Central New Mexico Community College Joins Sandia National Labs to Develop Advanced Manufacturing Campus

Albuquerque, NM, Sept. 14, 2026 /CourierPR/ -- Central New Mexico Community College (CNMC) is joining forces with Sandia National Laboratories and other community partners to develop a state-of-the-art facility in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The project, part of the CAMINO Collaborative, aims to strengthen the state's advanced manufacturing ecosystem and create new economic opportunities.

The 37-acre site, located near Sandia’s Science & Technology Park along Route 66 and Eubank Boulevard, will house CNMC’s new campus. The land is being acquired from Albuquerque Public Schools, another partner in the initiative. CNMC plans to develop a facility that will bring together learners, educators, researchers, entrepreneurs, and industry leaders in a shared environment. This setup is designed to facilitate career exploration, education, workforce training, business development, entrepreneurship, and employment.

The new facility will focus on developing programs that prepare technicians for advanced manufacturing fields, aligning with the state’s economic development goals. These goals include advanced energy, quantum technologies, aerospace, national security, and other emerging industries. Technicians play a crucial role in moving innovations from research laboratories into commercial production. They build, install, operate, and maintain the systems that innovative companies need to expand. Many of these skilled technician careers offer annual salaries ranging from $70,000 to $95,000, along with robust benefits.

CNMC’s Quantum Technician Bootcamp, developed in partnership with Sandia, is a prime example of the collaborative’s approach. This 10-week program prepares learners to build and maintain systems supporting quantum technologies. The program does not require prerequisites or previous experience, and financial assistance supported by the New Mexico Legislature can cover up to the full cost of eligible workforce-training programs. Graduates of the Quantum Technician Bootcamp are securing entry-level positions with salaries in the $80,000 range, and they have been hired by employers ranging from local quantum companies to Sandia and the U.S. Space Force.

The new campus will also include flexible training areas that can adapt to evolving technologies and employer needs. CNM’s nationally recognized Quantum Technician Bootcamp and other advanced-manufacturing workforce training programs will relocate to the CAMINO site. The facility will provide opportunities for learners at every stage of their educational and professional journeys, from K-12 students to current workers and career changers. Employers will have a reliable workforce-development partner capable of quickly updating training as technologies and skill requirements evolve.

The CAMINO Collaborative and CNMC will also draw on the manufacturing expertise of the New Mexico Manufacturing Extension Partnership, another key partner in the initiative. At the facility, CNM Ingenuity will provide entrepreneurial support, while a makerspace equipped with advanced technologies will give startups and established businesses the resources to test concepts, develop products, connect with collaborators, and prepare for growth.

The project is expected to break ground in summer 2027, marking a significant step towards New Mexico becoming a leader in frontier industries while ensuring that the opportunities created in the state stay local. Technology may define the next era of economic growth, but it is New Mexicans who will power it, when they have the training and pathways to put those technologies to work.