New Texas Track Trains Commercial Construction Managers
Commercial contractors in Texas gain a dedicated training pipeline for supervisors as state projections call for thousands of new managers.
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, available at its Waco and Harlingen campuses. Operators hiring for commercial jobsites will see a new pipeline of graduates trained in concrete and commercial blueprint work.
Why it matters
The Texas Workforce Commission projects demand for more than 91,000 construction managers by 2034, a gap that pressures commercial contractors to find qualified supervisors. A dedicated commercial track responds to that shortfall by teaching advanced concrete construction and metal stud framing that residential-focused programs do not cover.
The Texas Workforce Commission projects more than 91,000 construction managers needed by 2034, with about 7,300 openings per year. Commercial track students take four classes that residential track students do not, including two Construction Materials and Methods courses and Concrete II.
The players
Texas State Technical College (TSTC)
A public two-year technical college system with campuses in Waco and Harlingen that trains students for skilled trades and technical careers.
Associated General Contractors of America, Central Texas Chapter
A regional trade association of general contractors that works with students from middle school age onward to build interest in construction careers and helped develop this curriculum.
Texas Workforce Commission
The state agency that publishes Texas Wages and Employment Projections, the labor-market forecasts used to gauge demand for construction managers and supervisors.
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. It adds four commercial-specific classes and ends with a Construction Management II capstone. The curriculum was developed with the Central Texas chapter of the Associated General Contractors of America and the Greater Waco Advanced Manufacturing Academy.
Timeline
2034: Texas Workforce Commission projects the need for more than 91,000 construction managers.
Middle of the next decade: projected need for more than 110,000 construction trades supervisors and extraction workers.
Spring semester: registration continues at TSTC for the commercial track.
Market Landscape
The Texas Workforce Commission's projections put construction manager demand above 91,000 by 2034, a pipeline gap that community colleges are now trying to fill. Commercial and residential construction require different skills, and a program that separates the two tracks reflects how contractors specialize.
Commercial contractors in Texas should expect a growing pool of graduates trained in advanced concrete and commercial blueprint work, which may ease hiring for supervisory roles. Operators should monitor enrollment and placement data before adjusting recruiting plans around this new track.
The takeaway
Commercial contractors should consider reaching out to TSTC's Building Construction program to discuss internship or hiring pipelines as the track launches. Track the Texas Workforce Commission's next projection update to see whether the 2034 supervisor gap is narrowing.
Further reading
For broader context on the trades and building projects behind this program, explore Construction coverage on Texas.
Source note: This article includes information reported by KWKT - FOX 44.
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