Equipment and supplies are ready for students at Wharton County Junior College's Construction Trades Training facility on the Bay City campus. A ribbon cutting ceremony is planned for 11 a.m. Wednesday, Feb. 12, at the campus. The event is free and open to the public.
BAY CITY, TEXAS – Wharton County Junior College will host a ribbon cutting ceremony for its construction trades training facility at the Bay City campus from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 12. The event is free and open to the public. Light refreshments will be served and visitors will be able to tour the facility. The campus is located at 4000 Ave. F, Suite B in Bay City.
“Our construction trades training facility offers students the opportunity to learn skills that lead directly to well-paying jobs,” said John Woolsey, WCJC’s Continuing Education Corporate Coordinator. “This facility provides focused, hands-on training, preparing students for a career in a variety of fields not only here in Bay City but around the county and surrounding area.”
WCJC began a construction trades program in 2024. Currently, General Carpentry Level 1 and 2 are offered at the Bay City campus. Plans are to soon add plumbing and pipefitting courses.
WCJC President Betty McCrohan credited the Texas Legislature and specifically Senator Joan Huffman with helping to secure funding for the program and new facility. The facility is currently housed in a 10,000 square foot area of the Bay City campus, with plans to expand to 20,000 square feet as more courses are added.
The campus itself is provided to the college through an arrangement with the Bay City Community Development Corporation.
“Senator Joan Huffman and members of the 88th Legislature provided crucial funding for our construction trades training center,” McCrohan said. “We are very appreciative of their support.”
Students are learning the ropes of basic carpentry under the guidance of instructor Bruce Holley, a University of Houston graduate with 50 years of knowledge in the construction trades. Students who complete the courses receive a certificate of completion and qualify to take the National Center for Construction Education & Research (NCCER) examination to earn their NCCER national certification.
An advisory committee helps oversee the course offerings and curriculum. The 10-member panel includes building contractors, economic development representatives and officials from area businesses.
WCJC’s Dean of Workforce Danny Bacot says the construction trades are a fast growing industry, with the state of Texas possessing a higher rate of construction than the rest of the nation. Median pay for carpenters is $51,390 annually, according to the 2022 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Occupational Outlook Handbook.
For more information on the trade school or the carpentry program, visit the college’s website at wcjc.edu.
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