UNM-Valencia launches free AI workshop series for job seekers and students

A free five-session AI workshop series at UNM-Valencia is trying to turn curiosity about artificial intelligence into something more concrete for Valencia County residents: usable skills for school, the job hunt and the workplace. The campus opened Future Ready: AI Pathways as a hands-on workforce-and-education program, with sessions designed to show participants how to use AI tools effectively, practice responsible AI habits and look at career options in New Mexico’s growing tech sector.

The first session was set for June 16, with the remaining workshops scheduled for June 23, July 7, July 23 and July 28, all from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. in Room LRC 101 at UNM-Valencia Campus. At least one class in the series is titled AI for School Success: Tools to Learn, Study, and Create, a sign that the program is aimed not just at coders or engineers but at recent graduates, adult learners, job seekers and small-business workers who need help using new tools without paying for outside training.

The New Mexico Technology Council is presenting the series, and UNM-Valencia said attendees will hear from industry experts through a partnership with Sandia National Laboratories. That combination matters in Valencia County, where the value of an AI class will depend on whether it connects to real hiring pathways, not just trendy software terms. For residents hoping to move into jobs tied to Albuquerque’s tech corridor or New Mexico’s broader digital economy, the workshop series is being framed as a first step toward skills employers may actually recognize.

The effort also reflects how outside funding is shaping local access to new technology. Meta supported the series through a Community Action Grant, part of a program the company says has funded schools, nonprofits and community groups in places with data centers since 2011. Meta said in November 2025 that it had awarded more than $74 million globally to data center communities, including $24 million through the Community Action Grants program, and said Los Lunas grant winners have used the money for STEAM education and technology projects.

For UNM-Valencia, the workshop series fits a mission that goes beyond classroom instruction. The campus describes itself as Valencia County’s University and says its goal is to improve the quality of life in the Middle Rio Grande Valley through education, student success and community partnerships. The free format lowers one barrier, but the larger test will be whether residents can reach the afternoon sessions and leave with skills that translate into jobs, schoolwork and local business operations.