustees, facilities team and those in attendance for making the expansion a reality. She explained that in 2021, after identifying programs that needed more investment, she and her team presented their plans to the board to expand the three career education programs on the Weslaco campus.
“We found that many of our students start our programs and don’t finish them here,” Lozano said. “They would actually transfer to the McAllen campus because that’s the main campus. And one of our key goals was to provide students with access to the same type of education – the excellence and service that we provide at the Technology Campus and our other main campuses – and do that here, so that this becomes a main campus for the Mid-Valley region.”
Lozano also thanked the teachers who, despite a lack of resources, provided high-quality instruction to all of their students. Where students once had to share a one-space garage and 25 welding booths, there are now three parking spaces, over 60 booths and much more space for all classes.
“I know you’ve all done it in the past,” Lozano said. “Every time we visited, the students were working. And they were sweating. Sometimes they were sharing welding booths or space with the automotive industry. So we did what we could, but I’m really grateful that we’re at this point where we can now do what our students deserve.”
Lozano says that as the region grows, so does the demand for skilled trades. With the expansion of the Workforce Center, she says, there are now even opportunities for students who want to pursue vocational training while still in high school.
“Dual credit schools – we sometimes hear from them that they want to partner with us but don’t necessarily have the facilities on their campus,” Lozano said. “So as we’ve expanded, we now have the opportunity to explore what it might look like if they want to come to our campus instead of us coming to their campus. So, yes, there are definitely greater opportunities for partnerships, and we’re looking forward to that.”
In his remarks, STC Board of Trustees Chairman Alejo Salinas Jr. reiterated the college’s commitment to investing in its students and the courses they take.
“I think there’s no doubt that South Texas College is committed to providing the best facilities and the best instruction for our students,” Salinas said. “It benefits all of us. It benefits our community in many ways. And we will always have a need for the people we train at South Texas College in the professional fields. That’s why this is a special day for us.”
Speaking for herself and her colleagues in Austin, LaMantia said the Rio Grande Valley delegation secured state funding for workforce development. She thanked Martinez and others for their cooperation in supporting institutions like STC that train students for the in-demand jobs of the future.
“The state’s efforts underscore the importance of preparing for future industry demands,” LaMantia said. “And the RGV continues to demonstrate that we have what it takes to answer the call. And we’ve seen it time and time again, and that’s why we continue to grow. Our students deserve access to the best resources as they prepare for successful careers in some of the most competitive and fastest-growing industries in the country.”
LaMantia said the return on her investments is already visible in various sectors. To support her statement, she shared an anecdote about one of the country’s most groundbreaking companies – SpaceX.
“I was talking to some administrators at SpaceX the other day and they said that of all their facilities – they have other facilities in Texas, they have manufacturing facilities in Florida and California – they have the best welders here in South Texas,” LaMantia said. “And that’s because of what our education system does. That’s because of what our community colleges, our technical schools and our high schools do. We have the best welders in the country and that’s because of the efforts of each and every one of you.”
LaMantia added, “The work that’s being done in South Texas is having a huge impact across the country because people are realizing that South Texas is the place to be and these are the people you want to hire for your company because we have the skills, the training and the passion to get things done.”
Registration for STC is currently open for the fall semester, which begins August 26.
