Arizona Commerce Authority Wins Economic Development Award Recognizing Innovative Workforce Training Centers

PHOENIX, AZ (May 23, 2024) – For the second year in a row, Arizona and the Arizona Commerce Authority (ACA) are being recognized for innovative economic development initiatives.

Business Facilities Magazine recently announced the Arizona Commerce Authority as one of six state winners of its second annual Economic Development Organization (EDO) Awards, recognizing Arizona’s Future48 Workforce Accelerator training centers. The EDO awards recognize economic development organizations’ efforts to grow their communities through “initiatives that are delivering results toward capital investment, job creation, quality of life, and more.”

“Arizona is setting a new standard for workforce excellence with the state-of-the-art workforce programs,” said Governor Katie Hobbs. “The Future48 Workforce Accelerators will train Arizonans with the skills needed to support growing industries such as manufacturing, semiconductors, batteries, automotive and more. I’m grateful to the Arizona Commerce Authority and our local community colleges for their efforts to strengthen our skilled workforce.”

“We’re honored Arizona has been recognized for our workforce development efforts with the Future48 Workforce Accelerators,” said Sandra Watson, President and CEO of the Arizona Commerce Authority. “The accelerators serve as a national best practice for workforce development, bringing together government, education, and industry to develop effective solutions to meet the needs of industry. We’re thankful to Governor Hobbs, our community colleges, and many partners for their continued support.”

The Future48 Workforce Accelerators are modeled after the successful Drive48 facility in Pinal County. A collaboration between the ACA, Central Arizona College, Pinal County, the City of Casa Grande, and Lucid, Drive48 features multiple assembly robots and individual training rooms to prepare workers for jobs in automotive manufacturing. Since 2021, more than 2,400 students have graduated from Drive48.

Since 2023, Arizona has announced four additional Future48 Workforce Accelerators:

• Battery-focused Accelerator – launched in partnership with Pinal County, Central Arizona College, LG Energy Solution and the Arizona Commerce Authority, the battery accelerator will provide training for the manufacturing process of cylindrical lithium-ion batteries.
• Semiconductor Accelerator – launched in partnership with Maricopa Community Colleges, the semiconductor accelerator will provide training to support the state’s booming semiconductor industry.
• The Yuma Accelerator, launched in partnership with Arizona Western College, will offer training in electrical technology, advanced manufacturing, broadband fiber optics, and solar installation in support of the region’s aerospace and defense industries.
• The Kingman Accelerator, launched in partnership with Mohave Community College, will support the region’s growing manufacturing, transportation, and mining industries at a facility located at Kingman Airport and Industrial Park.

Last year, Business Facilities recognized Arizona in its inaugural EDO Awards for the state’s semiconductor industry growth. Arizona leads the nation in semiconductor investments with over $100 billion announced since 2020.

Read more about Business Facilities EDO Awards HERE.

Media Contact
Alyssa Tufts, Arizona Commerce Authority, [email protected]

About the Arizona Commerce Authority
The Arizona Commerce Authority (ACA) is the state's leading economic development organization with a streamlined mission to grow and strengthen Arizona's economy. The ACA uses a three-pronged approach to advance the overall economy: attract, expand, create - attract out-of-state companies to establish operations in Arizona; work with existing companies to expand their business in Arizona and beyond; and help entrepreneurs create new Arizona businesses in targeted industries. For more information, visit azcommerce.com and follow the ACA on Twitter @azcommerce.