IMPACT REPORT
OUR WEST-MEC IMPACT
“I’m a 17-year-old who can program a computer that moves a robotic arm on an assembly line. I’ve recommended West-MEC to all my friends,” said Energy & Manufacturing Systems program completer Jacob Allen
WHO WE ARE
Western Maricopa Education Center (West-MEC) is a public school district that provides innovative Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs that prepare students to enter the workforce and pursue continuing education. West-MEC CTE programs allow students to earn college credit and industry credentials
SUPERINTENDENT MESSAGE
West-MEC aims to empower students through practical and professional skills. By providing Career and Technical Education (CTE) to high school students and adults, we strive to fill the skilled worker gap and nurture economic progress in Arizona and beyond. Through partnerships with member districts, industry leaders, and the community, West-MEC provides tens of thousands of students with the most up-to-date technology, resources, and opportunities every year.
Entering my third year as West-MEC’s superintendent, the one thing I am the most proud of is everyone’s passion for creating a better tomorrow. Our staff works tirelessly to continue moving West-MEC forward and create the best possible learning environment for our students. Our students, at a young age, dedicate themselves to their programs to set themselves up for a bright future, whether they commit to the industry after their program or look to further their education.
Thanks to our industry and education partnerships and our advisory committees, West-MEC students have never had more opportunities after completing one of our programs than they do now. Moving forward, we look to continue to provide as many opportunities to our students as possible.
Our 2023-24 school year was one to remember, 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 our district’s impact 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
“West-MEC has given my daughter a huge advantage, not only with job opportunities but with applying to the Nursing Program at UofA,” said Jennifer Anderson, mother of a 2024 Medical Assisting completer. “I’m forever grateful to Stacy Ray and West-MEC as this is a field my daughter has always wanted to pursue and West-MEC gave her the opportunity to do so at a young age.”
Western Maricopa Education Center (West-MEC) is a career and technical education school district that prepares students to enter the workforce and pursue continued education by providing students with opportunities to earn college credit and industry credentials.
During the 2023-24 school year, West-MEC students earned over 7,000 credentials and 4,654 dual enrollment credits.
“This was an extraordinarily impressive year for our WestMEC students. Earning over 7,000 credentials is a testament to their dedication to their program and the work WestMEC employees put in to create the best possible learning environment for our students,” said West-MEC Superintendent Dr. Scott Spurgeon.
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 sublime technical skills and a vast array of professional skills.
“Thanks to West-MEC, I have the opportunity to pursue multiple pathways within my field or build my own path,” said Aayden Culp, 2024 Drone Technology program completer.
Through West-MEC, students can find 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 or not, they have a rock-solid foundation set up to guide them on a path to economic independence.
“The thing I love most about teaching at West-MEC is just the students themselves. They’re always wanting to come into the lab. Once they start their program, they’re just all about it,” said
Precision Machining instructor Matthew Cotton.
2,815 99.9% 95%
Enrolled Central Program Students
Central Program Pass Rate
Central Program Retention Rate
7,061
Central Program Industry Certifications Earned by Program Completers
WEST-MEC STUDENTS EARNING COLLEGE CREDIT
379 students took dual/concurrent
17 programs offer college credit
4,654 total college credits earned (versus 4,448 credits previous year)
West-MEC continues to build a strong industry network to provide career pathway options for our students. Here are some companies that have hired West-MEC students.
APS/Palo Verde
Athletico
AerSale
AZ Pet Vet
Banner Health
Caliber Collision
Canyon State Electric
Corning Advanced Optics
CVS Pharmacy
Department of Public Safety
Envoy Air
Ford
Honeywell
Humana
Kearney Electric
Ohana Salon
Phoenix Children’s Hospital
Rummel
Construction
Spooner PT
Subaru
Sulzer
Textron
Toyota
United Aviate Academy
CAREER COLLABORATIONS
A YEAR OF ACHIEVEMENT
and National CTSO Award winners for Central Programs:
2024 ACTEAZ AWARDS
New CTE Teacher of the Year Award
- Teodora Robles
Outstanding Administrative Assistant of the Year
- Carol Risano
ARIZONA ASSOCIATION OF SCHOOL BUSINESS OFFICIALS
Best Practices Award
- West-MEC, Transportation for CTED Students
ASPRA AWARDS
Publication & Electronic Media Award of Excellence
- Annual Report
Publication & Electronic Media Award of Excellence
- Video Series
NSPRA AWARDS
Publication & Digital Media Excellence
- Annual Report
Publication & Digital Media Award of Merit
- Video Series
ACTE COUNSELING AND CAREER DEVELOPMENT AWARD
Kristina Guy
2024 BRIGHTPATH WORK-BASED LEARNING PROFESSIONAL OF THE YEAR AWARD
Susan Leon
ARIZONA SECTION MERITORIOUS AWARD FROM THE AMERICAN WELDING SOCIETY (AWS)
Eric Phye
DR. SPURGEON AWARDS
2023 Leader of the Year in Public Policy Award - Issued by Arizona Capitol Times
2023 Circle of Excellence Award - Issued by COGNIA
2024 Workforce Connector of the Year Award - Issued by the Office of Economic Opportunity
2024 Most Admired Leader - Issued by Phoenix Business Journal
ARIZONA OFFICE OF ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY CTE CONNECTIONS AWARD West-MEC
NC3 SCHOOL ON THE RISE: West-MEC
Dr. Scott Spurgeon
Kristina Guy
Carol Risano
Eric Phye
Susan Leon
Teodora Robles
Matzke suffered a stroke when she was one day old, which caused hemiplegic cerebral palsy. It’s something she has had to live with her whole life, but overcoming her insecurities caused by her condition has been one of her most challenging battles. Thwarting those negative thoughts and ignoring bullies is an extremely tough thing to do, but Matzke isn’t one to back down.
“You should never be afraid to be yourself, even though people might judge you. Don’t be ashamed of who you are; embrace it, especially if you’re living with lifelong conditions,” said Matzke. Matzke has persevered and overcome adversity throughout her life, and this class has been no different. She has taken on the challenge and wants to work in the medical field. Her instructor, Stacy Ray, made sure to make Matzke’s transition into the class as smooth as possible. Doing her due diligence, Ray went above and beyond and searched online for nurses who live with conditions similar to Matzke’s. Ray found Kristina DeJesus Barquin, a nurse with one arm, and learned from her.
“Sometimes Lauryn has to find her own way to do something, but when she does, she has it down and she makes it work. That’s some advice I got from Kristina. Just let Lauryn practice and figure it out her way,” said Ray. “I was a little worried at first about how she will
WEST-MEC STUDENT EXCELS IN MEDICAL ASSISTING PROGRAM
Lauryn Matzke is an excelling student in West MEC’s Medical Assisting program at its Northwest Campus.
Matzke lives with cerebral palsy and Type 1 diabetes. Her left arm is fully functional, but her right arm is not. She is one of the class’s top performers and strives for excellence every day.
be able to do everything we do in class, but now she is thriving and the class has really embraced her. They are a big team in there.”
In a program like Medical Assisting, many activities typically require two hands. Things like drawing blood, administering injections, recording EKGs, and putting on a medical glove are all things that are tough to do with one hand. But Matzke does not listen when someone tells her she can’t do something. And her instructor and classmates have been there for her the whole way through, providing assistance and support.
With some guidance from staff, including IT security instructor Bradley Whitaker and Ray, a group of medical assistant students have created devices to help Matzke participate fully in the medical assistant class. One device the students made is a 3D-printed device that attaches to the desk, which holds Matzke’s glove so she may place her hand through it to don on her glove so she can wear proper personal protective equipment.
The student team, which consists of Lola Raulston, Anneli Garcia, and Jessica Schreiner, took this design to the Medical Innovations HOSA competition, where they placed second in state and will be going to nationals later this year. However, the inspiration for creating the device was not to place well in a competition; it was designed to help a friend.
“We were trying to find a way for her to get a glove on one-handed. We tried a few different things before our team was able to come up with the current design,” said Schreiner. “We started this just because we wanted to help out.”
After Matzke completes the Medical Assisting program, she plans to attend Glendale Community College to pursue nursing. She wants to intern and job shadow at Phoenix Children’s Hospital. Once she completes her nursing degree, she wants to go home to Minnesota, where she is originally from, and work for Gillette Children’s Hospital, where they focus on kids with cerebral palsy. She has already completed an internship with them, and they want her to return as a medical assistant.
“The Medical Assisting class coming together means a lot to me because from such a young age, I’ve been looked at differently, and I still deal with that; I just don’t tolerate it anymore,” said Matzke. “Sometimes it is tough to have extra attention on me and that I need extra help, but it just means a lot that they’re willing to help me, and I’m glad they all understand the disorder I have.”
Read full story here
Adult Education programs often have varied scheduling options for students, allowing them to build their education pathway to best fit their lifestyle. Day or night classes and programs of different lengths are all examples of flexible scheduling in adult education that helps students find a program that best suits their needs.
In a new study by the World Economic Forum, 50% of employees worldwide will need to upskill or reskill by 2025 to adapt to the evolving nature of the workforce – and CTE could be the answer. Also, for those who did not pursue higher education during early adulthood, trade programs offer flexibility, and comprehensive skills. They can open the door to many high-paying, in-demand job opportunities.
TESTING CENTER
Served 2,490 Testers
West-MEC has partnered with Certiport, PearsonVUE, and Prometric (Iso-Quality Testing) to provide a convenient and secure testing site for certification and licensure exams. West-MEC’s Testing Center is available to community members.
2023 - 2024 Total Program Completers Project SEARCH is a Faster Way Forward for individuals
who have completed high school and have a disability that is a barrier to employment.
This is a one academic year unpaid internship that prepares individuals with disability for success in competitive, integrated employment. Individuals who are in plan with Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) may receive tuition assistance.
Total Program Completers:
70
Total Credentials Earned By Completers
Total Employed
of the interns earned their Food Handler’s Credential
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
Buckeye Union
Cartwright Elementary
Deer Valley Unified
Dysart Unified
Gila Bend Unified
Glendale Union
Littleton Elementary
Nadaburg Unified
Paradise Valley Unified
PARTNER CHARTER HIGH SCHOOL DISTRICTS
Paradise Honors
Ridgeline Academy
Pendergast Elementary
Peoria Unified School District
Saddle Mountain Unified
Tolleson Union
Wickenburg Unified
Dysart Unified Students
Deer Valley Unified Students
RACING AHEAD
Industry and education partnerships are at the cornerstone of what makes West-MEC a faster way forward for students.
Providing opportunities after program completion is part of what makes West-MEC an exceptional place for students to reach their full potential. An example of this is WestMEC’s partnership with Phoenix Raceway. Students from multiple programs have the opportunity to work at Phoenix Raceway during actual races! Download
POWER OF PARTNERSHIPS
The power of a partnership isn’t one-sided. West-MEC benefits greatly from business, city and government partnerships, but so do our partners. Workers, especially in the West Valley, are in high demand. Bridging the gap between the workforce and the industry is a big factor in helping West-MEC students discover opportunities when they complete their program.
“We view West-MEC as the pipeline for the West Valley so this is helping students get a leg up at an early age to see what they like to do and even what they don’t like to do.”
— Rahsaan Bartet, West-MEC Career Literacy Specialist
West-MEC held career camps at each of its four campuses, which included a chance to participate in a combined 32 West-MEC programs and was attended by 300 campers from across the West Valley. We hope to continue to improve and expand our summer camps after West-MEC’s most successful summer camp to date!
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 services and funding.
TOTAL FUNDING AND SERVICES
11 Million
500k
450k
200k
- CTSO Officer Trainings
- Host Regional CTSO Competitions
- 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
- Certification Classes for Teach to earn their Teaching Certifications funded based on student enrollment to support industry-aligned credentials to support small districts to support innovation in CTE
- 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
FUTURE ORANGE 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, the growing interest of students across the valley in coming to West-MEC, and the strategic ways to incorporate industry-led best practices.
Here are some Upcoming West-MEC Expansion Projects:
SOUTHWEST CAMPUS IT Security Lab opening Fall 2025
SOUTHEAST CAMPUS: Phase 1 opening near Thomas Road and 101 in Fall 2026. Programs include: Advanced Manufacturing, IT Security, Medical Assisting, Welding Technology, Physical Therapy
NORTHEAST CAMPUS: Advanced Manufacturing/Semiconductor, Welding Technology opening Fall 2025
WEST-MEC CAREER ACADEMY @ AGUA FRIA Opening in Fall of 2025. Programs include: Air Conditioning Technology, Electrical Trade Specialty, Medium/Heavy Diesel Technology, Welding Technology