Workforce development

Community colleges play an important role in the cities, towns, and villages in which they are embedded. They provide a broad range of educational opportunities for people who live in their communities, including workforce training, development, and support for their local and regional economies.

Lottery and Opportunity Scholarships

Research has shown that students who have adequate financial support are more likely to succeed in college than those who do not. Financial stability allows students to focus on their studies rather than worry about how to meet their basic needs.

Legislation

Engaging legislators and residents within the communities we serve is vital to the success of our students and to ensuring access to education across the state.

Workforce development

In the 2022-2023 academic year, NMACC community colleges offered 255 certificate and 183 associate degree options, including 93 focused on workforce. More than 1,000 certificates and 1,700 associate degrees were awarded, and nearly 90,000 hours of non-credit training was provided to community members.

Workforce development is provided via community colleges through:

  • College certificates and associate degrees
  • Non-credit training opportunities for individuals
  • Training programs for local business and industry
  • Opportunities for students to earn certifications in specific “industry-recognized” skills or processes in their programs
  • Work-based learning opportunities through internships and apprenticeships

These instructional opportunities focus intensely on the technical skills needed for jobs in the local workforce. And wherever possible, other skills needed for the workforce—critical thinking, communication, and teamwork, for example—are embedded into the curriculum.

Legislation

Our 2024 legislative priorities include:

  • $14.4 million for student support initiatives focused on student retention and graduation, such as tutoring, academic advising, student basic needs services (services), and behavioral & mental health, including suicide prevention.
  • Compensation increases of 6% for all and additional 3% for faculty.
  • $15 million for a significant infusion of funding from sources outside the funding formula to support Dual Credit programs over a three-to-five-year period.
  • $100 million for expenditure in five fiscal years, $20 million per year, for community colleges, regional universities, and Native American institutions for workforce training including internships.
  • $50 million to support building renewal and replacement. This includes funding for critical infrastructure, addressing critical deferred maintenance needs, building demolition, and construction cost overruns due to inflation and supply chain challenges.

Higher education unified Priorities for 2024 legislative session

Funding to transform and grow New Mexico’s economy

Lottery and Opportunity Scholarships

While many community college students benefit from federal aid and private scholarships, state financial aid programs play an extremely important role in the academic success of New Mexicans. This is particularly true of the Legislative Lottery Scholarship, established in 1996, and the New Mexico Opportunity Scholarship, established in 2022.

Both the Legislative Lottery Scholarship and the Opportunity Scholarship require that recipients be New Mexico residents and maintain a 2.5 cumulative GPA for continued eligibility.

  • Legislative Lottery Scholarship

    The Legislative Lottery Scholarship focuses on recent high school graduates and requires full-time enrollment. The scholarship has been awarded to 1,200 students at branch community colleges. A total of $1.2 million was granted in scholarships in 2022–2023.

  • New Mexico Opportunity Scholarship

    The New Mexico Opportunity Scholarship is open to returning adult learners and part-time enrollment students. The scholarship has been awarded to 5,800 students at branch community colleges. A total of $6.1 million was granted in scholarships in 2022–2023.