Education Attainment - Achieve60AZ

The Talent Ready AZ initiative was created with the goal of providing increased access to postsecondary education and training that leads to good jobs in high-demand and high-growth industries. Nearly 7 out of 10 jobs in Arizona will require some type of postsecondary education or training by 2031, however, only 48% of Arizonans have attained a degree or certification.

Increases in education attainment lead to increased individual lifetime earnings and a stronger state workforce. Arizonans with some level of college education have higher earnings and are better positioned to prosper in all sectors of the Arizona economy. Initiatives and Investments in these areas will increase education attainment and move the State closer to its Achieve60AZ education attainment goal, which is to reach 60% of Arizona working adults with a postsecondary degree or credential by 2030.

Initiatives

• Arizona Community College Workforce Scholarship - 6,200 Arizona community college students received tuition and support to pursue and complete a degree or credential at one of Arizona’s 10 community college districts. Learn more about the Community College Workforce Scholarship.
• AZ Healthy Tomorrow - Governor Hobbs invested $72M in AZ Healthy Tomorrow with the universities for doctors, nurses and allied health professions to build Arizona’s health workforce. Learn more about AZ Healthy Tomorrow.
• Tribal Education and Workforce Scholarship Program - Nearly 3,600 students attending Tribal Colleges will receive tuition and other support to pursue and complete their degree or certificate programs at Dine, Tohono O'Odham Community College and San Carlos Apache College.
• FAFSA - Governor Hobbs provided $500K that supported FAFSA events, resources and communications led by the FAFSA Coalition in 2024. In addition, the Governor sent a letter to school leaders and school counselors, proclaimed April 2024 as Finish Line to the FAFSA Month, and provided support to the FAFSA Kickoff. In partnership with the FAFSA Coalition, more than 17,000 more Arizona students completed their FAFSAs as a result. Learn more about FAFSA in Arizona.
• Future48 Workforce Accelerators - Led by the Arizona Commerce Authority, the Future48 Workforce Accelerators are investing $30M in community colleges to offer customized training for jobs in advanced manufacturing, semiconductors, battery manufacturing, aerospace and defense and more. Learn more about the Future48 Workforce Accelerators.
• BuildItAZ - Led by the Arizona Office of Economic Opportunity, BuildItAZ is working to double the number of construction and trades registered apprentices by 2026. Learn more about BuildItAZ.
• Ready Tech Go! - OEO partnered with four community colleges to offer the Automated Industrial Technology program that provides students with essential skills for jobs in advanced manufacturing. Students can pursue further certifications in high-demand fields such as electric vehicles, semiconductors, medical devices, and aerospace. For more information, visit ReadyTechGoAZ.com.
• University Semi-Conductor R&D - The Arizona Commerce Authority has partnered with the state universities to invest $100M in R&D for semiconductors.
  • NAU to expand research and training in metrology
  • ASU to expand advanced semiconductor manufacturing capabilities
  • University of Arizona to expand their Micro/Nano Fabrication Center (MNFC) in Tucson
  • ASU to further its Materials to Fab Center in partnership with ACA and Applied Materials
• The Arizona Nurse Education Investment Pilot Program - The Governor invested $15M in ARPA funds to increase capacity of nursing education programs at the state’s universities and community colleges. This increased capacity includes nursing assistants (NA), licensed practical nurses (LPN), registered nurses (RN), and advanced practice registered nurses (APRN).