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American Rescue Plan Good Jobs Challenge grant awarded to the North Central New Mexico Economic Development District. The grant covers the bus, instructor, classroom materials and supplies.
WIN focuses on creating pathways to high-paying jobs in construction and health care, prioritising underserved populations, including Latino, Indigenous, formerly incarcerated individuals, and those recovering from substance use disorders.
“ Some of the students are in their 20s, 30s, 40s, and it ' s a life-changer for them,” Eichhorst said.“ They had no idea where to go; they had no idea what to do. We had a couple of the kids from Mora— which is in the middle of nowhere— who are actually working at our Intel facility now and they’ ve relocated toward Albuquerque.”
Baker estimated that 5 % of participants are justice-involved individuals referred through partnerships with organisations like the New Mexico Re-entry Centre and the Youth Adult Court Programme.
“ We really focus on vulnerable and special populations, whether they be youth, justice involved, Indigenous, tribal populations, or women; we do a lot to focus on those vulnerable communities,” she said.
For its first two years, the UA Local 412 Plumbers and WIN Mobile Training Unit will serve seven North-Central New Mexico counties: Colfax, Los Alamos, Mora, Rio Arriba, San Miguel, Santa Fe and Taos. It was unveiled November 28, 2023, at Northern New Mexico College in Española, New Mexico, where the first cohort completed certifications in OSHA 10( workplace safety) and CPR / first aid, and received ladder, confined space, lockout tagout and sexual harassment trainings.
UA Local 412 is working with US Senator Martin Heinrich( D-N. M.) on securing funding beyond September 2026. Heinrich helped obtain USD1.3 million for upgraded journeyman training and USD1.2 million to expand and acquire new tools and materials for UA Local 412’ s Española training facility and has already submitted a request for additional mobile training unit funding.
Whenever possible, Lopez arranges site visits with contractors, allowing students to observe professionals in action and experience the work firsthand.“ The guys are working, we’ re talking with the foreman, and the kids are seeing what it takes to build a mechanical room, so they get to see it,” Lopez said.“ They get the scent, the familiarity of it.”
Even when they aren’ t visiting job sites, Lopez makes sure to get his students out of the classroom as much as possible for hands-on experience. He provides every one of his students with a hard hat, safety vest, glasses and gloves, as well as tools including Channellocks, levels, a crescent and a tape measure.
“ We actually go out and build,” he said.“ I’ ll teach a little bit in the morning, then I take them out to the shop, and then we start building on some stuff, and I show them a project. Not only do we talk about it, we go do it.”
In January, the mobile training unit returned to Española for its first all-female class, continuing a trend of exceeding industry averages for women’ s participation.“ Our last cohort that was in Pojoaque was 50 % women; with only 9 % women in the industry altogether, that’ s huge,” she said.“ We had one in Albuquerque that had 25 % women. And so, we see that this is a great way for women overall to come into the skilled trades.”
Interest in the programme is strong. There is already a waiting list for the next cohort, and contractors are eager to connect with participants.
“ It’ s definitely in high demand,” she said.“ We’ re feeding into other building trades apprenticeships because it ' s been so successful; we can ' t take them all. We’ ve been able to fill our apprenticeship rosters, plus some, utilising this programme, and we’ ve been able to work with the other building trades unions to place apprentices who are interested in their careers. It’ s not only 412; 412 is leading the way for building trades to really open up and develop this programme.” PA
“ Thanks to our Inflation Reduction Act and CHIPS and Science Act, New Mexico is experiencing a manufacturing and clean energy renaissance that is creating new high-quality careers New Mexicans can build their families around,” said Heinrich, who sent representatives to the November 2023 launch.“ I’ m focused on expanding pathways to skills training and apprenticeships that connect New Mexicans to careers in their own communities. This is how we can address workforce shortages, grow the middle class and strengthen our economy.”
Eichhorst, who became business manager in 2016, said Heinrich has been a valuable partner to UA Local 412.
“ The senator has always been a strong advocate for trade and apprenticeship,” Eichhorst said.“ We have worked with him and others to show that the skilled trades offered opportunities to vulnerable populations.”
Frank Lopez, a former UA organiser, moved from Oklahoma to New Mexico to teach the courses. Lopez has taught more than a dozen classes, primarily using the mobile training unit, but also at colleges or the training centre in Albuquerque. For the latter, they can accommodate up to 15 students, as did his most recent class. He proudly pointed out they placed all 15 with contractors.
“ So far, anybody who wanted to go to work has gone to work,” he said,“ and what I mean by that is some kids are like,‘ Hey, yeah, this isn’ t for me.’ And I’ m like,‘ Cool, great. Thank you for being honest.’”
Lopez integrates real-world job site preparation into his teaching, emphasising the importance of arriving on time, staying off their phones and even figuring out whether they need to bring a lunch because there may not be nearby stores or restaurants.“ I can teach math, but no programme is going to prepare you for what it’ s truly like,” he said.
May 2025 Volume 31 I Number 03 www. plumbingafrica. co. za