Albuquerque’s future depends on how we invest in the next generation, not just with talk, but with tools, structure, and a real belief in their potential.

As The Jobs Mayor, I’m focused on delivering what matters most to young people and their families: access to mentorship, job opportunities, trade training, and support systems that set them up for long-term success. We’re not here to manage youth, we’re here to empower them.

 

Mentorship That Leads Somewhere

Young people need more than activities. They need people, mentors with real-world experience who can guide them, challenge them, and show them what’s possible.

Our plan will build mentorship pipelines using retired police officers, military veterans, tradespeople, entrepreneurs, artists, and others who’ve lived it. These aren’t just volunteers, they’re trusted role models, ready to help young people navigate life and build their futures with discipline, pride, and direction.

 

More Than College: Trades, Apprenticeships, and Real Careers

It’s time to end the myth that college is the only path to success. Today’s economy rewards skills, creativity, and drive, and Albuquerque should too.

We’ll expand:

  • Trade school and union apprenticeships Albuquerque
  • Career pipelines in construction, healthcare, renewable energy, public safety, and skilled labor
  • Creative opportunities in film, media, set design, and production
  • Partnerships that link students with federal and private sector jobs that are hiring now

Whether it’s earning certifications or learning on the job, we’ll connect teens and young adults to careers they can grow into, not debt they’ll grow out of.

 

Family Support and Early Foundations

For youth to succeed, families need support too. That’s why our plan invests in:

  • Affordable, high-quality childcare
  • Early childhood development programs
  • Wraparound services that help working parents pursue education and opportunity

By prioritizing child development programs, we ensure kids enter school ready to thrive. Strong families build strong communities, and when parents thrive, kids follow.

 

Youth Programs That Build Safer Neighborhoods

Our investment in youth is also an investment in public safety. When teens have positive outlets, strong mentors, and access to opportunity, crime goes down and futures open up.

That’s why we’ll focus our resources where they’re needed most, bringing after-school enrichment, sports, STEM, and leadership programming to underserved neighborhoods. These youth programs Albuquerque will give young people better choices and stronger direction.

 

Lifelong Learning That Lifts Everyone

We won’t stop at youth. Our plan includes adult education services to help parents earn GEDs, build new skills, and access better jobs. This multiplies the impact, creating households that are stable, growing, and fully engaged in Albuquerque’s economy.

 

More Jobs at Home, So Our Kids Stay Here

We’re preparing our youth for work, but we also need to create the work they can step into.

That’s why I’m committed to attracting Fortune 500 companies, growing our film and technology sectors, and making Albuquerque a hub for skilled trades, public service, and creative careers.

Through Albuquerque education funding and building better schools, we’ll ensure the next generation doesn’t just leave prepared, they stay here to succeed. Young people shouldn’t have to leave the state to find opportunity. They should find it right here, where they belong.

 

The Bottom Line: They Deserve Better, And So Do We

This is how we build a city that works.

Through mentorship, hands-on training, stronger family support, and strategic partnerships, we’ll equip Albuquerque’s youth not just to survive, but to lead.

They’re not lost. They’re waiting. Let’s give them direction, give them purpose, and give them a reason to believe.

Let’s raise the bar, for them, and for us.