Education
BY JARRETT WHITENER
Texas State Technical College expands programs in Comal, Guadalupe counties
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In 2023 the New Braunfels campus began classes, oering vocational certications and programs. The program that the campus began with was part of the Texas Federation for Advanced Manufac- turing Education initiative, which allows students to attend classes while working for a local employer. “Once we got our campus designation and we got our accreditation taken care of for this site, we were able to expand our oerings,” Anderson said. Beginning in 2024, the campus was able to oer certications in Industrial Systems Mechanic-Elec- trical and in Structural Welding, according to the campus website. “There are a lot of companies in this area that we are able to partner with, and I think that is going to expand really quickly as we continue to grow in this area,” Anderson said. Diering from community colleges, TSTC receives state funding after students have been hired by a company, making student employability the primary goal.
In the future, the plan is to expand aspects of the current New Braunfels campus while making room for the construction of the full campus in Comal or Guadalupe County. Anderson said the primary goal of the campus is to work with local businesses, such as Caterpillar and other industries, to get students into the workforce. “We would certainly be interested in having something in the interim that gives us more space to use to expand the programs we have,” Anderson said. “There is nothing solid yet, but we are open to those discussions.” Anderson said applications open around early October, and students attend the college over a three-semester period with breaks in between each semester. Applicants must have a high school diploma or GED equivalent by the start of the school year being applied for.
"We are designed to respond to industry. Our mission is to put more Texans in great
Texas State Technical College is working to expand its footprint around Comal County and Guadalupe County. Mike Anderson, provost of the New Braunfels campus, said the current campus in New Braunfels focuses on adjusting to demands within the job market. While the New Braunfels campus has been open for a year, the goal is to create a full campus which would oer additional programs regionally. In 2023 House Bill 4997 was approved, which added Comal and Guadalupe counties to Texas State Technical College’s territory. This bill was supported by the Economic Development Corporations of New Braunfels and Seguin, and spearheaded by state Rep. John Kuempel.
Prior to the passing of legislation, the college system oered services to the New Braunfels area as an expansion of the Hutto campus. Following the approval of the bill, the New Braunfels campus opened with limited programs oered. Anderson said there have been discussions to build a full campus featuring a larger selection of programs in Comal and Guadalupe County areas. “There have been two plots of land that have been in the news as potential spaces,” Anderson said. “At this point, that is ultimately a chancellor decision.” While there is no denitive timeline on the construction of a full campus, Anderson said he is condent that any expansions or new construction would be designed to meet the needs of the area.
paying jobs." MIKE ANDERSON, PROVOST OF TSTC NEW BRAUNFELS
As of the 2024 school year, 80 students attend the New Braunfels campus, which puts classes at capacity. For those interested in learning more about college programs and applications, information can be found on the TSTC website.
TSTC New Braunfels oers certi cation in welding as one of the new programs oered in 2024.
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