UNM-Valencia Partnership Bolsters Local Workforce
Published Mar 24, 2006
With the launch of the University of New Mexico-Valencia Campus’ new pharmacy technician-training program in January 2006, it will be yet another example of how the branch facility in Los Lunas is answering the need for competent workers in the growing region.
“Community colleges have a responsibility to train the workforce,” says Rita Gallegos Logan, UNM-Valencia’s manager of community education services. She then reels off a list of varied training options from construction to health services.
In particular, UNM-Valencia is preparing residents to handle jobs associated with GRIP, Gov. Bill Richardson’s Investment Partnership, a $1.6 billion statewide transportation expansion and infrastructure improvement strategy.
“There’s a tremendous amount of money coming into the region to rebuild roads and bridges, and we have the capability to train people to get those jobs,” Gallegos Logan says.
Health services education includes CPR and first-aid classes for the American Heart Association, certified nursing assistant courses and training for emergency medical technicians.
Valencia’s high-quality EMT offerings attract students from counties, municipalities and prisons across the state.
“Our placement rate on all of these is up in the 90th percentile,” Gallegos Logan adds.
Nearly 100 area businesses also turned to the branch campus in 2004 for customized training, most of which was delivered on site.
Gallegos Logan says workforce training, which makes up 90 percent of her program, is the biggest change she has seen since coming to the UNM-Valencia Campus in 1988.
“The paradigm has just completely changed,” she says, “to where we’re delivering more workforce training than anything else.”
Story by Sharon H. Fitzgerald
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