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Spurgeon: West-MEC & UTI are shifting the paradigm of industry partnerships

By Dr. Scott Spurgeon | Point of View

The power of industry partnerships is unparalleled in the field of Career and Technical Education. Through partnering with Western Maricopa Education Center (West-MEC), business and industry have direct access to a sustainable, credentialed pipeline of workforce professionals.

The ability to connect with real-world professional networks, develop critical “professional skills,” discover careers, and determine their fit fosters greater outcomes and prepares students to enter the workforce.

At the beginning of the 2022-23 school year, West-MEC and Universal Technical Institute (UTI) teamed up to provide a faster way forward to advanced automotive technology training.

Only a year into the partnership, incredible student success stories already exist, including West-MEC 2023 Automotive Technology program completer Axel Martinez.

Mr. Martinez finished the Automotive Technology program at West-MEC in May of 2023. He knew he wanted to work for a Land Rover dealership, but he required more training after West-MEC, as Land Rover is a luxurious vehicle brand, and extensive training is necessary for that career pathway in the automotive industry.

While at West-MEC, Mr. Martinez competed and finished third at the state SkillsUSA competition, a competition for talented CTE students to test their knowledge. UTI provided $10,000 scholarships to top-placing participants in the competition, and Mr. Martinez decided UTI was where he wanted to go for specialized, state-of-the-industry training after West-MEC.

The partnership between West-MEC and UTI allows any West-MEC student who completes the Automotive Technology program to forgo three introductory courses at UTI. West-MEC program completers can test out of an additional six classes and receive a 10% tuition discount.

Mr. Martinez tested out of five of the possible six courses. He heads into UTI with a 10% tuition discount, a $10,000 scholarship, and eight courses already completed. Mr. Martinez also landed an entry-level role with a Land Rover dealership in Arizona this past June. Due to his employment and enrollment at UTI, Land Rover awarded Mr. Martinez a tuition stipend, which will cover the rest of his tuition and then some. Mr. Martinez can now work his way up in the industry through training at UTI and working at Land Rover at zero cost.

This is a true testament to the kinds of opportunities students can secure through training at West-MEC, industry partnerships, and, of course, their hard work and dedication.

But this is only the beginning, as this is just one example of the incredible things that will come from the partnership between UTI and West-MEC.

Editor’s note: Dr. Scott Spurgeon is superintendent of Western Maricopa Education Center.

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