Texas frontier business
By Amanda Sotelo
The Department of Advanced Manufacturing Technology at Texas Southern College was recently selected to receive a workforce development grant from GE Aerospace and the GE Aerospace Foundation to build a larger skilled manufacturing workforce.
The donation, in the amount of $165,000, will provide scholarship opportunities to 25 deserving students to cover tuition, books and other expenses.
Erika Guerra, STC’s advanced manufacturing technology instructor, said this donation will provide the financial support some students need to complete their education.
“The Department of Advanced Manufacturing Technology is excited to announce that our students have been selected by the GE Foundation to receive scholarship support,” said Guerra. “These scholarships will enable qualified students to graduate without the burden of tuition, allowing them to pursue careers in the manufacturing fields they are passionate about.”
STC’s Department of Advanced Manufacturing Technology offers professional skills awards, certificates, and degree career paths in precision manufacturing technology, mechatronics, robotics, and manufacturing engineering. Programs can be completed in one to five semesters.
The department is also the first in the state to earn an accreditation from the National Institute for Metalworking Skills (NIMS), which is the only American National Standards Institute (ANSI) accredited developer of precision manufacturing skills standards and ratings. of competencies.
In a press release from GE Aerospace and the GE Aerospace Foundation, GE has donated $2.3 million to a variety of organizations such as STC. These donations come as a new Morning Consult and GE Aerospace Survey of 1,000 US workers across all manufacturing industries finds that skills development is needed for new workers and is seen as a key to worker success and retention.
“Providing training opportunities and reducing barriers for workers to acquire skills are key to the future of the aerospace industry,” said Christian Meisner, GE Aerospace’s chief human resources officer and chairman of the GE Aerospace Foundation. “But we cannot do this urgent work alone. It will take partners like the ones GE Aerospace and the GE Foundation are rewarding, and we look forward to expanding this work to support workers and the broader industry at this critical time.”
Donations from GE Aerospace and the GE Aerospace Foundation will help partners like STC lower costs for individuals seeking manufacturing skills through scholarships, create new programs and expand existing ones.
“The support our students will receive from GE Foundation Scholarships is truly transformational,” Guerra said. “Eligible students will have the opportunity to enroll in our Advanced Manufacturing Technology Programs without the burden of tuition costs, and they will also receive transportation assistance to help them attend.”
For more information on STC’s advanced manufacturing technology courses and scholarship opportunities, visit https://www.southtexascollege.edu/ or call 956-872-6258.