Corrosion Technology creates careers for HCC students
Aug 31, 2016
From planes high in the sky to pipes deep below the surface – our nation’s infrastructure is in the process of deteriorating.
“Corrosion affects our safety, our livelihood, and our mobility,” said Dr. Cesar Maldonado, Houston Community College (HCC) Chancellor. “I don’t think there is any part of what we do that isn’t affected by this science.”
That is why right now, the HCC Material Science Center of Excellence is educating and training students how to protect all of us from the adverse effects of corrosion.
Offering associate degree and certificate opportunities in Corrosion Technology and Welding Technology, the Material Science Center of Excellence is proof that you don’t need a four-year degree to succeed in these high-demand fields.
Corrosion careers are holding steady with a 91 percent job placement rate coming out of HCC and in Texas, employees have the potential to earn more than $100,000 in just five years.
“This is an important program for all of us,” said Jane Brown, vice president, Brown Corrosion and chair of the HCC Corrosion Advisory Committee, who has been in the corrosion business for over 25 years. “We need more people. There is a place in this industry for everyone.”
HCC relies heavily on partnerships with industry leaders to guide the advisory committee in creating curriculum and informing faculty about changing trends in technology.
“Great things are happening at Houston Community College,” said Dr. Adriana Tamez, chair, HCC Board of Trustees, District III. “Our goal is to make sure when students leave our doors, that we are matching them with great job opportunities.”
During the recent grand opening for the HCC Material Science Center of Excellence, the Honorable Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee (TX-18) presented Chancellor Maldonado, Chair Tamez, and Southeast College President, Dr. Irene Porcarello with a Certificate of Congressional Recognition and pointed out the importance of the work HCC does in training the workforce of tomorrow.
“Students who come out of this program will keep us from disaster, whether it is an oil and gas pipeline, or those who go to small cities and towns to stop corrosion of pipes that deliver the lifeline of water to our community,” said Jackson Lee.
To learn more about the HCC Material Science Center of Excellence, visit hccs.edu/material.
