This has been a banner year for the Waco-based Texas State Technical College system.
In February, TSTC opened its $17 million WorkSITE job training center in Waco’s main industrial park, with funding assistance from McLennan County and the city of Waco.
In November, Texans approved a constitutional amendment creating an $850 million endowment for capital needs in the 11-campus system. Now construction is wrapping up on a $72 million Construction Technologies Center on the Waco campus, a gleaming contrast to some of the surrounding 1950s buildings that date back to the site’s previous life as James Connally Air Force Base.
As the provost of Waco’s TSTC campus, Beth Wooten is in the thick of that growth. She has been a TSTC administrator for 14 years and now is in charge of the academic program at the flagship campus.
Wooten sat down to talk about change and challenges with Waco Bridge Editor-in-Chief J.B. Smith and radio reporter Molly-Jo Tilton on “Friday Forum with The Waco Bridge” on KWBU-FM 103.3. What follows is a lightly edited transcript of that conversation. You can hear that episode and others online. The local news show airs 11 a.m. and 8 p.m. on Fridays and features interviews with local newsmakers.
J.B. Smith: Talk to us about the moment that TSTC is in right now.
Beth Wooten: I’ve told folks recently that I believe the trades are now. It is our time, and so it’s a really, really exciting time for TSTC, not just in Waco, but at all of our campuses across the state.
JBS: Congratulations on the overwhelming support that Proposition 1 received. That’s the $850 million for capital improvements that voters approved. What are some of those needs here and how much money can we expect from that, especially locally?
BW: We’ve never had this opportunity in our 60 years to be able to plan with confidence for capital expansion and deferred maintenance projects. SWe will not receive our first distribution until spring of 2027, so we are currently in the planning phases. We have 11 campuses across the state and that endowment will go to support all 11 campuses. … The endowment portion along with our traditional (state) funds that we will also receive will be $45 (million) to $50 million, is what we’re thinking on an annual basis.
JBS: What are some of those needs that are really high priority?
BW: As you mentioned, (the Waco campus) is an old Air Force base, so we have a lot of deferred maintenance needs. What we’re looking to do is first address some of those longtime deferred maintenance needs, and then consider where we can add capacity with new buildings that will align well with the sectors that are in demand here locally.
JBS: We should say that you’re just finishing a very important building right now.
BW: If you’ve driven past campus lately, you’ve seen right on I-35 our brand-new Construction Technologies Center. We’re finishing up construction as we speak and actually moving the programs into the building now. That is going to be home to five of our existing programs that are just bursting at the seams: building construction technology, electrical construction, solar, HVAC and plumbing. That will open its doors in the spring. And actually, we just set our ribbon-cutting date for March 12.
JBS: In the past you’ve had to go to the Legislature anytime you want to do something like that.
BW: That’s correct, so it has always been difficult for us to build at capacity, to scale, because we are bound by what the Legislature’s appetite for that is. … The funds for the building we’re building right now we received two Legislative sessions ago.
Molly-Jo Tilton: What are some of those sectors that you’re seeing the higher demand for?
BW: Definitely advanced manufacturing. That’s where we’ve seen a lot of economic development in our region as of late. The transportation sector is an up-and-coming one, too, for us, whether that is air pilot training, aviation maintenance, or diesel equipment technology.
MJT: You get your funds based on employee outcomes, meaning your funding is based on whether or not your students are hired after graduation. How successful has that been across the board and for the Waco campus?
BW: It’s been extremely successful. I think it’s been about 13 to 14 years that we have been in that outcomes-based funding model, and we were the first institution of higher learning in the country to move to that model. We do not receive state appropriations unless our graduates are found working. What that has enabled us to do is to laser focus our programs to align with what’s in demand in the market.
JB: I’ve heard local officials brag that we have TSTC and we can do all kinds of job training. How important is TSTC in meeting the needs of businesses that might want to move here?
BW: We often like to say that we are an economic development organization disguised as a higher education institution, and we take our job in economic development and workforce training very seriously. That is who we are, that is all we do. And so I partner very closely with our Waco chamber and the economic development efforts through the city, the county and the chamber and walk right alongside them.
Oftentimes, when new industry partners are looking to expand in new locations, one of the first things they ask is what about the workforce? So, I think that tstc serves a very critical role in our region’s ability to make sure we continue to have economic development opportunities.
JBS: Last year you opened the $17 million WorkSITE. What you’re doing out there is not just giving people general skills, but really specific skills. For example, for Graphic Packaging, which is actually a high-tech paper recycling company, they’re getting some specific training, right?
BW: That’s correct. The WorkSITE is the first of its kind for TSTC. We do not have another opportunity or a facility like that in the state where where we operate. The city and the county believe so much in what we do … and that’s why they came to us a few years ago and said, hey, if we build it, will y’all serve as the training provider? We opened the doors in February, and I can’t believe it’s already almost a year. Graphic Packaging has been one of those really unique success stories that I love to share, because Graphic Packaging began working with TSTC before they even broke ground. They came and asked, can you walk alongside us and help us get our workforce ready? So we helped them in sourcing and assessing prospective employees, and then we developed a two-week customized training program where all of their new hires go through.
JBS: Not many communities can offer a company that kind of service.
BW: It’s been a great partnership.
MJT: A big story we’ve been talking about this month is a data center boom that’s coming to McLennan County. What do you see as the future of jobs for that site and how can TSTC prepare people for those opportunities?
BW: The interesting thing about the data center conversation and the quote-unquote “boom” that may or may not be happening in the state is that we already offer the programs and teach trained technicians to work at data centers. First, they need someone to build the facility. So, building construction, electrical construction, of course HVAC technicians are really important in those data centers, and anything from industrial maintenance to robotics and industrial controls. For us, we really don’t need to ramp up new programming. Rather, it is taking bits and pieces of those different programs that support the data center from start to finish and being able to make sure that those folks are aware that we can support them in training a skilled workforce.
JBS: The data center boom is largely fueled by the rise in AI. I read a statistic from the World Economic Forum that generative AI is expected to disrupt 35% of workers’ core skills by 2030. Are technical jobs immune from those trends, and how does technical education need to adjust to this new reality?
BW: I wish I had a crystal ball that could really look into the future on that, but I can definitely tell you that at TSTC it’s an everyday conversation. We believe, and we’re seeing it already in industry, that AI in our world is going to enhance opportunities. We see it as an opportunity to elevate our ability to train the next technician. We stay ahead of emerging trends, and so we talk regularly with our industry partners to see what is coming. And we’re not afraid of it at all. In fact, we are embracing it at TSTC and already using it.
JBS: I read an NBC survey last month that showed that two-thirds of Americans believe that four-year colleges aren’t worth the cost. As recently as 2013, a majority said they were worth the cost. What do you think is going on there? Why are people becoming disillusioned with four-year degrees?
BW: I think it’s the basic economics of it. We have been at the college 11 years now, and 11 years ago, it was a very different conversation. There was a misperception about technical education and we were trying to combat that. Over the last decade, we’ve had COVID happen, which was a big contributing factor in that students began to question the value of higher education. I have my own story. I have a daughter that said, “Mom, I’m just going to go to work. I don’t know why I need to spend all this money on an education that may or may not land me a job.” And I couldn’t argue with that. There’s definitely a change in the landscape of higher education in that there is more demand for a return on investment and in ensuring that when you graduate, you’re going to be employable.
JBS: What is that return on investment? What’s the value proposition of a two-year degree from TSTC?
BW: It’s whether or not you’re going to have a job ready for you, and we’re proud to say at TSTC that we have a 94% placement rate. Most of our graduates have multiple job offers before they walk the stage
JBS: Of course, people don’t just want jobs, they want good jobs.
BW: They want good jobs, and we take it very seriously about … (offering) programs that lead to high-paying jobs. We will sunset programs, for instance, if the job market changes.
MJT: When you think about technical education, you have your plumbers, your electricians, and all these kinds of male-dominated fields. Are you seeing that in your enrollment rates, or are you seeing a trend toward more women enrolling in those traditional male-dominated fields?
BW: We are definitely still a male-dominated educational institution, but you’d be surprised. Our female student population is definitely increasing. One of one of my big missions as provost at the college is to make sure that up-and-coming female leaders or women that are interested in pursuing the trades, to let them know that they have a path as well. I’ll tell you that most of our female graduates tend to be more successful than their male counterparts, because we may have a little bit more attention to detail and be a little bit more organized. Female technicians are in high, high demand.
JBS: What else can we expect in the next few years at TSTC? More growth? More programs?
BW: We’re really in growth mode right now. And with the endowment, we have an opportunity like we’ve never had before, and so we are embarking on a 10-year vision. What do we want to be in 10 years? And the Waco campus as headquarters will lead the charge in that. What you can expect is us continuing to increase our capacities, to continue to have more alignment with the market.
That may be some new programs. It may be some sunsetting of programs. But more students and more of an increase in a skilled workforce, both here locally and across the state.
Disclosure: Texas State Technical College is a financial supporter of The Waco Bridge, a nonprofit news organization that is funded in part by donations from individual donors, foundations, and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Bridge’s journalism. Find a complete list of them here.
Correction, Dec. 17, 2025, 3:35 p.m. Central: An earlier version of this article misstated the name of the new $72 million building at TSTC Waco. It is the Construction Technologies Center.
