Late last year, the Rio Rancho Public Schools Board of Education unanimously approved the purchase of a 74,000 Sq ft. facility to be used for expansion of our Career Technical Education (CTE) programs. Now, we are pleased to announce that the sale of the facility to Rio Rancho Public Schools has been finalized and plans are being developed for the build-out of the facility. This is a tremendous step towards the growth of our CTE programs, but also towards the creation of a community that actively creates a trustworthy source of high-skill, high-demand, high-wage employees for the local workforce.
Rio Rancho Public Schools is dedicated to expanding CTE opportunities for students. We want to cultivate students’ skills and provide them with the opportunities to personalize their high school experience based on their career interests. At the same time, we also want to do what we can to help our community produce economic development opportunities and economic growth.
During the 2019 Bond Election, the Rio Rancho community voted to support CTE within Rio Rancho Public Schools. Since then, we have expanded our offerings and put plans in motion to open our new Career Technical Education Center that will provide students with additional opportunities to prepare for careers in current or emerging professions. The CTE Center, expected to open in the Fall of 2023, will include specialized technical instruction that can culminate in postsecondary degrees or certificates, apprenticeships, or workforce-ready employment.
Currently, our CTE programs cover 17 career clusters, including:
Agriculture, Food & Natural Resources
Architecture & Construction
Arts, Audio/Video Technology & Communications
Business, Management & Administration
Education & Training
Energy
Finance
Government & Public Administration
Health Science
Hospitality & Tourism
Human Services
Information Technology
Law, Public Safety, Corrections & Security
Manufacturing
Marketing, Sales & Service
Science, Technology, Engineering & Math (STEM)
Transportation, Distribution & Logistics
Within the above career clusters, we offer more than 20 programs with plans to add more. Some of the careers our CTE students can move into after graduation include, but are not limited to:
Automotive Repair
Welder/Pipefitter
Food Service Manager, chef or restaurant owner
Carpenter
Electrician
HVAC specialist
Film Industry Production
Film Industry Set Design
TV Production
Nursing
Biomedical
Population Health
Firefighting
Law Enforcement or Corrections Officer
Public Service/Elected Officials
Teacher
IT Specialist
Wind or Solar Power Technician
And many other careers…
Our in-depth CTE programs teach students about soft skills, work ethic, entrepreneurship, business ownership, financial literacy, safety, integrated technology and provide an opportunity to earn industry recognized certifications. Some of the CTE programs on the horizon for Rio Rancho Public Schools students include: Medical Laboratory Sciences, Physical Therapist Assistant, Biomedical Engineering and Population Health.
Rio Rancho Public Schools has prioritized CTE and has three main goals for the programs and new CTE Center:
Educate students on Career Technical Education (CTE) opportunities in RRPS and related career options.
Provide students with academic, technical, and soft skills needed to pursue additional education (technical school, college, or university) related to a career interest.
Cultivate strong partnerships with local industry that lead to pre-apprenticeship and internship opportunities for students.
Together with current and future partners from CNM, UNM, Presbyterian Rust Medical Center, Presbyterian Medical Group, Sandoval Regional Medical Center and TriCore Reference Laboratories, we will be able to use CTE programs and our new CTE Center to fill the gaps created by the labor shortage, meet the workforce demand for skilled labor and strengthen our economy.
For more information on our CTE programs within Rio Rancho Public Schools, visit: https://cte.rrps.net/o/cte