CAMINO Collaborative Aims to Build Future Workforce

Proposed campus would connect APS students with advanced manufacturing, hands-on learning and high-wage careers.

Plans are taking shape for the CAMINO Collaborative, an advanced manufacturing and workforce training campus designed to create new career pathways for New Mexico students and help keep the state’s young people and families here.

Leaders from Sandia National Laboratories, Central New Mexico Community College, the New Mexico Manufacturing Extension Partnership and Mantis Space outlined the vision during a Wednesday Economic Forum meeting moderated by Julie Heinrich, CEO of Heinrich Consulting Group.

The project took a significant step forward Aug. 5, when the Albuquerque Public Schools Board of Education unanimously voted to declare nearly 37 acres of vacant district property near Sandia National Laboratories as surplus property.

The vote begins a process that could allow APS to partner with CNM and the New Mexico State Board of Finance to negotiate and execute a proposed ground lease for two parcels near Eubank and Gibson.

The proposed campus would bring education, research and industry together in an effort to strengthen New Mexico’s advanced manufacturing workforce and create pathways to high-wage, high-skill careers.

“This includes STEM learning opportunities for APS students, giving them hands-on experiences and a direct path to college and careers,” APS Deputy Superintendent of Operations Antonio Gonzales told the board Aug. 5. “The center would also be a regional hub for workforce development and support economic growth in New Mexico.”

The project ties directly to the district’s goal of ensuring that students graduate prepared for the college or career they want to pursue.  It also strongly aligns with the district’s Academies of Albuquerque, which is designed to help students connect their classroom learning to real-world career pathways and future opportunities. 

Through the Academies of Albuquerque, students from pre-k through high school explore different career fields, participate in career-connected learning experiences, engage with business and community partners and better understand the education, skills and credentials needed for careers that interest them. A partnership like this could further strengthen those efforts by giving students greater exposure to high-demand industries, advanced technologies, industry professionals and potential work-based learning opportunities while helping them make more informed decisions about their next steps after graduation.  

Unlike a traditional industrial park, the CAMINO Collaborative is envisioned as a community-accessible campus with education at its core. CAMINO stands for Center for Advanced Manufacturing and Innovation. The project’s vision calls for elementary students from throughout the region to visit the campus and develop an early interest in STEM fields.

High school students could take that exploration further through hands-on experiences in areas such as robotics, additive manufacturing and microelectronics. They would have opportunities to learn from industry professionals, work with advanced technologies and see firsthand the kinds of innovation happening in their own community.

The goal is to create a stronger connection between what students learn in the classroom and the careers available in New Mexico.

“It doesn't run if you don't have technicians,” CNM President Tracy Hartzler said during the Economic Forum discussion.

The proposed training center would prepare students for high-skill technician careers while also creating pathways to further education. Graduates could enter the workforce with industry-relevant skills and opportunities for advancement or continue their education in engineering and other advanced fields at local universities.

For Albuquerque and New Mexico, project organizers see CAMINO as an opportunity to build an advanced manufacturing ecosystem that connects education, workforce development, research and industry.

“The CAMINO Collaborative is a powerful partnership of education, research and industry, but its greatest strength is that our students are at the very heart of this vision,” APS Superintendent Gabriella Durán Blakey said.

“By leasing district property for this groundbreaking hub, we will be giving APS students a unique opportunity to learn directly from leading experts, experience cutting-edge technology firsthand, and see that world-changing innovation is happening right here in their own community.”

CNM hopes to break ground on the training center in spring 2027, although that timeline depends on completing the necessary regulatory and lease processes.

If those steps are completed, the CAMINO Collaborative could become a new bridge between APS classrooms, higher education and the high-tech industries helping shape New Mexico’s economy — giving students a chance to build their futures without having to leave home.