The workforce is experiencing an ever growing “skills-gap” – the difference between what employers need and what college graduates do. In many of Arizona’s booming industries, your current education or job experience may not adequately prepare you to perform the job employers desire. Whether you’re looking to make a change in your career or if you are simply starting your job search, your nearest community college is your answer to the career and technical education you need to close the skills gap.
According to the Arizona Department of Economic Services, the industries with the most projected growth through the next decade are:
- Construction
- Health Care/ Health Services
- Professional and Technical Services
- Information Technology
- Finance/ Insurance
- Manufacturing
- Transportation and Warehousing
Within these industries are a number of career fields that require hands-on training (workforce education.) What do you do if you want to take advantage of the opportunity to get in on one of the fastest growing career fields but you don’t have the skills for which an employer is looking?
Look no further than your local community college. Community colleges are a critical piece of higher education and economic landscapes, providing vast opportunities in workforce education. Community colleges focus on preparing individuals for the workforce in programs yielding industry-recognized credentials specifically through credit-based certificate and associate degree programs.
Arizona is rich with accredited community colleges offering a wide variety of workforce education programs. The network of Arizona Community Colleges spans the entire state with over 60 locations in 10 districts. Within Maricopa alone, the Maricopa community colleges offer 10 locations across the valley.
If you are looking to enter into or advance within the rapidly growing construction industry, South Mountain Community College has a Construction Fundamentals program to quickly prepare you to find a job in the construction workforce. Additionally, Maricopa Community colleges offers two different certificate programs that train and upgrade skills.
For those interested in pursuing or advancing in a career within the Health Care/Health Service industry, you can find certificate programs at Maricopa Community Colleges such as Diagnostic Medical Sonography or Community Dental Health Coordination. Certificate programs such as these can quickly help you grow within or change your career path.
The Information Technology field is amongst the fastest growing in the world. The opportunities within this field are endless. Maricopa Community Colleges, Mesa Community College, Pima Community college and more offer a wide array of certificate and degree programs from Help Desk to App Developer.
You can start your journey at Pipeline AZ. To learn more about fast-track learning within the industry of your choice, use Pipeline’s career exploration feature to access information regarding the certificate programs available from local community colleges and determine the appropriate educational path necessary to fulfill the job requirements. If you aren’t sure where to start, take a brief career assessment .
