Revitalizing Communities

Timeline

Milestone	Projected completion date
Automotive Technology and Innovation Center (DT)	December 2020
Information Technology Fusion Center (East)	December 2020
Aviation Technology Center expansion, renovation	Summer 2021
Science Laboratory renovations (W)	December 2021
Advanced Manufacturing Building (DT)	February 2022
Public Safety	April 2022
Science/Technology Building (DT)	September 2022

The value of public-private partnerships

On Sept. 9, The Thomas R. Brown Family Foundation announced a $2.5 million gift to the Pima Community College Foundation to advance the College's growing presence as the center of economic recovery and growth in the region. The generous funding will support our Center of Excellence in Applied Technology at Downtown Campus. The funds will support the purchase of critical training equipment, and will allow for expansion of training partnerships with our current partners Caterpillar, TuSimple, automotive dealers, and others.  We also will create an Additive Manufacturing (3-D Printing) Program, and a Flight, Maintenance & Repair Program for Unmanned Aircraft Systems – drones.

Employers want graduates who are trained in the relevant industrial technology of today and the future. This is increasingly expensive. We cannot build the same classrooms and train on the same equipment we did 10 and 20 years ago. The only way the College can afford the facilities and equipment required to develop a competitive workforce is through public-private partnerships with employers, philanthropic organizations, and continued state and local support.

Through collaborative effort, with everyone pulling in the same direction, the College will step up to effectively serve our community at this critical moment.

Workforce Development: Community impact 

In August, Pima was invited by Opportunity America to participate in a pilot for a national survey that will assess community colleges’ engagement with employers. This draft survey afforded us the opportunity to assess not only the number of formal partnerships that we have with business and industry partners, but the depth of each of those partnerships. Based on the survey, in 2019-2020, the college had 694 documented partnerships with employers in Pima County and Southern Arizona. Here are some highlights of what we learned:

• Our partners are companies of all sizes:
  • 151: <10 employees
  • 204: 11-50 employees
  • 169: 51-250 employees
  • 57: 250-500 employees
  • 113: > 500 employees

• 255 employer partners provided on-the-job experiences for our students ranging from internships, clinicals, and apprenticeships.
• In that one year alone, Pima provided customized training for 48 employers.
• We engaged 185 new partners alone in 2019-2020, adding to the 506 partners with whom we have a relationship of a year or more. We have decade-long relationships with 89 companies, which shows our engagement and partnership efforts have increased dramatically over the last few years.

We were informed that our results were extraordinary, and were consulted for further revision of the national survey instrument. We look forward to assessing our engagement with employers on an annual basis, and adding community partnerships to the effort (e.g., community-based organizations, trade and industry associations, chambers of commerce, and workforce development entities).

Centers of Excellence

Applied Technology

Pima is making a substantial investment to expand existing programs and start new ones across three areas of Applied Manufacturing: Transportation (Automotive Technology, Diesel Technology, Autonomous and Connected Vehicles); Advanced Manufacturing (Machine Technology, Welding/Fabrication, Automated Industrial Technology, Process Control Optics, Quality and Design, and Robotics); and Infrastructure (Construction, Utility Technology, Mining and HVAC).

Automotive Tech

The Automotive Technology and Innovation Center is on schedule to be completed in December 2020.

In 2020-21 the Automotive team will integrate new electric vehicles and light/medium-duty vehicles into the program.

The Automotive program is increasing its electrical and electronic competencies, the areas industry has identified as the most important precursors to teaching advanced-assist systems The Automotive Technology and Innovation Center will feature space for Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) like Ford, Subaru, and Chrysler.

Advanced Manufacturing

The Automated Industrial Technology (AIT) and Computer-Aided Design (CAD) programs have integrated additive manufacturing competencies into several courses. Both programs continue to expand their robotics and 3D printing capabilities.

The Aviation and AIT programs have discussed adding UAV/drone components for piloting and maintenance/repair. These additions will be developed in partnership with industry advisory members to ensure alignment with high-wage careers.

In partnership with Workforce Development, the Flexible Industry Training (FIT) lab will feature the advanced manufacturing equipment local employers need their workers trained on, in a professional environment where classes can be scheduled to provide training with any duration and schedule, and is not tied to the academic calendar. The Lab will be flexible to adopt the most current equipment employers are using, keeping pace with the accelerated rate at which local manufacturers are adopting new technology.

Arts

A video capture system is being developed which will allow future performances to be broadcast to the community. Seating at Proscenium Theatre has been renovated.

Health Professions

In Nursing, renovations to the Simulation Center will be complete by the end of 2020. The renovation will dramatically increase the number of students who are able to complete their studies on-site, which is critical given limits to access at area hospitals.

The College is revisiting the renovation-versus-new building concept.

Hospitality Leadership

Through a Title V grant and Prop. 301 funding, we are:

• Expanding the CoE to include a Baking & Pastry kitchen (to accompany the new Baking & Pastry Certificate)
• Building curriculum in an optional online format through state-of-the-art technology.

In addition, we have:

• Acquired a food truck
• Created the Aztec Cafe and Bistro, which replaces much of the Desert Vista cafeteria. Hospitality students will operate it as a learning lab, serving meals to students and the community. 

Information Technology/Cybersecurity

This fall, the student-managed Data Center, Cyber Security Operations Center (CSOC) and Fusion Center will join the completed Arizona Cyber Warfare Range.

The Data Center provides room for students to set up, upgrade and repair servers, network switches, storage and other equipment inaccessible outside a large enterprise.

The Fusion Center and CSOC are connected by a retractable glass wall to enhance collaboration.

To further enhance collaboration, the Fusion Center has 216 square feet of whiteboard space for student breakout groups in programming courses.

These areas will provide students with hands-on real-word experience that is needed in today’s market.

The Data Center will provide a lab environment, accessible online, so CSOC and Data Center operations can extend into students' homes.

Public Safety and Security

Continuing to serve our military partners, such as the Air Force, whose airmen we have trained since 2014 to become paramedics. We are the only community college in the U.S. to have that honor and responsibility and have trained more than 275 graduates with a 98 percent pass rate on national credentialing exams.

Incorporating drones and Big Data in first responders’ programming.

Collaborating with community and stakeholders to include social and racial justice education and training throughout first responder programs, particularly Law Enforcement Academy, Administration of Justice degree and via continuing education for law enforcement agencies.

Supporting virtual and hybrid training with accessible Virtual Reality

Expanding virtual offerings for first responder-required refresher trainings

Major initiatives

Applied Technology Academy

Pima has created a non-credit series of courses in collaboration with the local employer Caterpillar to provide just-in-time training to their engineers. The Academy addresses a gap in the engineering skill set providing hands-on fabrication training in welding, machining and prototyping. To date, 10 classes have run.

Arizona Advanced Technologies Network

The AATN has allowed Pima, Central Arizona College and the Maricopa County Community College District to develop a unified, industry-approved curriculum in Automated Industrial Technology, a 21st-century discipline that leads to high-paying jobs in manufacturing and logistics. Enrollment has grown in each of the three college districts' manufacturing programs, and with $600,000 in funding for equipment being provided to each district by the Arizona Commerce Authority.

Through our leadership of the Arizona Community College Coordinating Council’s Workforce & Economic Development Committee, we are establishing the framework by which all 10 of Arizona’s community colleges can join the AATN.  This will result in a statewide emphasis on aligning manufacturing programs to increase upward mobility for our students and attract more manufacturing companies to Arizona.

Digital Wallet initiative

The working learner will need a “digital wallet” (via block chain) to secure, maintain, and validate their credentials in the labor market. Equally, the digital wallet will be used for increased efficiency in matching students/working learners to jobs based on skills (e.g., translating credentials to skills for skills-based hiring). This fall, Pima will launch a blockchain pilot to test the digital wallet concept to catalog industry-recognized credentials in Building Construction Technology (NCCER/NC3) as well as certificates and degrees in BCT.

Thrive in the 05 Business Community Outreach

Pima continues to partner with the City of Tucson Economic Initiatives to support Thrive in the 05 workforce and economic development, and revitalization of the Historic Miracle Mile Corridor near Downtown Campus.

Tuition Reimbursement Assistance

Pima is supporting employer efforts to upskill and reskill their employees through a partnership that enables them to scale this benefit and make it accessible to more employees. The Tuition Reimbursement Assistance (TRA) program markets PCC directly to employees through the employer, provides support to employees at their place of work, and manages the back end administration for the employer and creates a system that benefits the student, the employer, and increases enrollment for the College. In the past year the program has grown from a pilot at GEICO, adding the City of Tucson, TEP, Raytheon, and most recently AGM Container Controls.

Supporting local businesses

An SBDC team has helped Tucson’s small businesses receive Payroll Protection Program and Economic Injury Disaster Loans so that they can stay afloat.

The team has helped 43 businesses obtain loans for just over $5 million.

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