Mojave County – Mojave Community College and NUCOR Steel-Kingman have formed a historic partnership to help teach students the skills they need for the workforce of the future.

According to a news release from MCC, the university and NUCOR have signed a memorandum of understanding to work together with the goal of providing a skilled workforce that is eligible for employment at NUCOR. This is the first of many partnerships the university is developing with businesses and industries across the region.

“This is a great day for students, communities, universities and NUCOR,” said MCC President Stacey Crippenstein. “As the College builds the only Advanced Manufacturing Training Center in northwest Arizona, we are working with industry partners such as NUCOR to create curricula that meet the specific needs of each industry. It’s a win for everyone in the county.”

AMTC is based at the Kingman Airport Industrial Park and serves the entire region. MCC’s board of directors recently approved a land purchase from the city, and construction is expected to begin on the university this fall. NUCOR Steel-Kingman general manager Matt Blitch said the company is looking forward to working closely with universities to create a pipeline of highly skilled employees for the company.

“We are excited about this opportunity to partner with the university and look forward to participating in the development of this facility,” said Britsch. Most importantly, we are investing in the young men and women within our community.”

He also said the partnership will provide the company with an opportunity to provide current employees with upskilling. MCC’s Dean of Career and Technical Education, Jason Gee, has helped the college develop his AMTC educational framework, which he says will be a game changer for Mojave County.

“We are very excited about the potential of this partnership with NUCOR Steel,” said Gee. It is important for everyone to know that we can and will provide training to all industries in our region that require highly skilled employees. We are willing to forge equal partnerships with any company that is interested.Partnerships like this really open doors for students in our Craftsman Program. ”

To learn more about partnering with universities on workforce training, contact Kirk Lacy, Dean of Workforce and Community Development at 928-704-4373 or email KLacy@Mohave.edu .