Richland College Garland Campus recently hosted nine Texans Can Academy - Garland students for Manufacturing Day, a day dedicated to helping students learn about careers in manufacturing and engineering.

The high school students were introduced to the different manufacturing programs, certifications and training available at the college. They listened to program professionals discuss different careers in the field, learned what it takes to get a degree and job in manufacturing and got hands-on experience with robotics.

Manufacturing programs at Richland College Garland Campus train future manufacturing professionals in the latest advanced technologies in a flexible, efficient and cost-effective program. The college offers hands-on training courses, such as certifications for learning how to drive a forklift, and teaches the importance of safety and awareness in the field.

With over 30% of the manufacturing workforce being female, Richland College Garland Campus encourages female candidates that are determined and interested in manufacturing to enter the program. The college hosts onsite job fairs for its students with interviews on the spot with Dallas and surrounding businesses. Graduates of the manufacturing program are immediately employable in a wide variety of industries as the college provides the necessary skills to ensure each student is ready to work in a manufacturing career.

Earlier in the school year, a group of 32 students from Texans Can Academy - Garland visited the main Richland College campus in Dallas to learn more about future career options. Students toured the campus, learned about different academic programs and visited with administrators and students to gauge their interest in college. Texans Can Academies’ main focus during any campus tour is the exposure for their students to learn more about what direction they may want to take after graduation.

Texans Can Academies upholds the mission to ensure students have all the skills and opportunities for a strong, sustainable career path and higher education. Texans Can Academies graduate thinkers and offer students, aged 14 to 21, a second chance at earning their high school diploma instead of a General Education Development (GED). For more information, please visit www.texanscan.org.