One of the primary goals of the Maricopa Skill Center is to help residents of Maricopa County and beyond, 16 years and older, achieve economic self-sufficiency.

Continuing education at a college or university doesn’t always fit into everyone’s plans. Our job is to prepare students with the solid reading, writing and math skills, coupled with the necessary soft skills for job placement.

The job market continues to be technologically complex. However, we shouldn’t lose sight of the fact that the foundation of many successful businesses is built on the backs of a more traditional work force — welders, machinists, carpenters, plumbers and electricians. The Maricopa Skill Center responds to work force needs by offering a choice: computers and technology or a more traditional career.

The work place is clearly a revolving door these days. Traditional skills are sometimes replaced with automation, which calls for a new work force with automation skills. Businesses are scaling down. These market trends send a very sobering message: the work force needs of today and beyond are changing almost daily.

It is no secret that there are traditional entry-level jobs that often pays more than jobs available to college and university graduates. Just look at the early 1990s when Microsoft aggressively promoted industry certification. CISCO and other related industries began to push for skilled workers first, workers with degrees later. Because our training programs are typically the equivalent of a full-time workweek, the training is completed in six to nine months. Each time we place a student in a good paying job with benefits, we turn a potential “tax users” into a “tax payer”.

Vocational training is an important component of the educational mix. It can be the ticket toward a solid economic future.

John Underwood is executive director, Maricopa Skill Center, a division of GateWay Community College, one of the Maricopa Community Colleges. Its Web site is www.msc.gwc.maricopa.edu