CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — The key to building a better future often begins with developing or sharpening the skills that can help you to get there.
That’s the idea behind the new Construction Skills Training Program at Del Mar College.
According to Arnold Mendez, a Continuing Education Project Manager at Del Mar College, the need for a well-trained skilled labor force continues to grow across the state – particularly in the construction industry.
“Compared to the rest of the country,” Mendez says, “south Texas is booming, and even with the COVID considerations, construction is one of the essential jobs, and so the construction field is really hurting for capable workers.”
The Construction Skills Training program is a follow-up to the popular ‘Rebuild Texas’ training program that taught carpentry skills to so many in our community in the days after Hurricane Harvey.
In addition to woodworking, this program teaches plumbing, drywall and house wiring in as little as 4 weeks.
Mendez says the results of the program are proven -- changing lives for the better. “We had one young lady who was a waitress, and waitresses are very important, but not everybody wants to be a waitress their whole life. And so, this young lady took our ‘Rebuild Texas’ course, which these courses we are introducing now are modeled on, and she took this course and I think now she's working in Houston as a Project Manager, and she's making six figures.”
Nearly anyone can sign-up and for those who want it, Del Mar even offers help with finding a job after the course is completed. Says Mendez, “There are no requirements to be in the course. You don't even have to have a High School education or a GED. Basically, I think it's 18 years or older, and be willing to learn.”
At just a few hundred dollars, Mendez believes that the price is worth getting a skill that can help keep you employed for the rest of your life. “I am figuring that we're probably undercharging by about 60% or 70%,” he says. “But we're doing that because we want to get the students engaged, we want to start the program, and we want to get as many people into the construction area as we can.”
To learn more, visit the Del Mar College Continuing Education website.
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