GUEST COLUMN: Southern Arizona’s Next Competitive Advantage – Investing in the Skilled Workforce

By Tim Bee
Vice President, Government & Community Relations
Arizona Builders Alliance

Why Proposition 427 matters to contractors, business owners, investors and the region’s long-term economic growth

In business, growth depends on more than capital, customers and opportunity. It depends on people—the skilled workers who turn plans into buildings, designs into infrastructure, and investments into projects that strengthen our regional economy.

For Southern Arizona’s construction industry, developing that workforce is not simply an education issue. It is an economic imperative.

That is why Proposition 427, Pima Joint Technical Education District’s proposed bond initiative, deserves serious consideration from our business community.

 A workforce challenge with economic consequences

Construction companies across the country continue to face challenges finding qualified workers. The Associated General Contractors of America has identified labor shortages as a significant concern for contractors, affecting their ability to staff projects, control costs and meet schedules.

For Southern Arizona, the implications extend beyond individual construction sites. Our ability to attract investment, expand businesses and accommodate growth depends in part on whether employers can find people with the skills to get the job done.

Contractors need trained craft professionals. Developers need confidence that projects can be completed. Businesses need reliable infrastructure. Investors need an environment where workforce constraints do not unnecessarily limit opportunity.

No single initiative can resolve every labor challenge, but expanding access to high-quality career and technical education is a practical way to strengthen the pipeline of future workers.

Preparing students for success

Pima JTED is already helping build that pipeline.

Serving high-school-age students across Pima County and portions of Santa Cruz and Pinal counties, Pima JTED provides hands-on career training through Central Campus and satellite programs offered in partnership with local school districts.

Students develop technical skills, explore career pathways and prepare for employment, apprenticeships, further education, while earning industry credentials and licenses. In construction-related fields, that preparation includes learning to work safely, use industry-relevant equipment and understand the expectations of professional workplaces.

Pima JTED has reported a graduation rate of approximately 96% among program completers, demonstrating the potential of career-connected learning to engage students and help them pursue meaningful goals.

For employers, the opportunity is significant: students who gain early exposure to technical careers can become a stronger source of talent for industries that are essential to our economy.

Demand is outpacing capacity

Student interest in career and technical education has grown faster than Pima JTED’s capacity to accommodate it. According to district information, Central Campus enrollment has increased 77% over the past five years, while hundreds of students have been waitlisted because of limited space.

These numbers represent more than an education system managing enrollment. They represent young people seeking marketable skills and employers who will need qualified workers in the years ahead.

Technical training requires specialized labs, equipment and safety infrastructure. When facilities limit access to these programs, Southern Arizona misses an opportunity to prepare more students for careers that businesses need to fill.

Proposition 427: Investing in workforce capacity

Proposition 427 would authorize funding for capital improvements, including facilities, equipment and technology supporting Pima JTED’s career and technical education programs.

The proposed investment would expand training capacity and modernize learning environments across Central Campus and satellite locations. Construction, welding, engineering, manufacturing and other technical fields stand to benefit, alongside dozens of other programs preparing students for careers throughout the regional economy.

For business leaders, the question is not simply what the bond costs. It is what Southern Arizona stands to gain by investing in its future workforce—and what opportunities may be lost if training capacity does not keep pace with demand.

Capital investment alone cannot guarantee workforce results. Effective instruction, responsible financial management and strong employer partnerships remain essential. But even excellent programs face limits when they lack the space and equipment to serve interested students.

Workforce development is economic development

The business case extends beyond filling today’s vacancies. A stronger local workforce helps employers develop talent close to home, gives young people access to career opportunities and helps businesses plan for future growth.

Contractors and professional organizations like the Arizona Builders Alliance strengthen this effort by advising on curriculum, providing equipment, supporting apprenticeships and introducing students to real-world career opportunities. The strongest workforce systems emerge when education and industry work together.

For investors and business owners considering Southern Arizona’s future, workforce development belongs in the region’s economic development strategy. Commercial buildings, industrial facilities, homes and infrastructure all depend on people who know how to build, install, maintain and improve them.

Training those people is an investment in the region’s ability to turn opportunity into completed projects, sustainable businesses and jobs.

Building Southern Arizona’s future

Public investment should always be accompanied by transparency, accountability and a clear focus on student and workforce outcomes. Supporting Proposition 427 does not mean suggesting a bond is the only solution to workforce shortages. It means recognizing that failing to expand capacity also carries consequences.

Southern Arizona’s business community understands the importance of investing ahead of demand—in equipment, technology, facilities and people. Workforce development deserves the same strategic thinking.

The next generation of skilled workers is already in our schools. With the right training opportunities, those students can become the people who build our homes, power our businesses, maintain our infrastructure and help Southern Arizona compete.

Proposition 427 offers an opportunity to connect student potential with employer demand and make workforce development a shared priority for our region’s long-term economic success. I hope you will join me in voting “Yes” on Proposition 427! 

Photo courtesy Arizona Builders Alliance