Taos, N.M. – The University of New Mexico‑Taos (UNM‑Taos) announced that it will receive $5.25 million in federal grant funding to transform a donated former National Guard armory into the new Taos Workforce Center. The grants, awarded by the U.S. Department of Education and administered by the Department of Labor, are part of the Strengthening Institutions and Rural Postsecondary Economic Development programs.
Purpose and Community Impact
Chancellor Mary Gutierrez emphasized that the center will help families stay in the communities where they have lived for generations while giving local employers the skilled workers they need. “Many families want careers that let them stay in the communities where they have lived for generations, and employers here need skilled workers,” she said in the university press release.
Over the next five years, the grant money will fund improvements to the facility, purchase modern training equipment, and expand internship and apprenticeship opportunities. The center aims to create clear pathways from high‑school classrooms to high‑demand careers in construction, plumbing, HVAC, information technology, commercial driving, healthcare, water systems and other fields.
Partnerships and Programs
UNM‑Taos will work with a broad coalition of partners, including Los Alamos National Laboratory, Kit Carson Electric Cooperative, UA Local 412 Plumbers and Pipefitters, the Associated General Contractors of New Mexico, the Regional Development Corporation, the Northern New Mexico Coalition for Work‑Based Learning, Holy Cross Medical Center, IATSE Local 480, the New Mexico Higher Education Department, the New Mexico Early Childhood Education and Care Department, Taos Pueblo, Santa Clara Pueblo and public workforce agencies.
One highlighted program will let high‑school students from Taos, Vista Grande and Moreno Valley earn college credit through a nationally recognized construction trades pre‑apprenticeship. Workforce Development and Community Outreach Program Manager Elizabeth Campbell noted, “Employers have been telling us for years what they need. Now we have the classrooms and the equipment to answer them, and to show our students a clear route from a first class to a paycheck.”
Student Achievement Spotlight
In a related achievement, two UNM‑Taos Dual Credit students traveled to NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston to present a high‑powered rocket they designed. Olivia Salazar and Martin Gutierres, seniors from Coronado High School in Gallina, were selected as one of 33 teams from 17 high schools across Texas, New Mexico, Colorado and Oklahoma. Their project demonstrated advanced mathematical modeling to achieve supersonic speeds, meeting the rigorous standards of NASA’s SystemsGo program.
The students, accompanied by teachers Irish Quidet and Frank Chacon, will now work to complete their rocket for a launch event slated for spring, continuing the university’s emphasis on hands‑on, real‑world STEM experiences.
Looking Ahead
The Taos Workforce Center is slated to begin operations on October 1, with construction already underway. Community leaders and business owners see the center as a vital investment in the region’s economic future, providing residents with the training needed for well‑paying, locally‑based jobs. By aligning education with employer needs, UNM‑Taos hopes to strengthen families, support local faith‑based values of hard work, and uphold the constitutional principle of individual liberty through opportunity.
Original reporting: Taos News — read the source article.
