West-MEC & Pueblo build skilled-trades pipeline for West Valley students

West Valley high school students are gaining a more direct route from career and technical education to the workforce through a growing partnership between West-MEC and Pueblo Mechanical & Controls.

The partnership connects students with workplace tours, mock interviews, classroom demonstrations and industry professionals. Graduates hired by Pueblo, a Modigent company, can continue training through Modigent’s apprenticeship program, which combines classroom instruction, digital learning, hands-on technical training and on-the-job mentorship.

For families in Litchfield Park and Goodyear, the nearby Career Academy at Agua Fria in Avondale provides a local connection to the effort. 

“Not only are our students learning the technical skills, but through that work-based learning, we’re also teaching them the soft skills and the professional development skills,” said Megan Mills, West-MEC assistant superintendent of strategic partnerships and government relations.

Pueblo’s relationship with West-MEC began about five years ago. Jason Sullivan, Pueblo’s director of service operations, said he initially hired two students from a West-MEC HVAC class who remain with the company to this day.

“Out of that first class, I recruited two of their students, put them right to work,” Sullivan said. “And they’re still at Pueblo, even five years later.”

Pueblo has since hired 14 West-MEC graduates, including two students recruited from the high school program this year, Sullivan said.

The partnership comes as contractors struggle to replace retiring tradespeople. Sullivan said reaching students before graduation can create a steadier pipeline into HVAC and plumbing careers.

According to Mills, 65% of West-MEC students who complete their program immediately enter the workforce in the West Valley and beyond. 

In a statement, West-MEC Superintendent Scott Spurgeon said the partnership reflects the district’s effort to introduce students to skilled-trade careers before they leave high school.

“Meeting the growing demand for skilled tradespeople starts with preparing students early,” Spurgeon stated. “Pueblo Mechanical and West-MEC are advancing that work by connecting motivated students with Modigent’s national apprenticeship opportunities, helping them strengthen their technical skills and launch their careers immediately after high school.”

Noah Flug
Reporter | Litchfield Park and Goodyear

nflug@iniusa.org

Community: Litchfield Park and Goodyear

Education: Bachelor’s degree in Journalism and Mass Communication with a minor in Digital Audiences from Arizona State University

Random Fact: I only have one biological cousin.

Hobbies: Watching movies and TV, spending time with my friends, aspiring stoic.