Jobs are coming to the West Valley; our community colleges need to be ready

OPINION — The West Valley is in a period of tremendous growth.

TSMC is producing advanced semiconductors in north Phoenix. Amkor is building a major semiconductor packaging and testing campus in Peoria. VAI Resort is taking shape in Glendale. Hospitals and medical facilities are expanding along with our population.

All of that means jobs. The state’s office of Economic Opportunity projects Arizona will need 20,000 more construction workers by 2030, and Amkor’s Peoria campus alone expects about 3,000 jobs averaging $90,000 per year. The question is whether we are doing enough to prepare the people to fill them, and the answer is no.

That’s one reason we’re running for the Maricopa County Community College District Governing Board.

Healthcare is a good example. Arizona needs nurses and other healthcare workers, yet qualified students can still struggle to find seats in nursing and allied-health programs. That's a problem we can do something about.

We should expand those programs in the West Valley and work directly with hospitals and healthcare providers on clinical placements, instructors and schedules that allow more students to participate.

The same is true in the skilled trades. The West Valley needs electricians, welders, HVAC technicians and highly trained technical workers. Our colleges should be talking directly to employers and building programs around the skills those jobs actually require.

Not every career requires a four-year degree, and not every student needs to spend two years earning a credential before going to work. We should offer more short-term certificates and apprenticeships that can lead to a job quickly while allowing students to continue their education later.

But preparing people for careers only works if we get them through the college door in the first place.

That’s one reason we believe the district should bring back junior college football.

After the 2018 season, the district eliminated football at Glendale, Mesa, Phoenix and Scottsdale community colleges. John played JUCO football and knows personally what that opportunity can mean. Football helped get him into college. It gave him structure, teammates and coaches who expected him to show up, go to class and succeed.

There are young people in the West Valley today who may not be thinking about college. Football can be the reason some of them give it a chance. Once they’re on campus, our job is to help them get an education and find a career.

We want to bring football back responsibly. We’ve published a detailed financial model showing how it could work, and we believe new taxes or student fees should be a last resort.

To us, this is what community colleges are supposed to do.

Look at what’s happening in the community. Figure out where the opportunities are, then give people as many ways as possible to get the education and skills they need to take advantage of them.

The West Valley is growing whether we’re ready or not.

We want to make sure our residents grow with it.

John Crow of Scottsdale is a candidate for the at-large seat on the Maricopa County Community College District Governing Board. Ryan Caracciolo of Peoria is a candidate for the District 4 seat, which covers the West Valley. Please submit comments at yourvalley.net/letters or email them to AzOpinions@iniusa.org. We are committed to publishing a wide variety of reader opinions, as long as they meet our Civility Guidelines.