Recent high school grads enjoy diesel technology careersOctober 30, 2024

Felix Campos, Fidel Gardea de la Cruz and Royce Knight graduated from Midland High School this past May, and they are already employed full-time at Warren CAT as diesel tech trainees. Thanks to the Midland College (MC) dual credit Career & Technology Education (CTE) program, they received certificates in Diesel Technology two weeks before they graduated from high school and were immediately employable. Now, they are continuing their studies to earn Associate of Applied Science degrees while working full time at Warren CAT.

"The CTE dual credit program at Midland College is an incredible opportunity for students to jumpstart their careers while still in high school,” Erick Gutierrez, MC program chair of Automotive, Diesel & Energy Technology, said. “Through partnerships like the one with Warren CAT, our students gain hands-on experience, professional mentorship and financial support to pursue their education in high-demand fields like Diesel Technology. This collaboration empowers students to enter the workforce with the skills and confidence they need to succeed, creating a direct pathway from the classroom to the industry. We’re excited to see the bright futures ahead for these talented students!"

“Since we work fulltime, we take our Midland College classes online and at night,” Campos explained. “It’s definitely worth it because once we have our associate degrees, we will earn a higher salary and be even more in demand.”

Diesel technicians are needed in many industries, including manufacturing, construction, facilities maintenance, aviation and, of course, the energy sector. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that there will be about 25,600 openings for diesel technicians each year over the next decade. Currently, in Texas, there are 21,180 diesel technician jobs with annual wages ranging from $40,000 to over $100,000.

According to the April 26, 2024 issue of Pulse Magazine, many young people are simply not aware of the career opportunities available as diesel technicians. Additionally, there's a shortage of vocational and technical training programs focused on diesel engine technology, which limits the number of new professionals entering the field. 

However, Midland College is helping to alleviate the shortage by offering a robust Diesel Technology program, and both college and high school students are eligible to reap the benefits.

High school students like Campos, Gardea de la Cruz and Knight are able to begin taking courses as early as their ninth-grade year. By the time they are juniors in high school, they take classes both at their high school campus and also at MC’s Diesel Technology facility located on Florida Street, immediately east of the MC Cogdell Learning Center. Companies like Warren CAT partner with the program to provide “Tech Talks” where company representatives serve as guest lecturers and give demonstrations on the latest technology. As part of Tech Talks, company reps spend the last few minutes of the lecture talking about job opportunities and recruiting students.

“The Tech Talks are just one of the many positive things about Midland College’s Diesel Technology program,” Campos said. “It’s a great learning environment where we have access to the latest tools, and everything is hands-on. The instructors are also very knowledgeable as all of them have worked in the diesel industry. The skills we are learning help prepare us for our jobs at Warren.”

“We first discovered Warren CAT job opportunities at one of the Tech Talks,” Gardea de la Cruz added. “It’s a great company with lots of benefits, including tuition reimbursement for our coursework at Midland College.”

Knight agreed and explained that he currently works 6:00 am-4:00 pm, Monday through Thursday, and 6:00 am-5:00 pm on Fridays.

“I’m working more than 40 hours each week, but the overtime pay is great,” he said. “Getting off work at 4:00 allows me to have some time before night classes and gives me time to get online coursework done.”

Gardea de la Cruz said he works 10 hour shifts Tuesday through Friday and some weekends. Campos works 45 hours each week.

All three of these young men claimed that they made a great decision when choosing Diesel Technology in high school, and they all have future goals. Campos and Knight said that their goal is to continue employment at Warren CAT and work their way up the career ladder to becoming field techs. Gardea de la Cruz envisions his future either as a field tech or working on cargo ships, perhaps in international waters.

“I always wanted to be a mechanic, and I always wanted to work on diesel engines,” Knight said. “There’s more components and more horsepower than gasoline-powered engines. If I were giving advice to a young high school student, I would tell them to learn a business trade early and learn as much as possible. Then shoot for the stars. Anything is possible.”