SIGNAL PEAK — A major component of Pinal County’s recent leap into the technology sector came to fruition Wednesday morning with the official opening of a regional workforce training center, named Drive48, on Central Arizona College’s Signal peak Campus.
“Today is a historic day for the college,” said CAC President Jackie Elliott. “This center will serve as a hub for education and training in advanced manufacturing for Arizona’s advanced technology corridor network, and the foundation for a growing and highly skilled workforce.”
The project was a joint effort whose partners included CAC, the Arizona Commerce Authority, Pinal County, the city of Casa Grande and Lucid Motors.
Drive48 training facility
Lucid Motors Technical Training Program Manager Steve Park, left, chats with Gov. Doug Ducey on March 31, 2020 in front of an automotive assembly robot at Central Arizona College.
Governor Doug Ducey speaks March 30, 2021 at the new Drive48 training facility located at Central Arizona College.
Governor Doug Ducey, left, speaks to the media in front of Dirve48 training facilty Wednesday March 30, 2021 at Central Arizona College
Governor Doug Ducey, second from left, is instructed how to operate the automotive assembly robot by Lucid Motors Technical Training Program Manager Steve Park Wednesday March 30, 2021 at Central Arizona College
Gov. Doug Ducey, back left, is instructed how to operate an automotive assembly robot by Lucid Motors Technical Training Program Manager Steve Park on Wednesday, March 30, 2021, at Central Arizona College
Wednesday March 30, 2021 at Central Arizona College
Drive48 traing facility Wednesday March 30, 2021 at Central Arizona College
Arizona Governor Doug Ducey speaks at the Drive48 a state-of-the-art training facility Wednesday March 30, 2021 located at Central Arizona College. Next to Ducey is CAC President Jacquelyn Elliott.
State representative Frank Pratt, left, and wife Janice greet governor Doug Ducey Wednesday March 30, 2021 at Central Arizona College. Also present are Arizona House of Representatives member David Cook and Casa Grande Mayor Craig McFarland.
The instructional section of the training facility Wednesday March 30, 2021 at Central Arizona College
A robotic automation machine in the new state of the art taining faciliy Wednesday March 31, 2021 at Central Arizona College.
Wednesday March 30, 2021 at Central Arizona College
Casa Grande Mayor Craig McFarland speaks at the new Drive48 training facility Wednesday March 30, 2021 located at Central Arizona College.
Casa Grande Mayor Craig McFarland speaks at the new Drive48 training facility Wednesday March 31, 2021 located at Central Arizona College.
The center, designed by Architekton and built by McCarthy Building Companies, has been planned since 2018 when Lucid first came to the region. The building is 13,000 square feet and can hold 100 students at a time. The facility was constructed in just five months. Included inside is a large main area for robotics training, with smaller dojo rooms for hands-on training demonstrations.
Overall the facility’s goal is to allow students hands-on experience on job essentials including parts assembly, safety training and programming.
Initially, the site will be used by Lucid for training new employees. By the end of the year, Lucid plans to have 1,600 employees at its site in Casa Grande, with an eventual goal of 6,000.
Gov. Doug Ducey and several local officials, including Casa Grande Mayor Craig McFarland, were on hand to tout what the site means for the region and the state in terms of jobs and prestige.
“Our state is in the midst of a manufacturing boom,” Ducey said. “High-tech companies are flocking to Arizona. We are showing the nation what it means to welcome innovation and industry, while creating opportunities for people who work in high-tech industries who want to up-skill.”
McFarland said he believes Pinal County could be the “tech center for Arizona” and noted that many high school graduates who didn’t attend college now have more opportunities.
“This is the perfect place for a young person without a college degree looking for a job, who wants to get into some manufacturing,” McFarland said. “We can train those students at CAC, get them into higher-paying jobs, and keep them here in our local community.”
In addition to the training center, CAC also has partnerships with Sundt Construction and Wilson Electric designed to tailor curricula and technology for local businesses.
Currently there are around 180,000 workers within Arizona employed in manufacturing. In addition to Lucid, Nikola Motor Company is currently building a manufacturing plant in Coolidge, while Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company announced last May it is building a factory in the state.