Workforce Training in Motion

By Misty Cryer

Workforce development is a hot topic in Carlsbad. Southeast New Mexico College (SENMC) has stepped up the game by developing workforce training classes, opening the SENMC Workforce Training Center @ the Formerly Joe Stanley Smith Elementary School, and publishing a Spring Catalog for Workforce Training.

“Workforce Development is a little bit different than the academic side, where you go for an associate degree or a bachelor’s,” said Chris Spaulding, Interim Vice President of Workforce Development and Community Engagement for SENMC, explaining that some workforce training classes may be no longer than one day or a week.

“By getting the catalog out there, we will get a feel for what the demand is, and so we are teaching these even if there is just one or two people enrolled,” said Dr. Kevin Beardmore, President of SENMC, about the startup.

“We want to serve everybody who wants it, but if there’s a class nobody signs up for, we’re not going to offer it, obviously. That’s why it is there multiple times, so that we can start letting the community know we are here and available,” he said.

The classes offered in the Spring Catalog include a variety of topics beneficial to local industries, including OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) and oil and gas-related topics, as well as CPR and First Aid.

“They are basically for industry for the workforce out there to either upskill or, a lot of times, maintain their certifications,” said Spaulding, adding that the classes are completely open to the public. “It is individual classes they sign up for, not necessarily for a whole semester,” he said.

Workforce training also includes MSHA (Mining Safety and Health Administration) courses for organizations, a Radiological Control Technician (RCT) program, and CDL (Commercial Driver’s License) training. Spaulding said the date for the RCT program has not been solidified yet but will likely be offered in June or July.

“CDL starts about every three to four weeks, depending on the class size,” said Spaulding. He advised interested parties to apply when they are ready to take it to get into the next class.

“We do work heavily with the oil and gas and mining industries, trying to recognize what their needs are along with the community,” said Spaulding. “The third part that we are developing is pipelining people off the street to develop their skills, and then hopefully go into the workforce,” he said.

Beardmore said, “These are the kind of classes that are not for credit. They will count for industry certifications.” He explained that the credit comes from the industrial certification side, not the college side. Because they are not for a degree, state and federal aid don’t apply. “When you see the prices on the course, whether you are an individual or industry, that’s what you’ll pay,” he said.

“I am anticipating that by the end of the year or early next year, there will actually be college credit tied to these courses, too, not for a degree, but so people can have a transcript that shows it,” said Beardmore.

“This is our first time offering this wide range; it is a real credit to Chris and his team for putting this together,” said Beardmore. “This is just the beginning; we expect there will be even more coming,” he said.

“We are working on our summer catalog already,” said Spaulding.

Some workforce training classes are on campus, with most taught at the new location. “Carlsbad Municipal Schools leased the former Joe Stanley Smith to us, so we are teaching classes there now,” said Beardmore.

While some renovation and dressing up the location that has been boarded up for several years has been necessary, Spaulding said, “We’re already in there; we’re teaching classes, and we’re making it our own.”

The official name is SENMC Workforce Training @ the Formerly Joe Stanley Smith Elementary School, said Spaulding. He said they wanted to make sure to keep Joe Stanley Smith in the title. “He was too important to this community,” he said.

About staffing, Spaulding said, “We hire from industry.” He explained that the instructors come primarily from the potash mines, WIPP, or the oil and gas industry. “They speak the language. They actually can relate to the students they are talking to because they did that job,” he said.

To keep the training relevant, Spaulding said they are working with various companies in the industries. “We want to keep our people current, so we’re working with industry to hopefully be able to have them spend time each year with the industries that they know to see what the latest and greatest is,” he said.

“Based on my own experience and my previous college, this will really grow,” said Beardmore. “It is something that Carlsbad has needed for a very long time,” he said.