InBuckeye October 2024

TECH PLEASE! Career & Technical Education District expands offerings for the age of AI T hinking about a career in tech? There are two exciting new programs offered for the first time this year at the West- MEC Southwest campus that’ll help you get there. Aaron Parsons, West-MEC Southwest Campus administrator, said the career and technical education school is “enthusiastic about welcoming students” to the pair of new programs, one teaching Automation and Robotics Systems and the other teaching Cloud Technology. The Automation and Robotics Systems program focuses on integrating artificial intelligence in the control of machines within manufacturing processes and provides students with the fundamental engineering principles and technical skills needed for managing industrial automation control systems and technologies. After completing the one-year program, successful candidates will be prepared for entry-level employment, further training and/ or post-secondary education for occupations like an electro-mechanical technician, robotics technician, control panel builder, mechatronics technician and QA automation tester. Demand for many of these career paths is set to grow in the next decade, in part thanks to the increasing adoption of automated testing

West-MEC CTE programs are based on in- demand industry skills and open opportunities to various pathways, including direct employment, further education and entrepreneurship. In addition to hands-on learning, students train in leadership and professionalism. “West-MEC’s vision to empower all students to participate fully in the economy by providing and enhancing CTE is very important because we truly are training the next generation of workers, innovators and leaders in the West Valley,” said Parsons. West-MEC is an adaptive district that is able to respond quickly to an ever-changing economy. West-MEC’s mission statement is “preparing students today for tomorrow’s careers,” and that is truly the focus at West-MEC. A major part of being an adaptive district is creating and updating programs to meet the current or future needs of the industry. West-MEC is able to stay on top of these trends thanks to its business and industry partnerships and its advisory councils. There will be more new programs and updates to West-MEC in the future because of West-MEC’s commitment to innovation and staying up to date on current industry trends. The Automation and Robotics and Cloud Technology programs are a great example of this, as the programs will fill the needs of companies like Amazon, Gatorade, TSMC and more. “West-MEC truly is a faster way forward for students who want a leg up in achieving their career-related goals, whether they head to the industry after they complete their program or choose to further their education,” said Parsons.

practices across industries. Robotics engineering job opportunities, for example, are expected to go up, with an anticipated 19,920 new jobs to be filled by 2029. The Cloud Technology program focuses on establishing foundational knowledge of AWS Cloud, including its services and terminology. Participants will acquire the technical skills required to secure cloud-based infrastructure services and comprehend their role within larger IT systems. After completing the one-year program, successful candidates will be prepared to seek one or more certifications, including CompTIA (ITF+), CompTIA (Network+), CompTIA (Cloud+) and AWS Cloud Practitioner. They will also be prepared for entry-level employment, further training and/or post- secondary education in occupations such as cloud support associates who provide technical assistance, cloud administrators responsible for managing infrastructure and cloud service specialists involved in deploying and maintaining cloud services.

623-872-6260 West-MEC.edu 500 N. Verrado Way