IMPACT REPORT 2022-2023
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OUR WEST-MEC IMPACT
“ I felt like West-MEC gave me a great understanding of what it was like to be a pharmacist and what it would take to become one, both technically and professionally speaking,” said Meyers. “The main thing it did for me was give me the confidence that I could do it, and the confidence when heading into an interview or making new relationships.” - Noah Meyers, Pharmacy Science Alumna
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WHO WE ARE
Western Maricopa Education Center (West-MEC) is a public school district dedicated to providing innovative career and technical education (CTE) programs that prepare students to enter the workforce and pursue continuing education. West-MEC CTE programs provide students opportunities to earn college credit and industry credentials. SUPERINTENDENT MESSAGE
Reflecting on my first year as West-MEC’s Superintendent, I couldn’t be more proud of our excelling students, dynamic instructors, and terrific staff. From exceptional credential rates to expanding industry partnerships and everything in between, everyone came together to produce an unforgettable year at West-MEC.
West-MEC CTE programs provide students with opportunities to earn college credit and industry credentials. With the goal of being the best CTE institution in the country, West-MEC has to constantly innovate and improve itself every day and every year. As the West Valley continues to expand and grow, so does West-MEC.
This year marks the 20th anniversary since West-MEC first began preparing students for tomorrow’s careers. Over the years, West-MEC has experienced rapid growth, but our mission has remained the same - preparing students today for tomorrow’s careers.
Educators from across the state learn from our professional development offerings and bring with them ideas that make us better. Signature events at each campus invite the surrounding community to learn more about what is happening right in their neighborhood. Above all, serving our communities remains a top priority because, without the community, West-MEC wouldn’t be where it is at today.
By providing Career and Technical Education (CTE) to children and adults, we strive to fill the skilled workforce gap and nurture economic progress in the West Valley, Arizona, and beyond. Through partnerships with member districts, industry leaders, and the community, West-MEC provides the most up-to-date technology, resources, and opportunities to tens of thousands of students every year.
Our 2022-23 school year was the best academic performance in West-MEC’s history and the following report provides an overview of what made it such a successful year. On behalf of the governing board and administration, I invite you to look at the impact our district has made over the past year. Celebrate the students, innovative educators, staff, community and business partners that make every day a great day to be at West-MEC. Sincerely, Dr. Scott Spurgeon West-MEC Superintendent
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WEST-MEC STUDENTS EARNED THOUSANDS OF CREDENTIALS THIS YEAR
Western Maricopa Education Center (West-MEC) is a career and technical education school district that prepares students to enter the workforce and to pursue continued education by providing students with opportunities to earn college credit and industry credentials. During the 2022-23 school year, WestMEC students earned 5,953 credentials. An impressive 97% of the completing cohort (1,219 students) earned at least one credential.
“I love CTE because of the people I get to work with and I get to learn how to do something I have dreamed of since I was little to get me ready for a career,” said
actual pharmacy was run. It gave me a lot of references when I was applying for college,” said Noah Meyers, who completed the Pharmacy Science program at West-MEC in 2018. Meyers recently graduated from Midwestern University and is stepping into the field as a full-time pharmacist.
Lance Vuke, 2023 Veterinary Science program completer.
With the chance to earn credentials, and the learning opportunities provided at West-MEC, our students are set up for success when they complete their program, whether they go straight into the industry or pursue higher education. The networking, leadership, and overall professional development skills provided along the way help our students leave West-MEC with technical skills and a vast array of professional skills. “Through West-MEC and the opportunities it gave me, I was able to meet a lot of people and see how an 4
clarity on what they want to do in life and set up a plan for their future. Whether they continue with the field they completed their program in or not, they have a rocksolid foundation set up to guide them on a path to economic independence. “My daughter is in the Medical Assisting program at Northwest Campus. WestMEC has opened a lot of opportunities to her and helped her direct where she wanted to go and what she wanted to do,” said Misty Daughters, mother of a 2023 Medical Assisting completer. “When she started the program all she knew was that she wanted to be in the medical field. West-MEC brought in all these great people from different segments of the medical field and outlined what opportunities there were or where they could go to college depending on the type of job they wanted. It really helped her decide what she wanted to do after high school. We love West-MEC.”
“I had actual pharmacists willing to write me letters of recommendation. Between the hands-on experience in the classroom and the professional skills and connections I made, I definitely had a step up on other candidates.” Through West-MEC, students can find
OUR ORANGE HEROES
Our instructors are the cornerstone of West-MEC. Our future leaders and workforce is due to the tireless efforts of our West-MEC instructors, who mostly transition straight from the industry.
“ Our students are here every day doing what they want to do. But that’s typical of our students, they’re career driven and motivated.” - Jay McDowell, Aviation Maintenance Technology Instructor 5
GENERATION ORANGE SUCCESS
2,323
92%
92%
6,000+
Enrolled Central Program Students
Student Retention Rate
Central Program Retention Rate
Central Program Industry Certifications Earned
WEST-MEC STUDENTS EARNING COLLEGE CREDIT
412 students took dual/concurrent
13 programs offer college credit
4,448 total college credits
earned (versus 3,275 credits previous year)
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LAYING AN INDUSTRY FOUNDATION
“ West-MEC students are humble, curious and want to learn more. The faculty at West-MEC teaches with passion, integrity and with an eye on tomorrow, which is what we need here at Pacific Dental Services. I look forward to seeing more West-MEC students here.” - Rose Olague, Registered Dental Assistant at Pacific Dental Services
Our students are future-ready and are sought out by our industry partners, as shown in our Why I Hire West-MEC Students video series. To see all business partner stories, click here.
Industry partners are essential to the growth and sustainability of WestMEC. The more industry partners we have, the more opportunities are available for our students after WestMEC. During the 2022-23 year we added key partners and learned why our partners love to hire West-MEC students.
Here are some companies that have hired West-MEC students:
Adelante Healthcare
Honeywell
AerSale
K2 Electric
SanMar
Ang Construction
Lexus
Schuff Steel
APS/Palo Verde
Lufthansa
AZ Pipe Trades
Mercedes Benz
Spooner Physical Therapy
Coreslab
Ohana Salon
Cutter Aviation Freightliner AZ
Pacific Dental Services
Hawkeye Electric
PepsiCo
Humana
Rummel Construction
Subaru 1st Pet Vet
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AN AWARD-WINNING YEAR
West-MEC is pleased to celebrate staff members who were recognized for their CTE contributions.
Dr. Aaron Parsons ACTEAZ CTE Administrator of the Year
Eric Phye ACTEAZ Program CTE Program of the Year
Delphina Yazzie SkillsUSA Advisor of the Year ACTEAZ Program CTE Program of the Year
Hailey Adams Outstanding HOSA Advisor for Arizona
David Melian AZCTECC co-contributions to curriculum and framework development for Auto Collision Repair and Refinishing
Holly Medina Exemplary Principal Award, Maricopa County School Superintendent
Student Services Department: ACTE Innovative Programs in Counseling and Career Development Communications Department: ASPRA Awards, Social Media Campaign, Website, Video West-MEC: Mike Johnson SkillsUSA Cornerstone Award
Kris Guy ACTE Region V Career Guidance Award
West-MEC was also recognized as a “School of Distinction” by Cognia, a global, nonprofit improvement organization. West-MEC was in the top 5% of schools internationally that participated in the accreditation process during the 2021-22 school year. West-MEC has been recognized for its demonstrated evidence of growth in learning, engaging and high-quality instructional environments, and effective leadership for schooling. 8
JAG Pathway Makers Award
HARD OF HEARING STUDENT EARNS FULL-RIDE TO ASU
When Juliana Trevino Ramirez first applied to Western Maricopa Education Center (West-MEC), she was interested in the Medical Assisting program. Unfortunately, she was not accepted.
Even though nursing wasn’t her first choice, she applied for the program, figuring that if she did get in, she could say she at least tried something new. Trevino Ramirez’s story is even more incredible because she has mild to moderate hearing loss in both ears and is hard of hearing. In her classes, she used an FM system. This worked well for Trevino Ramirez until fifth grade, when she began to get picked on for being hard of hearing. She said, “I was considered weird, and I became shy and distant from other students which is sad because I was a social butterfly before that. From then on I didn’t use my hearing aids or microphone at all for a few years.” “I was failing my classes; I didn’t have any help. I felt like I wasn’t going to go to college or have a career,” Trevino Ramirez said. “It is crazy I was thinking that so young in seventh grade but that’s where my head was at.”
However, she earned an ESA scholarship to a private school named St. Louis the King, which she was motivated to apply for by a former teacher. Her time at St. Louis the King Catholic School motivated Trevino Ramirez, showing her she is intelligent and capable. During her first year of high school, though, she stopped wearing hearing aids again. That summer, Trevino Ramirez attended camp for people who are deaf and hard of hearing. She connected with the Deaf and hard-of-hearing community for the first time in her life, which helped her build self-confidence. The following year, Trevino Ramirez was selected to join the National Honor Society (NHS). Making it in NHS filled her with more confidence than ever. Trevino Ramirez said, “I never thought I was that great of a student. I was really excited when I got in (NHS), I started crying. I told my mom ‘I really am smart, I can really do things, I never thought I’d be here.’”
While at West-MEC, Trevino Ramirez earned a full-ride scholarship to Arizona State University, where she will pursue nursing or business. “To anyone in a similar situation, I would just say to keep trying, never give up and prove those people wrong,” Trevino Ramirez added.
Read full story here
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ADULT EDUCATION - A BRIGHTER FUTURE FOR ALL
To meet the growing needs of our community, West-MEC provides educational opportunities to adults looking to gain industry skills and futher their education.
PROGRAMS OFFERED TO FILL THE EMPLOYMENT NEEDS OF INDUSTRY:
- Aviation Maintenance Technology - Coding - HVAC-R - IT Security - Pharmacy Technician - Precision Manufacturing - Welding Technology
95.4 Percent
For the year, Adult Education had an overall attendance rate of 95.4%.
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PROJECT SEARCH
Project SEARCH is a Faster Way Forward for individuals 18-28 who have graduated high school and have a disability that is a barrier to employment.
LOCATIONS:
Renaissance Phoenix Glendale Hotel and Spa, and SanMar In the 2022-2023 Cohort, 100% of employed interns are meeting the Project SEARCH success criteria, and a majority of the cohort found employment. (Some interns opted to not seek employment upon completion of the internship.) West-MEC’s Project SEARCH employment rate averages over 70% each program year, which is significantly higher than the Arizona rate of 4.9% of individuals with disabilities working in integrated employment (The Power of Disability Employment: The Impact to Arizona’s Economy, October 2019). In a more recent report, individuals specifically served under the Arizona State Division of Developmental Disabilities, are employed at a rate of 22% (Employment First Report, November 2021) This upcoming year, Luke Air Force Base will be replacing SanMar as a Project Search location.
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EDUCATION PARTNERSHIPS SHAPING THE FUTURE
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West-MEC partners with 15 public school districts and 2 charter districts to enhance a variety of CTE programs. These CTE programs are elective courses offered to students at their designated high school campuses. The following high schools offer West-MEC CTE Satellite Programs. Check with your counselor for more information about these programs.
MEMBER SCHOOL DISTRICTS
Agua Fria Union
Gila Bend Unified
Pendergast Elementary
Buckeye Union
Glendale Union
Peoria Unified
Cartwright Elementary
Littleton Elementary
Saddle Mountain Unified
Deer Valley Unified
Nadaburg Unified
Tolleson Union
Dysart Unified
Paradise Valley Unified
Wickenburg Unified
PARTNER CHARTER HIGH SCHOOL DISTRICTS
Paradise Honors Western School of Science & Technology
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A PERFECT PARTNERSHIP
“ This project supports their infrastructure, helps to develop skills, and provides for their families as well as rebuilds their community, all while West-MEC students got to put their skills to good use,” said Todd Scott, Project Manager of McCarthy Building Companies.
Over the course of the spring semester in the 2022-23 school year, Southwest Campus Electrical, Construction and Welding students teamed up with Pipeline Worldwide and McCarthy Building Companies to transform a 40-foot shipping container into a construction unit used to aid workers in building a CTE campus in Uganda. View Story Here
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POWERING THEIR FUTURE
West-MEC held summer career camps at each of its four campuses, which included 65 hours of programming and 185 students from 8 districts and 23 different schools across the West Valley. Camp programs included Coding, Welding Technology, Medical Assisting and more. We hope to continue to improve and expand on our summer camps after another extremely successful summer career camp!
“My son had a blast! Each day he came home, he had learned something new and exciting. This was a great way to gain some exposure to what West-MEC has to offer at a younger age. He loved all the instructors, and it was also nice for them to socialize with some new kids during the summer,” said an anonymous camper’s parent.
65 Hours 185
Students
8
Districts
23
Schools
“ My son had a blast! Each day he came home, he had learned something new and exciting.”
LITTLETON ELEMENTARY:
Littleton Elementary District officially became a member Some examples of the academies are Health district this past year. They joined Cartwright and Sciences, Computer Science, and the Leadership Academy. Pendergast as West-MEC’s elementary member districts. West-MEC is extremely excited Littleton has eight signature to help support the learning in the district by connecting academies that teach core subjects. Additionally, each industry partners with the academies, providing funding academy provides the opportunity for students to furnish real-world labs, to engage in signature and holding professional experiences aligned with the development sessions for staff. school’s focuses through project-based learning, partnerships, and experiences.
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CTSOS = SPRINGING INTO LEADERSHIP
State and National CTSO Award Winners for Central Programs
FBLA 23 HOSA 102 SkillsUSA 57 Total Students 182
We are honored to have West-MEC students selected to serve as state officers. These students are gaining valuable leadership experience and are a testament to the impact and guidance our West-MEC instructors provide them.
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RETURN ON YOUR INVESTMENT
Accomplishing West-MEC’s mission to prepare students today for tomorrow’s careers requires the district to think beyond central programs. Achieving this aspirational purpose requires a shared commitment to high quality CTE and investment across all our partnerships. As a result, West-MEC serves as an educational partner with member districts in providing a myriad of services and funding.
TOTAL FUNDING AND SERVICES
- CTSO Officer Trainings
10.3 million funded based on student enrollment
- Host Regional CTSO Competitions
560K to support industry aligned equipment 450K to support innovation in CTE 72K to support small districts 300K to support 8th grade STEM education 16
- School grants to grow CTE programs - Counselor grants to promote Central Programs - State CTE Curriculum Consortium Membership - OSHA Training, 10 & 30 Certification - Snap-On Training Certifications - Program of Study/Dual Enrollment - Career Services for Students - Externships for Teachers and Students - Facility Usage of West-MEC Facilities by Member Districts - START Center Services - Certification Services for Teachers to renew their Teaching Certifications - Certification Classes for Teachers to earn their Teaching Certifications
OUR FUTURE PROJECTS
West-MEC is a faster way forward for students. To keep that mantra alive, West-MEC has to keep up with the ever-changing technology demands of its programs, growing interest from students across the valley to come to WestMEC, and the strategic ways to incorporate industry-led best practices.
Here are some upcoming West-MEC expansion projects:
SOUTHWEST CAMPUS - IT Security Lab - Mezzanine Improvements
NORTHEAST CAMPUS: - EV Lab - Hangar Renovation (AIT) - Diesel Lab Repurpose -M edical Assisting/Pharmacy Science Remodel
AGUA FRIA HIGH SCHOOL DISTRICT:
OTHER POTENTIAL PROGRAM ADDITIONS:
SOUTHEAST CAMPUS:
- Diesel Technology
- Welding - Electrical - Plumbing
West-MEC is unbelievably excited that it was approved for a new campus, the Southeast Campus, and “Phase 1” of the planning process is underway! It will be West-MEC’s largest campus to date.
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