Albuquerque businesses took matters into their own hands this week, reaching out to students as possible solutions to their future workforce needs.
The Albuquerque Public Schools Apprenticeship Council hosted its second High School Grades 2 Skilled Trades career fair at the Berna Facio Professional Development Complex on Monday. More than 1,000 students from APS and other schools found information on a wide range of potential careers.
Eager Students
Vendors discussed positions that students could get into right after graduation and paths to more skilled, better-paying careers. Many of the 42 vendors have locations in or near Albuquerque that they will be trying to staff.
Most took a hands-on approach to gain the students’ interest. The south parking lot at the complex was occupied by various industrial vehicles and heavy machinery, showing what work is available.
The New Mexico Department of Workforce Solutions brought a semitrailer that contained about a dozen simulators, allowing students to try their hands — virtually — at tasks that included welding, plumbing and truck driving.
Nehemiah Santana, a sophomore at Century High School in Los Lunas, said he found the healthcare simulator fun and interesting.
“I put an IV in a patient’s arm and learned how to use a catheter,” Santana said.
Many employers discussed entry-level positions that offer training that would prepare a recent graduate for advancement.
Andrew Lucero, a project manager with Evergreen Contractors LLC, was on hand to discuss some of the possibilities. One might start as an apprentice, making $16 an hour, then qualify for company-paid training to become a licensed electrician, with hourly pay ranging from $30 to $80.
Ocean Martinez, a senior at La Cueva High School, visited with Lucero. Martinez is interested in a construction field, but hasn’t made a choice yet on a specific career.
Having so many vendors in one place “opens your mind up to all the different opportunities,” Martinez said.
Local Opportunities
Michael Clark said his company, Sunland Asphalt, is always hiring. He said that the company offers general labor positions, and builds the skills of employees who want to move up onto a career track.
“You can make a great living,” Clark said, adding that much of the construction industry is improving benefit packages and training opportunities to draw more workers.
Heavy equipment mechanic Sean Baca, representing Bernalillo County Fleet Services, said the county performs in-house maintenance work on everything from police motorcycles to backhoes to fire department ladder trucks.
Baca said trade school or basic automotive classes are enough to prepare one for an entry-level mechanic position, and that the county trains people up from there.
The Department of Workforce Solutions projects thousands of annual job openings through 2030 in the Albuquerque area across various fields.
Those numbers include:
- 3,960 in healthcare support (median wage of $28,810)
- 3,530 in transportation and material movement (median wage of $30,480)
- 2,520 in construction and extraction (median wage of $40,590)
- 1,590 in installation, maintenance and repair (median wage of $46,590)