The Maricopa County Community College District Interim Chancellor, Dr. Steven R. Gonzales, made the following statement today (Jan. 10) following Governor Doug Ducey’s 2022 State of the State address.
The Maricopa County Community College District (MCCCD) appreciates the Governor recognizing community colleges as the workforce solution for the state through quality education. Gov. Ducey’s address included a plan that provides targeted investments to establish six advanced manufacturing training centers facilitated by community colleges across the state. With collaboration among government, industry, and academia, these workforce accelerators will form a network of job training centers to prepare Arizonans for next-generation jobs. Arizona’s advanced manufacturers will partner on the project, streamlining the student-to-skilled-labor pipeline and ensuring skills training aligns with in-demand jobs.
The Maricopa Community Colleges have been working hard to ensure our readiness to meet the workforce needs of the rapidly expanding semiconductor manufacturing employers. New programs will be ready to launch this Spring. Investment in advanced manufacturing creates opportunities to better our community offerings and support programs that allow for the highest levels of academic success. We applaud Governor Ducey’s and the Legislature’s efforts in funding programs that help propel college students from classrooms into careers and for the continued support for issues important to our students, community, and Arizona’s employees.
We look forward to the continued collaboration with industry leaders and Governor Ducey’s office. Our System will continue to support and strengthen Arizona’s economy by training students with the skills needed to succeed in today’s workforce.