The Western Maricopa Education Center or “West-MEC” offers technical education training to high schoolers. West-MEC’s courses cover a wide variety of topics, from air conditioning technology to culinary arts.
Now it will offer a new dual enrollment program with Grand Canyon University.
Speranta Klees oversees post-secondary partnerships at West-MEC. She said after high school, students will be able to get a Bachelor of Applied Science in three years.
“Our primary goal is to prepare our students for employment, but at the same time, we want to equip our students for life,” Klees said, “because we know that oftentimes a career requires many more steps beyond what they accomplish here at West-MEC.”
She said the degree will be offered in three focus areas: applied technology, applied business information systems and applied cybersecurity management.
“Grand Canyon University — they have seen that there are so many jobs in the trades that are going without as many applicants and without as many workers as there is need,” Klees said.
West-MEC has partnerships with public universities as well, but Klees said GCU is closest to its main campus and more convenient for students.
