Workforce Development at GCU
A career in the trades is one that many skilled workers may find to be rewarding. Interest in the trades continues to grow among families. A 2025 national survey found that 89% of parents believe it is a smart career choice for young adults to consider the skilled trades, while 86% said they would be open to or actively encourage their child to pursue a trade career.1
The Center for Workforce Development at GCU aims to contribute to a skilled labor workforce by providing learning opportunities for those who are passionate about their trade. By offering GCU trade certificates, we strive to help meet the need for workers in various industries. We partner with numerous companies to be able to offer our students quality learning that can directly translate into their field.
These undergraduate certificates offered through the Center of Workforce Development at GCU are designed to help prepare you with applicable skills and knowledge that you can use in your specific career path. You will complete your courses at our campus in Phoenix and will have the opportunity to become job-ready for your professional career.
There is a significant shortage of skilled tradespeople in the U.S., creating a need for people to fill these roles in our communities.2 GCU offers trade certificates that can help learners feel ready to fill these gaps and potentially pursue the next step in their career. Students will experience hands-on learning and support while being taught relevant skills, all while benefiting from an on-campus experience at GCU.
GCU has collaborated with various manufacturing partners to offer learners the chance to complete a CNC machinist undergraduate certificate while partaking in a traditional college experience. This undergraduate certificate can help prepare students for careers in many industries, such as aerospace, defense, medical devices, semiconductors and other various manufacturing operations. Students will have the opportunity to gain hands-on experience while completing courses within a 15-week period.
CNC students at GCU may have the opportunity to work with our proud industry partners, including:
- Benchmark Precision Technologies
- Lux Precision Manufacturing
The Undergraduate Certificate in Construction helps students build foundational skills for entry-level opportunities in the construction industry. Designed for learners seeking a traditional college experience, the program covers core topics such as workplace safety, communication, applied mathematics and construction fundamentals. You can also focus your education in areas such as electrical, HVAC, mechanical and plumbing or civil construction. With coursework that may be completed in as little as one or two semesters, this certificate can help you develop practical knowledge for a variety of construction trade pathways.
Construction certificate students at GCU may have the opportunity to work with our proud industry partners, including:
- Client please provide if available
- Client please provide if available
The Manufacturing Specialist Intensive Pathway is a one-semester, industry-funded program sponsored by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) Limited Arizona. The pathway can help you build foundational skills for careers in advanced manufacturing, automation and semiconductor production. Through a focused four-course curriculum, you can develop technical knowledge, solve practical challenges and explore career pathways such as manufacturing specialist roles. The program also includes hands-on shadowing at TSMC Arizona, where you can gain exposure to manufacturing environments, professional mentorship, clean room practices and the skills used in automation and manufacturing work.
MSI certificate students at GCU may have the opportunity to work with our proud industry partners, including:
- Client please provide if available
- Client please provide if available
Partners of GCU’s trade certificates can gain entry-level, knowledgeable workers who have experienced relevant training and are ready to apply themselves to practical work. GCU’s workforce development courses aim to connect businesses with aspiring trade professionals to create mutually beneficial relationships through promoting:
- Recruitment: Involving the community and recruiting those with a passion for pursuing their trade demonstrates our responsibility and commitment to the workforce.
- Responsibility: Our trade certificates teach students how to perform respectable work while demonstrating principles of honor, pride and responsibility.
- Retention: Our trade students have access to GCU’s learning resources that can help support them as they complete their courses.
- Results: These undergraduate certificates are designed to generate results and can equip students with the technical skills they need to enter or continue to work toward their careers.
- Request: We are always looking to expand the opportunities we can offer our students by partnering with organizations in Arizona to help provide solutions to workforce shortages.
GCU also offers varying levels of sponsorship for our partnership organizations, including benefits and perks for your company. To get started in becoming a GCU trade partner and help provide opportunities for students, please contact Mickey Nunez.
1 PR Newswire. (2025, March 3). First National Careers In Trades Week Highlights Skilled Trades as Gateway to Prosperous, In-Demand Careers that Power the Economy. Provided by SMACNA. Retrieved July 2026.
2 Greenberg, E., Schaefer, E. and Weddle, B. (2024, April 9). Tradespeople Wanted: The Need for Critial Trade Skills in the U.S. McKinsey & Company. Retrieved July 2026.
3 The earnings referenced were reported by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), Machinist Occupations as of May 2024, retrieved July 2026. Due to COVID-19, data from 2020 to 2023 may be atypical compared to prior years. BLS calculates the median using salaries of workers nationwide with varying levels of education and experience. It does not reflect the earnings of GCU graduates as machinist occupations, nor does it reflect the earnings of workers in one city or region of the country or a typical entry-level salary. Median income is the statistical midpoint for the range of salaries in a specific occupation. It is very unlikely that a median salary will reflect an entry-level salary. It represents what you would earn if you were paid more money than half the workers in an occupation, and less than half the workers in an occupation. It may give you a basis to estimate what you might earn at some point if you enter this career. Grand Canyon University can make no guarantees on individual graduates’ salaries. Your employability will be determined by numerous factors over which GCU has no control, such as the employer the graduate chooses to apply to, the graduate’s experience level, individual characteristics, skills, etc. against a pool of candidates.
4 The earnings referenced were reported by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), Construction and Extraction Occupations as of May 2024, retrieved July 2026. Due to COVID-19, data from 2020 to 2023 may be atypical compared to prior years. BLS calculates the median using salaries of workers nationwide with varying levels of education and experience. It does not reflect the earnings of GCU graduates as construction and extraction occupations, nor does it reflect the earnings of workers in one city or region of the country or a typical entry-level salary. Median income is the statistical midpoint for the range of salaries in a specific occupation. It is very unlikely that a median salary will reflect an entry-level salary. It represents what you would earn if you were paid more money than half the workers in an occupation, and less than half the workers in an occupation. It may give you a basis to estimate what you might earn at some point if you enter this career. Grand Canyon University can make no guarantees on individual graduates’ salaries. Your employability will be determined by numerous factors over which GCU has no control, such as the employer the graduate chooses to apply to, the graduate’s experience level, individual characteristics, skills, etc. against a pool of candidates.
5 COVID-19 has adversely affected the global economy and data from 2020 to 2023 may be atypical compared to prior years. Accordingly, data shown is effective August 2025, which can be found here: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Construction, Laborers and Helpers, retrieved July 2026.