WNMU plans to significantly expand its capacity to educate workforce-ready students through a new Career Technical Education Center, to be built in the mining district of Grant CountySILVER CITY—Anyone who has recently needed home maintenance or repair knows that New Mexico needs more skilled workers.  According to the New Mexico Department of Workforce Solutions, that need is only expected to grow.  The statewide need for workers in construction and extraction industries is expected to grow by 11% between 2020 and 2030, and in that same period, the labor market in installation, maintenance and repair is expected to grow almost 13%. The need for health care support workers is expected to grow 22.6%.

Western New Mexico University is already addressing these shortages by training skilled workers through its Community and Workforce Development programs—including programs in welding, electrical, construction technology and industrial mechanics—but the university has plans to significantly expand its capacity through a new Career Technical Education Center.

The new facility would offer trade training programs that tie directly to employment opportunities in southwestern New Mexico, especially those available in the four-cities region that includes Hurley, Bayard, Santa Clara and Silver City. Trades that are traditionally in-demand, like HVAC technology, automotive repair, and plumbing, could also be emphasized.

The location of the new facility is still being finalized, with sites in Santa Clara and Bayard under consideration. Wherever it is located, the building will include shop spaces that are designed to be flexible to accommodate changing needs as the facility develops.

WNMU collaborated with a number of community partners to identify the region's most pressing training needs, said Assistant Vice President of Facilities and Operations Kevin Matthes, including Grant County and city governments, the superintendents of both the Silver and Cobre school districts, Freeport-McMoRan, PNM and other utilities and local businesses. "We worked with all of these entities, brought them to the table, and there was a lot of collaboration," he said, "The superintendents of both school districts said there was a marked interest in technical education" among their students.

Matthes also noted that collaboration with PNM and other utilities during the planning and construction process is important to meeting the university's carbon-neutrality goal. "We need to modernize our infrastructure to make sure we have the capacity to install EV charging and photovoltaic panels," he said.

The university is making ongoing efforts to better identify prospective students' career goals and to assess the workforce needs in the regional economy. This data collection will help the university determine precisely which programs to offer through the new center.

At present, the university plans to offer programs in HVAC, diesel repair, certified nursing assistant, phlebotomy and mechanics, in addition to its current offerings.

"Career technical education is rapidly evolving and requires we do the same," explained Director of Community and Workforce Development James Ortiz, "If we are to attract new industry and meet the needs of current employers, our students will need access and be trained on the latest technologies. The technology center could and should be able to train the technician to address the repair and maintenance needs found in areas such as the mining industry, power distribution and [the] medical field."

WNMU will be seeking $30,000,000 from the New Mexico Legislature to fund construction of the new facility. The university also has a contingent plan to remodel an existing site, which would substantially reduce the cost and expedite construction.