Maricopa District Office
Education

Education

The education sector includes both public and private institutions at all levels from preschool, elementary, and secondary schools, to colleges, universities, and trade schools. Nationally, education contributes to about 2.3 million jobs with $90 billion in wages. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects employment in education to expand at nearly twice the national rate in the coming decade. This ranks education among the fastest growing industry sectors in the U.S. Greater Phoenix employs nearly 35,000 people in education in both the public and private sectors. The region’s fast growing population will require large numbers additional educators in the years to come. Compared to current employment levels, between 2006 and 2016 the Arizona Department of Commerce expects the State of Arizona to need:

15% more preschool teachers
33% more kindergarten teachers
29% more elementary school teachers
27% more middle school teachers
21% more secondary school teachers, and
over 30% more special education teachers at all K-12 levels.

The Maricopa Community Colleges offer degree, certificate, and transfer partnership programs to train students for careers in education. The National Center for Teacher Education(NCTE), a department within the Academic Affairs Division of the Maricopa Community Colleges, serves in a leadership role for Pre K-12 teacher education initiatives. For more specific information about education programs available through the Maricopa Community Colleges, please visit the NCTE website.