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Spurgeon: West-MEC’s strategic partnerships leading to new career-focused programs

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Dr. Scott Spurgeon
By Dr. Scott Spurgeon | Point of View

Since beginning my role as West-MEC’s superintendent in 2022, creating strategic partnerships with business, industry, and education has been an area of focus for our district.

Partnerships are sometimes an overlooked portion of what makes a school district great. In the case of a career and technical education district like West-MEC, partnerships help create an innovative, adaptable, and nimble district that can adjust its curriculum and programs to create a win/win scenario for industry partners and CTEDs.

The industry gets an influx of qualified workers they can hire, while West-MEC students gain real-world experience, on-the-job mentorship and insights into their future industry. West-MEC even assists students by introducing them to numerous career options available once they complete their programs.

Take, for instance, the new advanced manufacturing program that will be added next fall at West-MEC’s Northeast Campus and at the new Southeast campus, currently under construction at Thomas Road and the 101, where phase one of programs will begin in the fall of 2026. For this program, West-MEC will be the only CTED in Arizona with a cleanroom, an essential component of advanced manufacturing that helps to ensure small particles do not contaminate sensitive items.

This is thanks in part to West-MEC’s partnership with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC). West-MEC is one of the few organizations that have had the opportunity to tour TSMC’s facilities and are working with the company to create a strategic recruiting/workforce plan for the West Valley.

In addition, West-MEC has recently developed multiple programs to meet and address the expanding needs of our industry partners. An example of this is our Automation & Robotics Systems program, which began at the start of this school year on our southwest campus.

The program prepares students to manage industrial automation control systems and technologies, mainly focusing on integrating artificial intelligence in the control of machines within manufacturing processes.

This program was born from speaking with industry leaders in this field, such as TSMC, Gatorade, Nestle, and more. With these companies building facilities in the West Valley, the need for qualified workers in the automation field is going to be at an all-time high.

That’s not the only new program this year, however. West-MEC also started its Cloud Technology program, which was developed due to West-MEC’s partnership with Amazon. Amazon is on West-MEC’s advisory council, and they are going to be adding 550 jobs within the cloud technology space, which is why the program was created.

Opportunities in the skilled trades are ever-changing and growing, and because of this, it is vital for CTEDs to stay on top of current trends. At West-MEC, our advisory councils work to assess specific areas of a career and technical education programs and recommend improvements.

Suggestions might include curriculum modifications, purchasing new instructional materials and equipment, or adopting new program policies and procedures. Our advisory councils also provide essential insight that ensures the credentials West-MEC offers are well-suited to the needs of industry. The advisory council champions growth of our industry partnerships by leveraging current connections and demonstrating the benefits for students and businesses alike.

The continued relocation of high-tech and manufacturing businesses to the West Valley and growing career opportunities in Arizona, provides West-MEC with the unique opportunity to prepare our future workforce from the ground up. These programs and incredible partnerships are a part of what makes West-MEC a faster way forward for students.

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

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