About AZ High Tech Futures

AZ High Tech Futures is an Initiative of the Center for Workforce Development

The Center is a member of the Division of Academic and Student Affairs at the Maricopa County Community College District in Tempe, Arizona. It serves as the central resource for the most current labor market information, as well as regional and national data on economic and workforce trends and issues. The Center also serves as a hub, bringing together industry and educators for discussions on curriculum and faculty training.

The High Tech Workforce Initiative
The High Tech Workforce Initiative is a coordinated response to the region's need for well-trained technicians in high tech manufacturing. Led by the Center for Workforce Development in the Maricopa County Community College District and funded by the National Science Foundation, it will directly impact technician training and career recruitment across industrial sectors, develop a model program for faculty development, and ensure that curriculum is current.

The HTWI is guided by three goals:
  • Establish a unique model program for creating and broadly disseminating reusable learning modules for technician preparation while advancing faculty knowledge and skills in areas of emerging technology.
  • Reform curriculum and delivery to meet industry requirements and provide students with a relevant, rigorous and interdisciplinary course of study.
  • Redefine Maricopa Community Colleges' outreach and retention strategies to attract more students into the high tech manufacturing fields to meet future employment demands.

High Tech Education at the Maricopa Community Colleges

The Maricopa Community Colleges offer technician and apprentice training programs at ten colleges and two skill centers that provide a world-class education to valley residents throughout Greater Phoenix, AZ. Our alumni are adept in practical troubleshooting and systems level thinking. They are prepared to work as highly skilled technicians in automated systems, electronics, facility operations, and precision manufacturing, among other areas.

Education