TSTC Adds Commercial Construction Management Track
Texas State Technical College's Building Construction program now offers a commercial track at its Waco and Harlingen campuses.
Updated on Nov. 6, 2026 in Construction
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Texas State Technical College has added a commercial construction management associate degree track to its Building Construction program. The track is available at the Waco and Harlingen campuses.
Why it matters
The Texas Workforce Commission projects Texas will need more than 91,000 construction managers by 2034, underscoring demand for trained workers in the field. The new track responds to that projected workforce gap across the state.
The Texas Workforce Commission projects more than 91,000 construction managers will be needed in Texas by 2034, with roughly 7,300 annual openings. Projections also call for more than 110,000 first-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers by the middle of the next decade, with about 8,700 annual openings.
The players
Texas State Technical College
A public technical college system in Texas offering associate degrees and career training programs, including the Building Construction program.
Associated General Contractors of America
A national construction trade association whose Central Texas chapter helped develop the commercial track curriculum with TSTC.
Texas Workforce Commission
The state agency that publishes Texas Wages and Employment Projections used to forecast construction workforce needs.
The details
The commercial track shares many courses with the residential track, including Residential and Light Commercial Construction Drawings and Construction Site Safety and Health. Commercial students take four additional classes: Construction Materials and Methods I and II, Commercial/Industrial Blueprint Reading, and Concrete II, with Construction Management II serving as the capstone. The Central Texas chapter of the Associated General Contractors of America partnered with the Greater Waco Advanced Manufacturing Academy and TSTC on curriculum development.
Timeline
2034: Projected year by which Texas needs more than 91,000 construction managers.
Middle of the next decade: Projected need for more than 110,000 construction supervisors and extraction workers.
Spring semester: Registration continues at TSTC.
Workforce Pipeline
The new track follows the Texas Workforce Commission's Texas Wages and Employment Projections, which forecast sustained demand for construction managers and supervisors through the mid-2030s. It positions TSTC to supply graduates for that projected demand at a time when large Waco redevelopment projects, including the Barron's Branch District, are underway.
Students interested in construction management careers in Texas now have a commercial-focused associate degree option at TSTC's Waco and Harlingen campuses. Those already in the trades may find more advancement paths as the projected demand for managers and supervisors grows.
The takeaway
Texas construction employers are projected to need tens of thousands of additional managers and supervisors over the coming decade. Prospective workers should consider targeted training that matches commercial project demands, such as concrete construction and blueprint reading.
Further reading
For broader context on construction hiring and training, explore Construction coverage across Texas.
Source note: This article includes information reported by KWKT - FOX 44.
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