SANTA FE, N.M. – The New Mexico Economic Development’s Job Training Incentive Program (JTIP) Board has approved grants to train 232 New Mexico workers (230 trainees and 2 interns), helping to grow and up-train the New Mexico workforce, Economic Development Department (EDD) Cabinet Secretary Alicia J. Keyes announced today.
JTIP is an important catalyst for the economy, attracting new companies to New Mexico and helping to retrain and advance workers already here so they can earn higher wages.
"JTIP is a powerful tool in building our economy," Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham said. "These jobs in emerging industries are a testament to our ability to diversify the state's workforce and will help us as we accelerate toward a 21st century economy."
“As businesses look to expand or rehire after the pandemic, JTIP is providing extra momentum,” Secretary Keyes said.
“Our goal is not only to grow New Mexico jobs, but to create well-paying jobs in a diverse and innovative range of industries.”
The February 2021 grants total $1.77 million and will support training at 11 companies, including robotics, wineries, sustainable farms, aerospace products, radiation containment and shielding, biomanufacturing, photovoltaics, cheese manufacturing, pain relief gels and sanitizers, healthcare process automation, medicinal supplements, and pecan products.
Funds have been approved for the following companies:
Build with Robots, Inc. (BWR), Albuquerque, 1 trainee. BWR’s sanitizing robot is being used at the Albuquerque International Sunport and they are scaling up their disinfecting robots to serve at national airports throughout the country.
Average trainee salary: $25; Total funding: $12,000.00.
IDEAS Engineering & Technology, LLC, Albuquerque, 6 trainees and 2 interns. IDEAS provides cost-effective, embedded system solutions for high-reliability applications to government and commercial customers, with a focus on the aerospace market.
Average intern salary: $17.25; Average trainee salary: $28.58; Total funding: $102,955.12.
Lancs Industries, Inc., Albuquerque, 5 trainees. Lancs is the largest manufacturer of radiation containment and shielding products for personnel in radiologic work environments. They have moved headquarters and manufacturing from Kirkland, WA to Albuquerque, NM, purchasing a 26,000 square foot facility.
Average trainee salary: $16; Total funding: $31,040.00.
Natures Toolbox, Inc. (dba NTx), Santa Fe, 14 trainees. NTx has created a novel biologics platform which allows for rapid screenings of available genetic data. They have leased, with an option to purchase, a 25,000 square foot facility in Rio Rancho, and have been working with the STEM boomerang program to bring New Mexico talent back home to fill the many new positions this will bring.
Average trainee salary: $44; Total funding: $338,680.00.
New Mexico Wineries, Inc. (dba Lescombes Family Vineyards), Deming, 1 trainee. Lescombes winery is located in the Mimbres Valley and crafts over 40 different wines under many labels, including Blue Teal, D.H. Lescombes, Soleil, and St. Clair. They also operate a number of bistros and tasting rooms.
Average trainee salary: $15.50; Total funding: $10,230.00.
Paradise Power Company, Inc (PPC Solar), Albuquerque, 6 trainees. PPC Solar specializes in the development, design, and installation of commercial, utility, and residential photovoltaic systems. One of its Albuquerque projects is to create a central jumping off point for installing ChargePoint Electric Vehicle Stations throughout the state.
Average trainee salary: $25.85; Total funding: $68,369.28.
Saputo Cheese USA, Inc., Las Cruces, 150 trainees. Saputo Cheese is one of the top ten dairy processors in the world, employing approximately 17,200 people worldwide. The plant in Las Cruces produces Frigo Cheese Heads string cheese. The company will be expanding the Las Cruces facility, investing approximately $30 million to double its production capacity, and will be adding production lines along with an employee facilities center and wastewater treatment center. This is Saputo’s first JTIP application.
Average trainee salary: $16.81; Total funding: $668,735.60.
Sombra Cosmetics, Albuquerque, 15 trainees. Sombra Cosmetics has been in business in Albuquerque for 45 years, manufacturing pain relief gels and hand sanitizers. This is the company’s first JTIP application. Each product Sombra creates is formulated and evaluated to be scientifically functional, while still maintaining a natural ingredient base.
Average trainee salary: $17.41; Total funding: $89,967.80.
Twistle, Inc., Albuquerque, 18 trainees. Twistle has created a streamlined platform that automatically pushes personalized information to patients to promote patient adherence to prep instructions, appointments, therapies, and medication, leading to better outcomes and higher clinical quality and safety.
Average trainee salary: $40.33; Total funding: $398,171.36.
Vitality Works, Inc., Albuquerque, 13 trainees. Vitality Works is a homegrown New Mexico company that provides leading edge medicinal supplements of the highest quality, purity, and potency. The company sells product to healthcare practitioners, health food stores, retail stores, natural food traders, multi-level marketing companies, and foreign operations.
Average trainee salary: $14.20; Total funding: $39,268.00.
Worthington Farms LLC, Mesilla Park, 1 trainee. Worthington Farms produces pecan products, including flavored pecans, oils, syrups, nut butter, soaps, lotions, lip balms, and sugar rubs. Last year, Worthington Farms began securing operating capital to build a 5,000 square foot facility on their Mesilla Valley property that would include shelling lines, a commercial kitchen, and other equipment to allow them to become more profitable, keep the full production process local, and lease facilities to other Doña Ana pecan producers.
$15.07 11,850.40 ; Average trainee salary: $28.58; Total funding: $102,955.12.