Salinas said that earning the degree will provide him with more marketable skills and allow him to move within the company. While some students are completing the program to specifically meet employers' workforce needs in the region, Artman noted that program training is broad enough to open many doors. It doesn't have to be a stepping stone. Graduates will qualify for work in many types of laboratories. Graduates should be in high demand for job opportunities not only in the Coastal Bend, but across Texas, in chemical and petrochemicals, plastics, food, environmental, government and analytical labs as well as numerous other companies requiring the skills of a degreed chemical technician.
Courses lean more toward application rather than theory.
The new program also includes student internships in industrial laboratories in the area. Respondents said they would use the program as a source for hiring new technicians or for crosstraining current employees. They also said hiring Del Mar's chemical laboratory technology graduates would cut hiring and training costs in half. The desire for a career change and higher salary motivated Angela Soliz, a 32 year-old second grade language teacher, to enroll in the program. I have always had an interest in chemistry, but I focused on elementary education while attending college the first time.