Coastal Bend College to Establish Career Development Office to Support Student Career Success

BEEVILLE, TEXAS — Coastal Bend College (CBC) is expanding its commitment to student success with the development of a new Career Development Office, a centralized resource dedicated to helping students connect their education with meaningful career opportunities.

The initiative is being developed with support from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) through the Student Success Acceleration Program (SSAP) 3.0 grant. The new office will provide students with individualized career advising, career pathway planning, résumé and interview preparation, workforce-readiness support, employer engagement, and guidance as they transition from college into the workforce.

“At Coastal Bend College, our work does not stop at graduation,” said Dr. Zachary Z. Suarez, President of Coastal Bend College. “Our students come to us because they are working toward something: a career, greater economic opportunity, and a better future for themselves and their families. Our responsibility is not only to help them earn a credential, but also to help them turn that credential into opportunity.”

The Career Development Office will establish CBC’s first centralized career services function and strengthen connections between students and regional employers. The initiative will initially emphasize support for Career and Technical Education and Allied Health students, with services available across CBC locations.

“The Career Services Office will provide students with comprehensive career support as they approach graduation and prepare to enter the workforce,” said Dr. Larry Barroso. “The College will offer job fairs and employer-engagement opportunities while providing students with individualized assistance in job searching, résumé writing, interview preparation, and other essential workforce-readiness skills.”

Barroso also emphasized the initiative’s potential to expand connections between students and employers throughout the region.

“The SSAP 3.0 grant provides Coastal Bend College with an opportunity to strengthen our network of employer and industry partners, creating direct connections between our students and promising careers in high-demand fields,” Barroso said.

Through the two-year SSAP 3.0 initiative, CBC anticipates serving approximately 2,075 students, with a focus on strengthening persistence, credential completion, graduation, workforce readiness, and successful transitions into employment.

“We are grateful to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board for investing in this work and in the success of our students,” Suarez said. “We want our students to leave CBC career-ready, confident, and prepared for what comes next. This investment will help us build a stronger bridge between education and employment throughout the communities we serve.”

Development of the Career Development Office will begin in September 2026, with initial efforts focused on establishing the office, recruiting Career Services Advisors, and preparing services for students. CBC plans for the office to become a long-term component of the College’s student-success infrastructure.