Great jobs can be yours in STEM fields: Count on Houston Community College to get you started

Dec 5, 2014


Houston Community College (HCC) believes there has never been a better time for women to enter into a STEM career. As Houston attracts more science, technology, engineering and math based corporations, the demand for qualified workers continues to grow.

HCC has been supplying the training and education to meet those needs for 47 years, and has nearly 350 program areas in which students can begin successful careers. Many of them are in STEM related fields, but all can be used as a stepping stone for career advancement.

From manufacturing technologists to chemical engineers, and from computer technicians to nurses, the STEM field is opening up more to women every day and industry is readily hiring women when qualified candidates apply.

HCC offers associates degrees, certifications and short term training programs in such areas as drafting and design engineering, instrumentation and controls, logistics and global supply, and process technology. Students can also begin their careers in the medical and dental fields by attending classes at Houston Community College.

For students who are interested in engineering, HCC has a unique partnership with the University of Texas at Tyler that provides a two-year program that is fully transferable to the UT Tyler. All coursework can be completed on the HCC campus, with significant savings in tuition and fees.

According to seek.org, 37% of database engineers, 78% of clinical laboratory technologists, and 91% of registered nurses are women. In the higher level positions, there is much room for the female population to make their mark. Forbes estimates that 83% of chemical engineers and 78% of environmental scientists are men.

STEM students at HCC have opportunities to get hands-on experience in a real world setting through internships set up with major companies and organizations such as Dow Chemical and NASA. Additionally, faculty and staff at HCC are committed to providing students with quality education and information on scholarships to help students pay for their education.

The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board recently awarded HCC the Texas-Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (T-STEM) Challenge Scholarship Grant Program. The T-STEM grant assists to increase graduation rates in STEM and related degree and certificate programs. HCC was awarded a total of $402,630 that will provide for over 150 scholarships through 2016.

As a recipient of the T-STEM Challenge Scholarship, Tammy Hendrix-Doucette said, “This scholarship has positioned me to be eligible to be part of a research grant fellowship. I am on a research team for thermal chemical bio-mass projects and will work on a presentation for the Department of Energy and the Department of Education. It has literally changed my life for the better.”

Another corporate partner, JP Morgan Chase recently announced a grant for $100,000 to help students pursuing an associate degree in STEM related careers. The grants will allow students to enroll for classes at Houston Community College with no out-of-pocket costs cost for tuition, fees or books.

To learn more about the STEM programs at HCC go to hccs.edu/stem.


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