HOUSTON – In the bustling economic landscape of Texas, Houston Community College (HCC) stands as a pivotal institution, equipping students with the skills needed to thrive in today’s dynamic job market.
With a diverse array of programs spanning from accounting to welding and a newly introduced bachelor’s degree in Artificial Intelligence and Robotics, HCC is redefining community college education.
KPRC 2′s Moriah Ballard spoke with Interim President at Houston Community College Southwest Dr. Michael Webster about how the college is supporting programs to prepare students for Texas’ growing workforce.
Q: So, I know we’re talking about jobs and the current state of the workforce. Kind of tell us a little bit about the programs that you have.
A: We offer a slate of programs (from) accounting all the way to welding. I keep saying I want to add zoology so I can say A to Z. We haven’t got there yet, but soon, and yes, we have anything you can think of. From IT to health care, you know, the business sector. We have a full slate of programming.
Q: OK, so how does HCC collaborate with local businesses to ensure your program meets industry needs?
A: All of our programs are specifically, they’re pushed by industry. So they inform our curriculum. They advise us on the equipment that we need. They tell us how many jobs that they have that they want us to produce students for. So we’re directly aligned with industry and in all facets.
Q: Which industries in Texas are experiencing the most significant growth? And where are these job openings?
A: So the biggest two I would say are technology and health care. Health care is booming. You know, we have the largest medical center in the world here. And the need for skilled workers in health care is huge. The second one is obviously technology because it’s driving everything we do in every sector. We can’t, we can’t get enough, folks coming in the doors to fill the jobs that businesses need. So across the state, those two are really driving what’s going on in in Texas.
Q: So we know there’s a shortage of skilled workers around Texas. What do you think is driving that shortage?
A: “Well, one, every sector is seeing job growth right now. So because of that growth, basically the worker is getting to choose the sector and in many cases the salary that goes with that sector, on their own. The other thing is that the rapid growth and jobs have left an awareness issue out there. So folks don’t know of the many jobs that exist. They think of the typical ones, you know, doctor, lawyer, firefighter, etc. They don’t they don’t get into the weeds a little bit and it’s incumbent upon both the college and then the employers to kind of get the word out about those, more specialized jobs.”
Q: And what is the employment rate for Houston Community College graduates in these fields?
A: Well, our employment rate, our placement rate sits at around 92 to 95% given each year. If students leave one of our workforce programs, they’re finding jobs, and generally they’re really good jobs. So, the placement rate is pretty high year after year.
Q: If somebody wanted to know, what would the salaries be for these graduates in these fields? What are like the starting salaries after they graduate?
A: “It depends on the program. But typically a graduate will leave making anywhere between 50 and 70,000. One of the programs that I like to talk most about is our drafting program. We have a drafting program that only lasts one semester. A couple of years ago, we looked at the results of the drafting program and students that were just five years out were making $113,000. Eight years out, $127,000. So that’s, I mean, for a one semester of coursework, that’s an awesome job.”
Q: Talk a little bit about this bachelor’s degree, I heard you guys have a new bachelor’s degree in AI. Tell us about that program.
A: We just launched it this fall. It’s the first community college in the nation to have a bachelor’s degree in AI in robotics. It is an applied skill, a bachelor’s degree. So students do a lot of hands-on projects. It’s a four-year degree. The students can get in and out of college. And with a strong degree. For $12,000, less than $12,000. So it’s a really strong opportunity for students in the. I mean, everything you see in the news right now is about AI and machine learning. So they’re going to get a job. And oh, by the way, we’ve got scholarship dollars attached to it. So they probably can get out of there without having spent any money. It’s a great program overall.
Q: How does Houston Community College support these graduates or provide, help to students to help them succeed in college?
A: Yeah, we’ve got a lot of different supports that are available to students. You know, obviously we have a career service to help them get out the door once they graduate. But before that, we’ve got a food pantry at every campus. And believe it or not, we just had a huge shipment from the food bank the other day, and, there were several students that were walking in as the pallets were coming in. So we know the needs there. We offer a full slate of advising and a full slate of counselors. They meet with the students every year, at least three times a year. And make sure that they’re on track. So there’s plenty of support. Then the faculty have a direct line to provide students support as well.
Q: Are your courses flexible? You know, the average person may be working two jobs, three jobs in some cases. Do many of your students work other jobs while taking classes?
A: All of our students are part-time students. In fact, most of our students are part-time students that are working a second job. And they definitely need a leg up in some way. So, they’re either trying to upskill from where they’re at or change their careers or just get through their college. We used to have a saying when I was at the workforce board, you know, ‘You get trained, you get a job, get more training, get a better job. And I think a lot of our students are on that path.’
Q: So those courses are flexible for the working person?
A: Definitely weekends, nights that we have all sorts of courses available at different times. And I didn’t mention online. So we have online courses. In fact, that’s the bulk of the courses that are available that students take that fill those classes up I mean almost instantly.