Pima JTED, Pipeline AZ Partner to Get Students Workforce Ready

Pipeline AZ, a statewide nonprofit organization powering a career-ready talent pipeline for Arizona’s economy, and Pima Joint Technical Education District, a public school district providing Southern Arizona high school students with career and technical education, are partnering to introduce a dedicated platform for students to explore employment opportunities within their fields of interest. 

The launch of the platform will make career development opportunities more accessible for Pima County residents, boost individual student success and answer the employment needs of the rapidly growing Southern Arizona economy. 

The dynamic career ecosystem is guided by experts from local businesses to ensure that students are entering the job market with relevant skills and that Pima County students have an intentionally developed career pathway. A widespread workforce skills gap is creating a greater need for skills development opportunities to keep up with Arizona’s rapidly developing industries such as construction, healthcare, and computer science. CTE programs such as the pathways offered by Pima JTED can help give students the soft and hard technical skills to close these gaps. 

“Pima JTED and Pipeline AZ are implementing a holistic approach to workforce development, invigorating the growth and vitality of Southern Arizona’s economy by compiling resources to supercharge the professional development of each student we serve,” said Kathy Prather, superintendent and CEO of Pima JTED. “By integrating the Pipeline AZ ecosystem, we can better support our students who are completing their JTED programs with relevant work-based experiences and job matching in our local area.” 

Key features of the new platform include:

• Connecting alumni with employers, and matching alumni to employment opportunities and on-the-job learning experiences, including internships and work-based learning opportunities. 
• Helping young professionals who complete JTED easily transfer to the JTED alumni network with their K-12 Student Profile, featuring skills, certifications, and licenses for job matching.
• Expanding professional networks by leveraging the trusted Pima JTED community.
• Enabling Pima County employers to search and connect with Pima JTED candidates and maintain a company presence for job seeker awareness on Pipeline AZ.

“Pipeline AZ and Pima JTED are joining forces to equip students with the essential academic and technical skills they need to take on the challenges of college, careers, and life,” said Amber Smith, CEO of Pipeline AZ. “The new alumni platform will help both organizations progress towards their shared mission to provide students with not just an education, but a pathway to a successful career. This project exemplifies a dedicated commitment to bridging the gap between talent and industry needs.”