FONTANA, Calif. — At a steel factory dwarfed by the adjacent Auto Club Speedway, Fernando Esparza is working toward his next promotion.
Esparza is a 46-year-old mechanic for Evolution Fresh, a subsidiary of Starbucks that makes juices and smoothies. He’s taking a class in industrial computing taught by a community college at a local manufacturing plant in the hope it will bump up his wages.
It’s a pretty safe bet. The skills being taught here are in high demand. That’s in part because so much effort has been put into encouraging high school graduates to go to college for academic degrees rather than for training in industrial and other trades that many fields like his face worker shortages.
PEDCO Team : The people of Pueblo came together in 1981 and formed PEDCO. Business people, large and small, and individuals dug into their pockets to find money to support PEDCO and its economic development efforts. They also gave of their time, available at a moment’s notice to talk to interested companies.
In 1984, Pueblo’s citizens voted to tax themselves to support economic development. The citizens continue to keep that half-cent sales tax in place. PEDCO uses the money for economic development incentives, funding certain capital projects and equipment purchases for new and expanding businesses.
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After decades of pushing bachelor’s degrees, U.S. needs more tradespeople
After decades of pushing bachelor’s degrees, U.S. needs more tradespeople
FONTANA, Calif. — At a steel factory dwarfed by the adjacent Auto Club Speedway, Fernando Esparza is working toward his next promotion.
Esparza is a 46-year-old mechanic for Evolution Fresh, a subsidiary of Starbucks that makes juices and smoothies. He’s taking a class in industrial computing taught by a community college at a local manufacturing plant in the hope it will bump up his wages.
It’s a pretty safe bet. The skills being taught here are in high demand. That’s in part because so much effort has been put into encouraging high school graduates to go to college for academic degrees rather than for training in industrial and other trades that many fields like his face worker shortages.
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PEDCO Team : The people of Pueblo came together in 1981 and formed PEDCO. Business people, large and small, and individuals dug into their pockets to find money to support PEDCO and its economic development efforts. They also gave of their time, available at a moment’s notice to talk to interested companies. In 1984, Pueblo’s citizens voted to tax themselves to support economic development. The citizens continue to keep that half-cent sales tax in place. PEDCO uses the money for economic development incentives, funding certain capital projects and equipment purchases for new and expanding businesses.
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