HARLINGEN — Anyone interested in a degree in Electrical Lineworker Technology at Texas State Technical College has the opportunity to streamline their enrollment in the program — and earn $2,000 in the process.
The only catch is they need to enroll during a special, ongoing event each Wednesday this summer from 3 to 5 p.m. on campus in Harlingen. The recruitment event, which continues until August, includes an informational session with enrollment coach Charyck Mascorro, a tour of the program facilities, and the goal of walking away enrolled and ready to begin training.
“A lot of our students are really excited,” Mascorro said. “Once we let them know we do have a $2,000 scholarship that we are awarding our students, they get really excited, and that just motivates them to want to register right away.”
The recruitment event serves as a one-stop shop for students interested in the lineworker program. This program is in high demand at TSTC’s other campuses throughout Texas, often including waitlists for interested students. While there are still slots available in Harlingen, Mascorro says he is unsure how long they will last.
“The students that are graduating right now, they really enjoy it,” he said. “They form a really strong brotherhood with their other electrical linemen classmates, and it’s just a great program. The students come out loving this program and the instructors.”
Lineworkers often go wherever they are needed, getting the power back on in areas hit by disasters like hurricanes.
“There’s a big chance for them to travel,” Mascorro said. “If that’s what they like, this job gives them the opportunity to do that. It’s an opportunity that has a lot of potential for them to move up and grow.”
This program is also a part of TSTC’s money-back guarantee initiative. If a lineworker student does not find a job within six months of graduating, TSTC will refund their tuition money.
That serves as a testament to how confident the college is in students quickly finding quality careers after their studies are complete.
“The program does lead to really good, high-paying jobs for students,” Mascorro said.
In Texas, electrical power-line installers and repairers can expect to make a median annual salary of $55,880, according to data from the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration available at onetonline.org.
Mascorro urges interested students to stop by. He also offers a virtual advisement session for students from 9 to 10 a.m. every Monday.
“If they want to get registered right away, this is going to be the event to attend,” he said. “It’s convenient. I have everything ready here so we can try to get them in as soon as possible.”
For more information on the electrical lineworker technology program, visit www.tstc.edu/programs/electricallineworkertechnology/.
Registration for the fall semester is underway. For more information, visit tstc.edu.
