New Mexico’s workforce development programs for adults grew significantly statewide in the most recent fiscal year, according to the Adult Education Division of the New Mexico Higher Education Department.
In fiscal year 2025, statewide enrollment in the Integrated Education and Training system increased by nearly 50% over the previous year, reaching 787 participants. Those students earned 487 industry‑recognized certificates in high‑demand fields, a year‑over‑year increase of 44%, according to the agency.
IET, offered by 19 adult education agencies across the state, gives adults the opportunity to strengthen academic skills while earning an industry‑recognized credential in a high‑demand field.
In late 2024, dozens of new workforce training programs were approved, primarily at community colleges, and funded by a recurring legislative appropriation of $2 million per year for the next three fiscal years.
“The state’s investment in IET is paying big dividends,” said Amber Gallup, director of the Adult Education Division of the Higher Education Department. “More and more New Mexicans are taking advantage of the opportunity to make a new start for themselves and their families.”
IET programs pair rigorous academic skill development with workforce training in priority sectors, including infrastructure, clean energy and child care. Many programs also help adults improve their English proficiency in job‑training settings.
“IET coursework is a catalyst to a new career, a new educational journey,” Gallup said. “Providing New Mexicans with broader opportunities to support their families and communities will continue to be our north star at the Adult Education Division.”
The state currently has 40 active IET programs and 77 approved programs overall, serving a wide range of in‑demand industries.
Available offerings include training and career pathways in health care, construction, transportation, energy, public safety, skilled trades, culinary arts, entrepreneurship and workplace literacy.
“IET is about equity,” said University of New Mexico–Taos IET instructor Nina Bar Giron. “It’s about supporting all of our learners in their educational and career goals. The most rewarding moments for me as an adult educator in the IET classroom are when I see students gain confidence in their abilities. Sometimes our students are the first in their families to earn any kind of academic credential, and it’s so moving to see their entire family show up to the end‑of‑semester celebration.”
Nicole Marcus, an IET student, said the dedication shown by health care instructors made a lasting impression.
Marcus said her instructors were consistently supportive and helped guide students through the coursework. She noted that her instructor’s varied teaching methods helped her strengthen her study habits, including trying new note‑taking approaches that she continued using throughout the term.
“I was grateful for their rallying to make sure we all understood the material and made it through the semester,” Marcus said.
She noted that her instructor’s varied teaching methods helped her strengthen her study habits, including trying new note‑taking approaches that she continued using throughout the term.
