The Bridge of Southern New Mexico
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Workforce Development

The lack of a skilled and ready workforce is consistently identified as the number-one barrier to economic development and diversification of our economy. Working hand-in-hand with all of the key players and partners in building a highly skilled and ready workforce, The Bridge of Southern New Mexico is leading the next steps in not just a plan, but forging the partnerships and resources needed to make it happen.

Thanks to the passion and commitment of a growing set of cross-sector partners on the Workforce Talent Collaborative, a clear plan and path to a comprehensive approach to workforce development has emerged that can transform the future of the region by boosting the earning potential of its citizens.

The plan harnesses the collective assets already in place and identifies the gaps that need to be filled for us to build a ready, highly-skilled workforce that will drive short and long-term economic development for us all. To read the Executive Summary click here, to read the full Strategic Plan click here.

The Collaborative has outlined the alignment needed to equip those who are here now with the skills and knowledge needed to be successful in higher-paying careers and career ladders. The goal is not just about jobs, it’s about driving the holistic development of these industries.

To see the connected set of efforts currently underway in each component of our comprehensive plan, hover your pointer over each section of the graphic below.

High School Graduation

  • Dual Credit Courses
  • Early College High Schools
  • CTE Pathways
  • GISD Blended Senior Year

Culture Change

  • New Mexico True Talent and Communications Campaign

Career Certifications and Associates Degrees

  • Elevating Career Certifications and Two-Year Degrees
  • Alignment of CTE Programs with Industry Needs
  • Prioritizing CTE Investments

College Graduation

  • Strengthen Faculty Relationships with Key Employers
  • WIOA Tuition Assistance
  • Serving as the STEM Community Hub

Workforce Solutions/ Workforce Innovation Opportunities Act

  • Leadership on Local and State Workforce Boards
  • Adequate Funding for DAC
  • Thriving Families Pilot with Community Action Agency
  • Partnership with Adult and Youth Providers

STEM/STEAM/
STEM-H Proficiency

  • Strengthening Access to the STEM Ecosystem

Business Engagement

  • Industry-Specific Roundtables
  • City of Las Cruces Career Coordinator
  • Virtual STEM Mentoring
  • Teacher Externships
  • Student Internships/Summer Jobs

Policy

  • Dual Credit Advocacy
  • Workforce Connections Improvements
  • Early College High School Support

Building the regional Workforce Talent Pipeline needed for success requires a combination of new and existing tools and relationships, as well as targeting our collective community assets to support the holistic talent development for eight targeted industries. Following is a sample workforce pathway. To see each industry’s pathway, click on the industry links below.

  • Healthcare

  • Digital Media

  • Manufacturing

  • Transportation and Logistics

  • Education

  • Energy

  • Aerospace

  • Defense

  • Value-Added Agriculture

A skilled and ready workforce in these eight industries will ripple across the county in an economic cascade of increased incomes and buying power. At the same time, it improves the social determinants of health historically linked to the pervasiveness of poverty here.

Therefore, as we move forward in laying out the strategies and tactics for building highly-skilled workforce talent in a way that drives economic development, we begin with a foundational understanding that developing a comprehensive workforce entails mobilizing all members of community toward the goal of workforce talent development.

This, in turn, will have far broader impact in changing the dominant, primarily negative narrative of this region and foster a cultural shift toward completion, economic stability, and high expectations. To see a full list of the cross-sector members of the Workforce Talent Collaborative leading this community’s work,

click here.

When the hallmark and reputation of our region becomes the quality and depth of diverse and highly-skilled talent in these eight target industries, we will unleash the economic potential of this region. We will break the generational hold of poverty and improve the quality of life of individuals, families, neighborhoods, communities, and the region, as a whole.

Workforce Talent Collaborative Members

Business

  • Debbi Moore, Greater Las Cruces Chamber of Commerce
  • Les Baldock, MVEDA
  • Mariette Mealor, White Sands Missile Range
  • Josh Orozco, Border Industrial Association
  • Chris Shepherd, Film Las Cruces
  • Gilbert Moreno, Prestige Consulting
  • Abel Covarrubias, Aprendamos
  • Nicole Black, Las Cruces Home Builders

Public School Districts

  • Travis Dempsey, GISD
  • Julian Encina, GISD
  • Carrie Hernandez, LCPS
  • Jeff Waugh, LCPS
  • Rachel Knight, LCPS
  • Blanca Ontiveros, LCPS
  • Sonia Quintero, LCPS
  • Michael Ogas, LCPS
  • Dr. Michael Chavez, Hatch

Doña Ana Community College

  • Dr. Fred Owensby
  • Mary Ulrich
  • Berta Cordova de Lozano, Career Services
  • Dr. Joe Butler
  • Marie Ethier, Adult Education

New Mexico State University

  • Dr. Patricia Sullivan
  • Clara Wells
  • Madi Burns
  • Roseanne Bensley, Career Services
  • Nova Pena, Career Services

Workforce Connections

  • Steve Duran, SAWDB
  • Darlene Lopez, One Stop Operator
  • Concha Cordova, Youth Services
  • Yvette Bayless, Adult services
  • Eric Rivera, Workforce Connections
  • Marcos Pena, Workforce Connections
  • Mary Gandara, Workforce Connections

Government

  • Melanie Goodman, US Senator Tom Udall’s office
  • Jamie Michaels, Doña Ana County
  • Shannon Reynolds, Doña Ana County
  • Dr. Griselda Martinez, City of Las Cruces
  • Dr. Francisco Pallares, City of Las Cruces
  • Lydia Nejdl, City of Las Cruces
  • Debbie Childress, City of Las Cruces
  • Elizabeth Teeters, City of Las Cruces
  • Lisa Belvito, City of Las Cruces
  • Rodolfo Acosta, Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, El Paso Branch
  • JoAnn Garay, Small Business Development Center
  • Mary Ann Quesada, Small Business Development Center

NonProfit/Community Service

  • Dawn Hommer, Community Action Agency
  • Isabel Dominguez , Community Action Agency
  • Melissa Ontiveros, Community Action Agency
  • Lori Martinez, Ngage
  • Abeer al Ghawi, Ngage
  • Sommer Mitchell, La Clinica de Familia/Ngage

Transportation

  • Sharon Thomas, South Central Regional Transit and retired City Council
  • David Armijo, South Central Regional Transit

Volunteer

  • Teresa Sanchez

Industry Roundtable Participants (by Industry and Company)

  • Agriculture
    • David Salopek Farms, LLC
    • CEI
    • Farm Credit Services of New Mexico
    • Gillis Farms and Desert Springs Produce
    • Hartman Farms, LLC
    • AAA Farms
    • Jeff Witte, NM Secretary of Agriculture
  • Aerospace/Defense
    • Jacobs Technology, NASA White Sands Test Facility
    • Department of Defense Representative at White Sands Missile Range
    • Spaceport America
    • Virgin Galactic
    • Boeing
    • Physical Sciences Lab at New Mexico State University
  • Healthcare
    • Mountainview Regional Medical Center
    • Memorial Medical Center
    • Mesilla Valley Hospital
    • Dr. Michael Law Dentist
    • Southern New Mexico Rehabilitation Hospital/Acute Care Center
  • Advanced Manufacturing/Transportation & Logistics
    • Interceramic
    • SteriGenics
    • D.A., Inc.
    • Acme Mills
    • Union Pacific
    • CN Wire
    • Glaz-Tech Industries
    • J.H. Rose Logistics, LLC
    • Border Industrial Association
  • Digital Media
    • Electronic Caregiver
    • Ganymede Games
    • Film Las Cruces
    • Las Cruces Bulletin
    • KRWG
    • Arrowhead Center at NMSU
  • Energy
    • El Paso Electric
    • New Mexico Gas Company
    • Macho Springs Wind Farm
    • Organ Mountain Solar

  • Workforce Development
  • Early College High Schools
  • Dual Credit
  • Career and Technical Education Pathways
  • Bridge2Careers
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Contact Us

  • info@thebridgeofsnm.org
  • p: (575) 646-6120
  • 3655 Research Drive
    Las Cruces, NM 88003

Explore

  • Home
  • Who We Are
  • What We Do
  • How We Do It
    • Workforce Development
      • Advanced Manufacturing Pathway
      • Aerospace and Defense Pathways
      • Agriculture Pathway
      • Digital Media Pathway
      • Energy Pathway
      • Healthcare Industry Pathways
      • Transportation and Logistics Pathways
      • Education Pathway
    • Early College High Schools
    • Dual Credit
    • Career and Technical Education Pathways
  • Return on Investment
    • Case Studies and Reports
    • Metrics that Matter
    • Personal Stories
  • How You Can Help
    • Our Supporters

Facebook Posts

Bridge2Careers

3 weeks ago

Bridge2Careers
Make decisions today that will get you into the career you're looking forward to tomorrow. You can now create your own personal career pathway by taking advantage of this FREE, short, six-session online course from NMSU OnDemand: Building Your Bridge2Careers. Find the link and more information in this story: ... See MoreSee Less

Bridge2Careers: New tool helps build education-to-workforce pathway

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Bridge2Careers walks participants through the process of understanding careers that are best matched to their skills, interests and values.
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Bridge2Careers

4 weeks ago

Bridge2Careers
New data shows the "success sequence" works across racial and ethnic groups to ensure an individual doesn't fall into poverty. Check out this article from Spotlight on Poverty and Opportunity: ... See MoreSee Less

How the 'Success Sequence' Impacts Young Black and Hispanic Adults - Spotlight on Poverty and Opportunity

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The ‘success sequence‘—earning at least a high school degree, working full-time in your 20s, and marrying before having children—has been held up in recent years, particularly by conservative ...
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