Flanked by supporters and balloons, 21-year old Taylor Martinez put on a baseball cap bearing a large white P and signed her name on a letter of intent, sealing a future with Pima Community College.
Martinez doesn’t play a sport. Instead she committed to a program she hopes will lead to a job with Tucson Electric Power.
She is one of about 20 students in a variety of fields, including firefighting, automotive and building technology, who were a part of the inaugural career and technical education signing day held Thursday at Pima’s Community Campus on North Bonita Avenue.
Pima was one of four schools across the country to hold the event, sponsored by the National Coalition of Certification Centers. The goal was to bring more attention to the opportunities available in technical and career education.
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“We barely have people talk with a lot of interest about people going to college to be a welder, mechanic or truck driver, but the reality is, that’s what drives our nation,” Community Campus President Lorraine Morales said.
About 75 people packed the room, including business leaders, Pima Community College administrators and students. Honeywell, Brakemax, moving company Suddath and Tucson Electric Power were a few of the occupants at tables lining the room’s perimeter.
“We need to create a pipeline of educated workers,” said Dylan Bearce, a TEP training supervisor.
The electrical industry estimates it will lose half of its workforce in the next five years, Bearce said. Median salaries for Arizona electrical jobs such as line workers, technicians and engineers range from $50,000 to almost $90,000, according to projections from the Economic Modeling Specialists Intl.
These skilled employees need to be replaced with people who have years of experience, not months.
Martinez hopes to be one of those replacements. Since graduating from high school, she worked as a hostess, at a for-profit college and became a mom. She wants to go back to school to set an example for her 1-year-old daughter.
“There’s not a lot of females in that program or that line of work, so I want to break that,” Martinez said.
Martinez said her family has supported her decision to go back to school, but she also leans on Pima career coach Suzanna Cruz.
“I think the biggest attraction is students wanting jobs,” Cruz said. She estimated the college’s electrical utility certificate program has almost 200 students. The energy program, like others, directly connects students with resume workshops, internships and professional certifications.
The signing day, with its balloons and breakfast buffet, is just another way to welcome new recruits.
“It’s a good event, especially for technology and occupational students to feel like they’re appreciated by the college,” Cruz said.
