Albuquerque Public Schools
Unveiling a World of Possibilities
In her weekly message, Superintendent Blakey discusses the APS Trades Fair and its connection to our college and career readiness goal.
Welcome back! I hope you had a wonderful spring break and that you’re as excited as I am to tackle the final two months of the school year.
We’re already off to a great start thanks to the APS Apprenticeship Council's skilled trades fair, which we hosted on Tuesday. Hundreds of students seized the opportunity to learn about the many career opportunities available to them after graduation.
This event introduces students who are thinking about what to do after high school to employers eager to recruit a new generation of workers. For companies, it’s a chance to reach prospective workers, particularly as many of their existing employees reach retirement age.
For students, it’s an opportunity to explore the many careers they could pursue and to talk to real people about training opportunities, pay, retirement packages and working conditions. It gets them thinking about life after high school and imagining what they could become, the first step in laying the foundation for their futures.
Events like this bolster the work we’re doing on our post-secondary readiness goal. We’ll be briefing the board next week on the progress we’ve been making in this area, which includes a significant increase in the percentage of tenth-grade students who have earned credit in a career connected learning course.
The other impressive thing about Tuesday’s trades fair was how diverse the vendors were. We had construction companies, trade unions, heavy equipment operators and automotive companies, all the industries you’d expect to find at a trades fair.
But we also had people from the early childhood education sector explaining the scholarships and stipends available and the good-paying jobs students could get by becoming early childhood teachers or administrators. We had Pima Medical Institute talking to students about jobs in the medical industry and the great pay that comes with them.
We had Sandia National Laboratories discussing the many opportunities available there. We had folks from Bernalillo and Sandoval counties on hand to talk about jobs they’re trying to fill.
For those interested in becoming first responders, Albuquerque Fire Rescue and Bernalillo County Fire Department staffers talked about what they do and the great pensions they earn. And the Albuquerque Police Department and New Mexico State Police talked about the many opportunities available in their agencies.
Students interested in the military were able to speak with representatives from the Air National Guard and the U.S. Army. They made it clear to students that they offered much more than combat jobs. The representative from the Army asked students to consider pursuing a career in the trades through the military. Students interested in becoming a mechanic, for instance, could do so through the Army. Best of all, the rep pointed out, students are able to pick the job they want before signing their contract with the Army.
Some of the careers showcased at the Trades Fair pay upwards of $100,000 and don’t require the traditional college path, which caught the attention of many of our students.
I want to thank everyone who helped organize this fair. It was an amazing opportunity for our students.
Enjoy your weekend.