The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors approved $1,390,449 in funding to provide career training opportunities for county residents, bolstering the pipeline of skilled labor for the construction industry and in-demand careers.
The May 18 vote provided $720,978 in funding to Chicanos Por La Causa and $669,471 to Grand Canyon University for a pathway that will connect high school graduates and those with a GED to careers in the construction industry and other in-demand careers where skilled labor is in high demand but short supply.
“Whether it’s construction workers helping us improve and expand our infrastructure, or nurses working ‘round-the-clock to serve our growing population, we need more skilled workers in industries that impact everyone’s quality of life,” said Chairman Bill Gates, District 3. “Training people to fill in-demand jobs right here in Maricopa County is not just good for individual workers, it’s good for our economy and overall wellbeing.”
Chicanos Por La Causa will provide career exploration and career guidance services to help eligible low-income career seekers define a specific roadmap for how to achieve their ideal career goals. The program will focus on connecting participants to the training, apprenticeships, and educational pathways to develop the required skills and certifications that lay a foundation for long-term career advancement. Services are offered at no cost to eligible participants through this one-year program.
“Our programs work to help individuals and families achieve upward economic mobility. This will be a great opportunity to continue our mission of providing quality career training and guidance to the communities we serve,” said David Adame, Chicanos Por La Causa President & CEO. “We are able to provide a broad range of options to job seekers to meet their needs thanks to the support of community partners like Maricopa County. Together, we empower more people, enabling generational wealth and self-sufficiency through a more qualified workforce.”
Grand Canyon University is offering a pre-apprenticeship pathway that will train participants in one 15-week semester to begin the process of becoming an electrician. Tuition is fully-funded enabling these courses to be offered at no cost to the first 80 qualified participants. The pre-apprenticeship will begin in September 2022 at GCU’s Phoenix campus. Job growth for electricians is expected to grow* by 9% in the next 8 years offering a median pay of more than $60,000 per year.
“Trade industries are what helped build this country into an economic power and we need to bring them back,” said GCU President Brian Mueller. “This pathway is a great example of industry, Maricopa County and GCU’s Institute for Workforce Development working together to solve a labor shortage that is impacting our economy. This one-semester course offering will help students master key concepts, especially in math, that will prepare them to enter an electricians apprentice program and quickly embark on a career that is in demand.”
In addition to providing these innovative college and career opportunities to develop long-term success and build a skilled workforce for in-demand careers, Maricopa County has invested more than $400 million in federal funding to help people recover from the effects of the pandemic.
These efforts have included:
For more information on the financial, housing, legal, wellness, and educational assistance that is available from Maricopa County to help with recovery from the pandemic, visit Maricopa.gov/Rescue.