Commentary: Workforce development continues to be one of the single greatest needs of our community when we think about increasing economic prosperity for the future. To achieve this, as many of our people as possible need to become qualified and ready for middle-skilled, technical-skilled, and high skilled jobs that are here now, as well as those we seek to attract for the future.
Building strong pipelines from education to employment has been the goal of The Bridge of Southern New Mexico and the Workforce Talent Collaborative. In so many ways, those pipelines are now formed and growing stronger.
The goal now, is to invite people into those connections from education to employment, and that’s exactly what we seek to do through NewMexicoTrueTalent.org, a resource-driven website to connect people to opportunity and information. But even more so, we need to make sure our people know that they are our New Mexico True Talent!
This January, thanks to a partnership grant with public broadcaster KRWG, we will share the success stories of some of our community’s True Talent who took advantage of the opportunities we have here and achieved their dreams with less than a four-year degree.
Tune in every Thursday in January to Fronteras: Building a 21st Century Workforce at 7:30 p.m. to see stories of local people who took advantage of high school and college courses to increase their earning potential and step into meaningful careers.
Thanks to Fred Martino and the talented KRWG staff, we will share four stories followed by four panels of experts talking about careers in key industries, and the education that gets you there.
Jan. 3 – There’s More to Healthcare Than Doctors and Nurses illustrates the breadth of meaningful and well-paying healthcare careers, which pay an average of $64,000 annually. The piece highlights Molly McClure, DACC graduate who moved into a second career in healthcare.
Jan. 10 – The Sky’s the Limit in Aerospace highlights the unbelievable opportunities available right here in the aerospace industry through NASA, Spaceport America, and a host of civilian contractors. The story features Mayfield High School graduate Abbey Seward, who took a welding Career and Technical Education (CTE) course her senior year, then pursued a two-year welding degree at DACC.
Jan. 17 -- Career and Technical Education is the Path Forward shows why ALL high school students can benefit from CTE courses on their way to college and/or career. Evelyn Sandoval, Chaparral High School graduate and current NMSU student, is now a key leader on KRWG’s student-run News 22, Aggie Vision, and Noticias 22 productions after building a strong foundation of skills in the Audio/Visual CTE pathway in high school.
Jan. 24 -- STEM Skills are Critical to National Defense showcases the importance of STEM skills in a number of well-paying careers at White Sands Missile Range (WSMR). Growing up in Las Cruces, Henry Sedillo didn’t know what went on at that military base on the other side of the Organ Mountains. Building on the foundation of an internship and a two-year degree from Dona Ana Community College, he grew in his education and career opportunities at WSMR and is now a key leader of the range’s testing efforts.
It’s time we make sure our young people and our families know there are great opportunities right here in our community and show them the resources and paths that can give them the skills they need to get there.
To learn more, tune into Fronteras on KRWG all this month. And to begin to explore the options available to you, visit NewMexicoTrueTalent.org.