ALBUQUERQUE — Fifty New Mexico high school students learned about New Mexico registered apprenticeships and other postsecondary credentialing opportunities at the biannual Workforce Development Bus Tour during National Apprenticeship Week late last month.
The bus tour, organized by GEAR UP New Mexico in conjunction with the New Mexico Department of Workforce Solutions and state apprenticeship program managers, gave students the opportunity to visit and learn about some of NMDWS’ 58 registered apprenticeship programs across the state.
Throughout the bus tour, students engaged in hands-on experiences with the Associated Builders and Contractors of New Mexico and witnessed apprentices learning through practice at the Southwest Line Constructors Joint Apprenticeship and Training Program.
“Learning a trade makes a tremendous difference in a person’s life. It exposes them to all kinds of opportunities and gives them a career, a path forward and a way to help build their community,” said Greta Schouman, Vice President of the ABC New Mexico Education Trust. “It creates a person with a diverse set of skills while strengthening critical thinking, creativity and problem-solving abilities, teaching students how to think outside the box. These students are the future.”
"We could not have accomplished such a unique tour for the students of GEAR UP New Mexico without the incredible partnerships and hours of collaborations with not only the NMDWS State Apprenticeship Office, but also many wonderful program leaders across our state,” said GEAR UP New Mexico Regional Coordinator Katherin Hinton.
“NMDWS Apprenticeship appreciates any opportunity to partner with GEAR UP New Mexico and provide the wonderful options New Mexico registered apprenticeships have to offer our youth," said Juanito Marquez, apprenticeship training representative at NMDWS. “Learning a trade exposes students to opportunities. It gives them a career, a path forward, and helps in building the community.”
Students also received in-depth presentations from various registered apprenticeship leaders, such as the APRENDE Early Childhood Teacher Apprenticeship and the CNM Ingenuity Apprenticeship and Pre-Apprenticeship Programs. Further highlighting the possibilities in post-secondary education across the state, students also toured the CNM Rio Rancho and Santa Fe Community College campuses.
“Seeing the APRENDE Program and the different opportunities you can have with apprenticeships has opened my mind” said Natalia, a student from Capital High School who joined the tour. “This trip opened my eyes to the real-life experiences that people in these fields have every day.”
GEAR UP New Mexico, a division of the New Mexico Higher Education Department, is a federally funded program that aims to increase college and career readiness for seventh to 12th-grade students. GEAR UP New Mexico partners with eight school districts in the state that serve a high proportion of rural and first-generation students. Partnership high schools include Albuquerque Talent Development Academy, Bernalillo High School, Española Valley High School, Archer Academy of Accelerated Learning, Mountainair High School, Socorro High School, Taos High School, and Capital High School.
For more information about GEAR UP, visit gearupnewmexico.org or follow GEAR UP New Mexico on Facebook and Instagram. To learn more about apprenticeship opportunities in New Mexico, visit www.dws.state.nm.us/apprenticeship.