18 Jul Workforce Wednesday 2023: AZNext and Workforce Development Opportunities

AZNext and Workforce Development Opportunities

Labor and hiring continue to be problematic for the industry, and there are currently more than 6.4 million job openings reported in the U.S. In response, the AZNext program at the University of Arizona (ASU), Tempe, is creating talent solutions through workforce development. The AZNext program assists in helping individuals gain the skills and the opportunities necessary to fill these vacancies and enter the workforce successfully.

AZNext directly addresses the talent gaps of employers through training and development of new skills and recruitment to reduce training costs and enhance the workforce. The grant-based U.S. Department of Labor-sponsored program leverages AZNext curriculum and available funding resources to create sustainable, beneficial workforce pipelines for next-generation jobs. Participants can train for the skills they need now or for the skills employers are looking for in the areas of advanced manufacturing, cybersecurity, IT and data analytics.

Partner for Progress

ASU works closely with its partners throughout the nation to build and administer sustainable training models and programs designed for the working professional to upskill incumbent workers and train new and diverse talent. Participant targets for the program include unemployed and underemployed individuals, veterans, military spouses and transitioning service members, incumbent workers, high school graduates, community college students and students from ASU.

The workforce accelerator infrastructure includes internships, unregistered and registered apprenticeships, train-to-hire programs, boot camps, simulated work experiences and instruction on soft skills. Trainings can last anywhere from 2 days to two years. Most programs are accessible online and include a virtual session with an instructor for one hour each week, translating into a total commitment of approximately 5-10 hours a week at no cost to participants.

Build Rather than Buy

Program design includes participant outreach and counseling, coaching and experiential learning, entry-level and advanced workforce training and workforce placement. AZNext also offers candidate recruitment. Employers participating in the AZNext program can post job openings to reach qualified candidates who are actively seeking employment.

Industry partners of AZNext also participate as guest speakers to help participants better understand the application of the skills they are learning in the real world. Partners can co-design a program based on organizational needs or join current AZNext programming, depending on the target gaps identified and skills needed. AZNext is also building a manufacturing lab where students will be able to work with high-tech machines in the factory environment. To learn more, visit the AZNext Workforce Training Accelerator Partnership

Presenter: Rob Buelow, Program Director, W.P. Carey Information Systems
Email: AZNext@asu.edu
Sponsor: Lallemand Baking