ENMU-Ruidoso Breaks Ground for Workforce Training Center

An artist’s rendering of ENMU-Ruidoso’s two-story building which will house the Workforce Training Center. Image provided by Parkhill.

The Center will serve the community’s workforce education and training needs

ENMU-Ruidoso Branch Community will host a Groundbreaking Ceremony Thursday, July 23, at 10 a.m. for the construction of a new Workforce Training Center. The Center will be attached to the existing building at 709 Mechem Drive in Ruidoso. The public is invited to attend the groundbreaking ceremony.

The two-story building will consist of approximately 14,000-square-foot training facility. The center will serve the community’s workforce education and training needs in heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC), welding, electrical, and related programs. It will contain workshops, a welding lab, classrooms, office spaces, and additional parking lot.

According to data from the New Mexico Department of Workforce Solutions, Lincoln County has a labor force participation rate of 52%, well below the statewide rate of 58%.

“The center will expand local training emphasis for ENMU-Ruidoso, which has grown 59% in enrollment in the last five years,” said ENMU-Ruidoso President Dr. Ryan Trosper.

The College purchased the Sierra Mall in 2022 with funding provided through the legislature, and funding for the Workforce Training Center comes from both state and local funds.

Demolition was completed in June and construction will begin in late July. The architect for the project is Parkhill, and the general contractor is Jaynes Corporation. The project is slated to be completed in fall 2027.