Some days when we look around the world, all we see are a bunch of problems that don’t seem to have solutions. It gets frustrating when we want to find answers but get bogged down in the complexity of the problems, making the solutions seem difficult, if not impossible. Sometimes, though, people do find answers to problems.
The state’s own Central New Mexico College with its superb leadership team is an example of an institution that finds answers. It is an organization that finds solutions and makes them work. The people at CNM don’t waste time whining or complaining; they just take care of business. And they provide multifaceted educational opportunities for students with a wide variety of needs and dreams.
For example, last week CNM announced that Rio Rancho will be the home of a new program to train electrical lineworkers, through a partnership with CNM, CNM Ingenuit, Inc. and the New Mexico Rural Electric Cooperatives Association.
This pre-apprenticeship program will offer students a 12- to 14-week course about electric linework, as well as 240 hours of intern work with a rural cooperative. The training facility will be relocated from Las Cruces, and the cooperative’s apprentices will begin their fall apprenticeship here in October.
Five or six poles will be placed outside the campus for the program so students can learn how to climb and work on an electric pole. The training poles will not have electricity.
Governing body member Tom Swisstack said, “the electric lineworker training facility will draw people from around the state to Rio Rancho; it will provide an economic boost for our city and it will provide Rio Rancho citizens with a direct pathway to quality jobs in this skilled profession.”
In addition, this week CNM and Sandoval County’s Office of Business Development held an open house to showcase a new Digital Media Lab at the Rio Rancho campus. The lab will offer high school and college students the opportunity to work with small businesses or community organizations in Sandoval County to create websites, mobile software, logos, videos and more.
By using the lab, students will gain valuable real-world experience while helping to support local businesses and organizations. There will be opportunities to work with a drone, film equipment, sound equipment, virtual reality headsets, computers and the Adobe Creative Suite.
Problems do get solved, and sometimes the complex can become simpler. CNM does an amazing job of taking the complicated needs of our employers and figuring out ways to provide them with trained workers. We are continually impressed with the variety of opportunities and job training courses that are offered at CNM.
We are also excited that the Rio Rancho campus is growing so quickly and is becoming an integral part of the community college system. It’s not only beneficial to Rio Rancho; it’s also beneficial to our businesses, our students and our city’s future.
Now it’s up to the folks – possible students of all ages – who want to improve their job situation to check out the opportunities offered at CNM. It’s guaranteed that you will be impressed with the variety of options available to teach the job skills that employers are seeking. CNM offers many avenues for making dreams come true. Check it out.
Contact the Ryans at ryan@abqjournal.com.
