More than one-third of all South Texas College graduates who will walk across the stage for commencement are already employed or have jobs waiting for them once the celebrating is over, according to STC leadership.
Announcing the latest graduation numbers at the college’s first-ever Workforce Summit on May 5, STC President Ricardo J. Solis said the graduate figures are proof that the college’s role is increasing. He also says the institution continues to respond through innovative ways and different models in education.
“More than one-third of the 3,000 graduates who will walk across the stage for commencement are in the workforce,” Solis told attendees at the Summit. “This is what we are so proud to say. This means they already have jobs. They have already been hired. No higher education institution can say that outside of community colleges.”
STC also announced that it will graduate over 463 combined LVN and RN nurses. This is more than any community college in the state of Texas.
Engaging For A Stronger Workforce
The inaugural Workforce Summit was dedicated to providing the most up-to-date information regarding the college’s innovative workforce programs.
STC’s Workforce Summit was the college’s initial effort to develop an innovative and energizing way to not only to talk about workforce needs in the region, but to also engage employers and identify their needs.
“Workforce development is an issue that is very near and dear to my heart, and it’s part of what I do each and every day,” said STC Trustee Benavidez, who serves as president of the Starr County Industrial Foundation. “We are not just an institution that talks about the problems but works to find solutions to those problems and this summit is a great start for us to begin finding the answers that we need in order to ensure that not just one-third but 100 percent of our students are graduating with credentials that will allow them to work and earn a meaningful wage and more importantly, allowing them to transform the community. Today this is all about how we can work together to solve the issues that are affecting us.”
“One of the great things that South Texas College does is look at ways of making those skill trades more attractive to young adults,” said TWC Commissioner Julian Alvarez. “By listening to employers, which is what you all do, it has certainly accommodated the needs of our workforce. What we are experiencing is this shift in the mindset that to be successful in this great state of ours you don’t necessarily have to have a four-year degree. Many employers are looking at what is really needed, and what skills are needed for these occupations.”