Western New Mexico University is taking a major step to address regional workforce shortages by launching Grant County’s first-ever Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning, Refrigeration, and Plumbing training program, made possible by a generous $222,000 grant from the Freeport-McMoRan Foundation.
“We deeply appreciate Freeport-McMoRan’s steadfast support as a true neighbor and supporter in regional progress,” said WNMU President Jose E. Coll. “Their generous investment allows us to directly address the economic needs of Grant County and provide our residents with unmatched pathways to meaningful careers.”
Local employers across Grant County continue to face significant challenges in recruiting and retaining qualified HVAC technicians and plumbers. Job postings in and around Silver City regularly list openings for plumbers, HVAC technicians, commercial HVAC specialists, facilities maintenance personnel, building controls technicians, and field service professionals. Local schools, healthcare facilities, government agencies, businesses, and industrial operations all depend on functional environmental systems.
“At Freeport-McMoRan, we are committed to investing in the long-term vitality and economic resilience of the communities where we operate,” said Randy Ellison, General Manager of New Mexico Operations for Freeport-McMoRan. “By partnering with WNMU to establish this hands-on training program, we are helping build a sustainable local workforce pipeline that equips residents with vital, in-demand skills for rewarding careers right here in Grant County.”
The initiative is especially important in Grant County and southwest New Mexico, where the median household income falls below state and national averages, and about one in five residents live below the poverty line. Access to localized career training provides a vital pathway to economic mobility and stability.
“This program directly addresses an essential gap in our regional workforce training landscape, enabling our community members to obtain steady, high-demand careers without having to leave Grant County,” said Associate Vice President of Academic Affairs, Patricia West-Okiri, Ed.D.
The new program will be housed in the university’s existing Applied Technology training areas that currently house workforce training programs such as welding, electrical technology and construction. The HVAC training program development is being guided by an ongoing Career and Technical Education (CTE) feasibility study conducted in partnership with Southwest Planning. The study includes industry roundtables, listening sessions, stakeholder surveys, and a thorough workforce and labor analysis, along with facility assessments from engineering firm NV-5.
Grant funding will primarily support the physical equipment necessary to launch the program. Supplies will include consumables—such as tubing, pipes, solder, adhesives, gases, and personal protective equipment—alongside specialized training systems. Additionally, the university will invest resources into curriculum development, state and federal approvals, course design, staffing and student outreach, including consultations with the Plumbers and Pipefitters Union and relationships with local employers for donated training systems.
“By expanding our hands-on technical offerings within our established applied technology spaces, we are addressing critical needs areas between education and immediate employment across the Southwest region,” added West-Okiri.
The new training program qualifies for state and federal financial aid opportunities, including the New Mexico Opportunity Scholarship. By providing access to tuition-free education for qualifying New Mexico residents, these scholarship programs remove financial barriers and empower students to complete high-demand technical training debt-free.