There’s a lot of discussion going on around town right now about creating a new vocational training program at Southeast New Mexico College. The purpose of this program would be to prepare students for careers in our area at WIPP, in potash, in oil and gas, as well as at other industries. 

In fact, during the October energy summit, the Department of Energy made a major pledge to support operations of this program. Most of our major employers in the area are continually looking to fill key positions, and employers are also often looking for facilities where they can train their current employees. Another key issue of this program is longevity – we want to see a program that remains active ten and twenty years down the road. Dr. Ned Elkins, chair of the SENMC Board of Trustees, is leading this very important effort.  The City of Carlsbad is very proud to be a partner in this effort. We are reaching out to industry leaders for input on this process. This will hopefully be the first of many expansions to Carlsbad’s college, with dormitories planned down the road.