Albuquerque Public Schools
APS Proposes New CTE Facility to Address Skills Gaps
Bond package includes $25.4 million for a training center to prepare students for careers in construction, health care and mechanics.
A critical skills gap in the construction industry is driving up construction costs and hurting economic development throughout the country. The shortage of health care workers is impacting medical access. And even mechanics are in short supply.
In an effort to be part of the solution to these daunting problems, Albuquerque Public Schools is proposing to build a new Career Technical Education facility that would help train students for careers in such industries as construction, health care and automotive repair.
Programming at the facility will be largely driven by economic forecast data for Albuquerque and New Mexico, specifically the types of skilled workers in demand here, in an effort to keep top-tier talent in the state.
“The CTE facility will not just be an initiative with APS; it will be a public-private partnership,” said Capital Master Plan Executive Director Kizito Wijenje. “We are bringing in the Association of General Contractors, the Association of Building Contractors. We are bringing in some of the car dealershiphips and the health care industries. We are bringing in a lot of the trade associations, a lot of the carpenters' unions, so that they can co-teach in that class.
“The idea is to have kids work-ready and certified by the time they finish high school,” Wijenje added.
APS already has a 20,000-square-foot warehouse adjacent to the Dr. J Patrick Garcia Transportation Center at 4000 Osuna Road NE that could be used for the facility. The district is seeking $25.4 million to turn that warehouse into a two-story, 35,000-square-foot CTE training center with outdoor training spaces.
The project is included in a $350 million bond package the district will ask voters to consider in the Nov. 4 general election. Approval of the bond would not increase taxes. Early voting begins on Oct. 7, with expanded early voting starting Oct. 18.
If voters approve the package, the west side facility could open as early as the Fall of 2027.
While it’s too early to say exactly what programming would be offered at the CTE Student Training Facility, Wijenje expects to see training in construction, heavy diesel mechanics, and even phlebotomy.
He said APS would work with community partners like the Associated Builders and Contractors to help make those decisions and partner with the district to provide that training for students.
“Once you’ve reached a certain level in your construction program or your heavy diesel program or health care program at your high school, then you’ll get bused to this new facility, and then you’ll be learning from the professionals,” he said.