PHOENIX — Educators at South Mountain Community College say they’re seeing more high school students looking to supplement their traditional education with the trades.
Apprenticeship programs, vocational and trades paths have been highlighted for years by Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs and incentivized with millions of dollars in grants to fill construction and infrastructure workforce pipeline.
SMCC electrician teacher Diego Hernandez said a younger generation is paying attention to that demand.
“I think a lot of social media does a good job of promoting the trades. They see how people can become successful in it,” Hernandez said. "Going into the trades, it made me learn something that was hands-on. I found myself as a visual learner.”
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Brittany Castro previously graduated SMCC’s ACE program, which is aimed at encouraging high schoolers to embrace a broader education. She now serves as the school’s dual enrollment coordinator and says a younger student base is encouraging.
"Before it used to be small little classrooms, barely a couple students who want to, like, take advantage of this opportunity, and now we're filling up,” Castro said. “It's a great opportunity for them, for students themselves, to give themselves a chance and to really be able to see, 'Hey, I can do this. Like, it's not as scary. It's not as hard.'"
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