BY GRANT CRAWFORD
The action taken
What they’re saying
“For a long time, people in charge said you have to have a bachelor’s degree to be successful. Well that’s
Local leaders agree that, to grow the workforce, the industry needs to attract students to the technology field. Coke said it starts with changing the conversation around industrial work and overcoming a stigma associated with it. “Advanced manufacturing has changed,” she said. “It is a new way of manufacturing. It’s cool, it’s technology-driven, [and] it’s hands-on. It’s not the old way of manufac- turing you think of.” PfISD recently set a goal, known as the “Three E’s” initiative, to make sure each stu- dent graduates with a plan for employment, enlistment or enrollment in higher education. At a September discussion on workforce readiness among a panel of local leaders,
Education requirements for entry-level techni- cians vary based on job responsibilities, ranging from a high-school diploma or short-term post- secondary training to a Level 1 certificate or an associate degree—all paths that area institutions have created in recent years. ACC’s advanced manufacturing program, which earned a national certification in February, offers a six-week certificate in addition to associate degrees and a Bachelor of Appliance Technology. The college also received a $3.6 million grant from the state of Texas as part of a program to encour- age semiconductor research. In September, TSTC opened new space for its Advanced Manufacturing Technology-Industrial Maintenance program, while the school continues construction on a new 70,0000-square-foot facil- ity. The $47 million building will house programs for semiconductor manufacturing, industrial systems and precision machining technology. Public school districts are also pitching in. PfISD offers an advanced manufacturing program in partnership with ACC, and will open its new Career and Technical Education facility in 2027. Advanced manufacturing wages in metro According to Workforce Solutions Capital Area, these figures represent higher pay than the average across all occupations in the Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos metro area by $2 per hour, indicating that jobs in this sector offer better-than-average earning potential.
not true because what we need in Central Texas is skilled workers.” KELLY COKE, TEXAS STATE TECHNICAL COLLEGE PROVOST
PfISD Superintendent Quintin Shepherd said school systems have to rethink the educational routes students can take. “There are no lesser paths. … It’s about pursuit and making sure that our kids are on the right pathway and can pursue those jobs that include industry-based certifications, high skills [and] high wages,” he said.
Local programs
Looking ahead
Texas State Technical College Advanced Manufacturing Technology-Industrial Maintenance • Associate degree • Certificate level 2 • Certificate level 1 Austin Community College Automation, Robotics & Semiconductor Technology • Associate degree • Certificate level 1 Manufacturing Technology-Advanced Manufacturing
Strong workforce development helps companies fill jobs and gives students access to better-paying careers, but Jerry Jones, executive director of the Pflugerville Community Development Corporation, said it also benefits the community as a whole. “Citizens with good-paying jobs who have disposable income support our commercial development, which really helps generate sales tax,” Jones said. “It also relieves the burden off of citizens when there are more businesses that are paying ad valorem taxes and diversifying the tax base.”
• Associate degree • Certificate level 1 • Occupational Skills Award Manufacturing Engineering Technology • Bachelor’s degree
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