State secures $900,000 to expand apprenticeship programs in McKinley County

The New Mexico Department of Workforce Solutions has secured more than $900,000 in federal funding to expand apprenticeship programs, a move that could put more Gallup-area workers into paid training in construction, welding, health care support and other trades.

The funding is aimed at expanding apprenticeship opportunities and supporting the creation and growth of Registered Apprenticeship Programs, the state’s formal employer-linked training model. For McKinley County, that matters most for recent graduates, adults looking to retrain, and employers trying to fill jobs in electrical work, plumbing, manufacturing, information technology and public-sector technical roles.

Gallup-McKinley County Schools and UNM-Gallup are among the local institutions that could help connect students to those pathways, especially for young people who do not plan to pursue a four-year degree. Apprenticeships combine classroom instruction with paid on-the-job experience, giving workers a route into jobs while they build credentials. For local employers, the program expansion could help strengthen hiring pipelines in fields where trained labor is often hard to find.

The award adds to a broader state push that has been building for several years. In 2024, Gabe Vasquez and the New Mexico delegation welcomed $3 million to expand access to apprenticeships in high-demand careers. That same year, the state announced a $5.9 million, three-year federal award under the State Apprenticeship Expansion Formula 2 competitive grant, known as SAEF2. The governor and Legislature also established the Workforce Development and Apprenticeship Trust Fund and invested $30 million for a multi-year effort.

The latest grant also fits a longer funding pattern. In 2016, New Mexico received a $790,000 apprenticeship grant from the U.S. Department of Labor for the ApprenticeshipUSA Advanced Manufacturing Expansion project. State workforce officials have said earlier apprenticeship expansion grants helped increase apprenticeship department staffing, underscoring that growth depends on more than just money for trainees. It also takes staff to recruit employers, register programs and help workers finish.

For McKinley County, the practical question is how much of the new money will reach Gallup and nearby communities, and which industries will see the first openings. If the funding is steered into local Registered Apprenticeship Programs, it could create faster entry points into jobs that pay while workers learn, a structure that can keep more young adults in the county and give employers a steadier labor pool.