October 2011 – Seven community and technical colleges with programs recognized by the Texas Skill Standards Board (TSSB) were honored at a special awards ceremony on October 6, 2011 at the annual Texas Community College Instructional Leaders (TCCIL) conference.  Mr. Andy Ellard, General Manager of Manda Machine Company and TSSB member representing business, presented the colleges with a certificate of recognition from the Office of the Governor of Texas.  The certificate recognized the colleges’ leadership and innovation in integrating industry-defined, TSSB-recognized skill standards into their curricula and receiving TSSB Program Recognition. 

TCCIL is a consortium of three community and technical college professional associations: Texas Association of College Technical Educators, Texas Administrators of Continuing Education, and Texas Community College Instructional Administrators.  The awards ceremony acknowledged the efforts of the faculty to ensure their programs are responsive to the workforce needs of industry, in a forum of their peers.  TSSB program recognition, which is indicated by a gold, embossed seal on every exit credential, signals to employers that the graduates are meeting the industry skill and knowledge requirements defined in the standards. 

The colleges and TSSB-recognized programs that were honored at the conference (pictured left to right below) include:

• Clarendon College’s Wind Energy Associate of Applied Science (AAS) Degree and Wind Technician
   Level 2 Certificate;
• Houston Community College Northeast’s Biotechnology and Instrumentation and Controls Engineering
  Technology AAS Degrees;
• Kilgore College’s Process Technology-Petroleum Specialty AAS Degree;
• Lamar State College-Orange’s Process Operating Technology AAS Degree;
• Northwest Vista College’s 3D Animation and Game Production AAS Degrees;
• The University of Texas at Brownsville and Texas Southmost College’s Medical Office Management AAS
  Degree; and
• Victoria College’s Process Technology AAS Degree. 

For more information, please contact Anne Dorsey at 512/936-8100.