Enrollment at Texas State Technical College West Texas has increased significantly this fall. As of September 17, 2013, there are 1,282 students enrolled at TSTC West Texas. On this same date last year, the college had 1,041 students enrolled.

“Business, industry and the community rely on TSTC to meet the demand of a skilled technical workforce,” said TSTC West Texas President Gail Lawrence. “We, at TSTC West Texas, have worked diligently to provide programs that meet the specific needs of the Big Country,” added Lawrence.

At the Sweetwater campus, two new programs launched this fall aimed at providing qualified skilled workers for the oil and gas industry. The Downhole Tool and Pipe Welding programs were developed with input from local oil and gas representatives. Both are fast-track programs, one and two semesters respectively.

Additionally, the Welding Program (located at the Breckenridge and Brownwood campuses) and Diesel Technology (located in Sweetwater) have seen significant growth since the start of classes in 2012. Both programs have a wait list for the spring 2013 semester. At the Abilene campus Computer Aided-Drafting and Emergency Medical Services have an increased number of students compared to fall 2012. And the Brownwood campus added a cohort of Associate Degree Nursing students this fall.