A new $6.4 million workforce training center at Chandler-Gilbert Community College will give nearly 1,000 students a year hands-on training for aerospace and defense manufacturing jobs, part of Arizona's broader effort to build a workforce for one of the state's largest high-tech industries.
The Future48 Aerospace and Defense Workforce Accelerator opened Oct. 6 at the college's Williams Campus in Mesa, with training in aviation mechanics, electrical and mechanical assembly, wiring and composites.
The 14,058-square-foot facility was developed with input from aerospace employers including Boeing and Honeywell. The approach is intended to align what students learn with skills companies are seeking when they hire.
That industry connection may be the most significant part of the new center.
Rather than relying solely on traditional classroom instruction, the accelerator includes classrooms, laboratories and hands-on training areas designed to expose students to the types of equipment and processes they could encounter on the job.
“By learning in spaces that mimic real-world environments, our students become fluent in the areas and skills that our business and industry partners are seeking,” Steven Bloomberg, Chancellor at Maricopa Community Colleges, said during the event.
Arizona's aerospace and defense industry currently employs nearly 66,000 workers and has an estimated $32.4 billion economic impact, according to the Arizona Commerce Authority.
Gov. Katie Hobbs, who joined college, state and industry officials for the Oct. 6 opening, said the center is intended to help Arizona prepare workers for those jobs.
“The Aerospace and Defense Accelerator will strengthen Arizona’s workforce, supporting the state’s position as a national aerospace and defense leader and preparing students for high-tech careers in Arizona’s rapidly-growing aerospace industry,” Hobbs said in a press release.
When the project was announced in February 2025, Boeing and Honeywell participated in developing the facility's design and training focus.
The college also created a Business & Industry Advisory Leadership Team, or BILT, advisory board that includes college representatives and 16 industry partners. The group advises the college on workforce needs as Chandler-Gilbert Community College develops additional training and certificates in areas including precision measurement and avionics.
The Mesa accelerator is part of the state's broader Future48 initiative, which uses a $30 million Arizona Commerce Authority investment to establish advanced manufacturing training centers with community colleges around Arizona. The six centers focus on fields including advanced manufacturing, battery manufacturing, aerospace and defense and semiconductors.
Maricopa Community Colleges is also preparing to open a semiconductor-focused Future48 accelerator at GateWay Community College in January 2027.
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Meet Stacy Stacy Mantle is joining the team at Independent Newsmedia, Inc. as an Education Solutions journalist, thanks to a grant from the Arizona Community Collaborative. She has a long history in education that ranges from teaching junior high and middle school to developing curriculum and standards-based assessments.
Community: A longtime advocate for animal welfare, Stacy is deeply involved in rescue efforts and volunteers with several nonprofit organizations.
Random Fact: Once upon a time, she shared her home with a pet coyote and two wolf hybrids. The experiences were wild enough to become the subject of her first book!
Education: She holds a BA in English with a minor in Political Science, a Post-baccalaureate in Secondary Education, and an MBA with a emphasis on Marketing.
Hobbies: In her spare time, Stacy writes fast-paced urban fantasy novels, crafts small-batch artisan soap, and is always up for hiking or off-roading through the Arizona wilderness with her husband of 23 years.
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