The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors recently approved funding to renew programs that bring accelerated vocational training to rural communities, educating skills in line with local employment opportunities.

Jared Beard with the county says since its launch last year, the Workforce 2 You program has been striving to be stable enough to live on the infusion of fundraising that has renewed it.

“We work closely with local towns and municipalities in Queen Creek, Gillabend and Wickenburg to work with: Beard explained.

Now, he said they are expanding entry-level courses for skills such as managing digital healthcare records and advanced manufacturing.

“The majority of participants actually fall between the ages of 35 and 50,” Beard said.

Beard said the program is about benefiting people who may need career change, with an emphasis on veterans and low-income people.

“Dislocated workers refer to people who have recently evacuated from work or have had unexpected changes in employment-related circumstances,” says Beard. “So we’re going to loop to the evacuated housewives, only those who really need a new start or new opportunity.”

Participants also received free assistance with transportation, tools and other equipment.