The Construction Superintendent Apprenticeship program at South Texas College gives students the opportunity to earn while they learn. 

Maribel and Carolina Saenz – two sisters who operate their own utility contracting business – received a certificate of completion from STC’s apprenticeship program. The program is tailored to students already working in an industry. For the Saenz sisters, the STC certifications will help take their Saenz Utility Contractors of Edcouch-Elsa to a new level of growth.

“We jumped at the chance to take this program as soon as it was available to us,” Maribel Saenz said. “The apprenticeship program at STC became a system of checks and balances for us that allowed us to see what we are doing right and where we can improve while giving us an even greater professional edge.”

The college has established the program to be what its administrators call a “hybrid-style” course, combining hands-on training and classwork. Students can earn their certificates in four to six months with 2,000 hours of on-the-job training. Once completed, candidates then receive a Certificate of Apprenticeship from the U.S. Department of Labor.

Carolina Saenz says completion of the apprenticeship program gives her family-owned business a big boost in moving the enterprise forward.

“As women in the construction industry, our priority has always been to get more education on how to run the business more efficiently,’’ she said.

Covers Key Aspects

By design, the STC apprenticeship program covers essential aspects of the construction industry. 

Those skills include blueprint reading, construction management and leadership. It focuses on professionals in construction-related careers who are involved in public sector projects such as federal initiatives, schools and industrial endeavors. 

One of those students from the public sector was Aracely Rocha, a commercial plan examiner with the City of Edinburg. She enrolled in the apprenticeship program to grow as a person and in her professional field.

“Being in this will allow me to get more knowledge and to get a feel for what the field in the private sector is going through,” Rocha said. “Construction is a big field and it’s an evolving field. You can’t be afraid to try something new or continue your growth in the knowledge you already possess.’’

The college and its Center for Advanced Training and Apprenticeships formed a partnership with the Rio Grande Valley Chapter of Associated General Contractors of America in creating the apprenticeship program. Through contacts provided by the general contractors association, students get a first-hand look at key issues in the construction industry. 

“The main support for the program is coming from the industry itself,” said Carlos Margo, who is the dean of STC’s dean for the advanced training center. “That’s what makes this strong. It’s because this is something that has been developed and is need-based and not developed in a vacuum.”

‘Fill In The Gaps’

The Saenz sisters own and operate a company of 25 employees, with Maribel saying “we’re small but mighty.”

Carolina said going through the STC program gave her a new perspective on running the family business.

“I learned things that Maribel does like project estimating along with the management and supervision of personnel,” she said. “She learned more of what I do, which includes things like project take-off and scheduling. This helped us come together so that we could help our business fill in the gaps and see what direction we need to grow.”

STC President Ricardo Solis said the apprenticeship is working as it was designed to do. STC is working in collaboration with industries and listening to their workforce needs.

“Finding mentors and getting a credential that you can take with you, all those elements together are a foundation for success,’’ Solis said. “We’re putting this at the forefront and we’re pushing the envelope. We’re solving this issue through the workforce.”