Be Pro Be Proud NM brings hands-on career exploration to Heavy Equipment Rodeo

Thursday, October 02, 2025

Be Pro Be Proud NM brings hands-on career exploration to Heavy Equipment Rodeo

Be Pro Be Proud New Mexico will feature its mobile workshop at the Heavy Equipment Rodeo, hosted by the Associated General Contractors of New Mexico and the Construction Industry Education Foundation, at Expo New Mexico on Friday, Oct. 3, giving students a hands-on opportunity to explore skilled trades through simulators and interactive activities.

“The vision for Be Pro Be Proud New Mexico (BPBP NM) has become a reality, giving students clear pathways into skilled trades that offer good incomes and lifelong opportunity,” said NMDWS Cabinet Secretary Sarita Nair. “Everywhere the mobile workshop goes, it’s igniting curiosity and guiding students to lasting careers.”

“Industry partnerships like this showcase the true power of public-private collaboration, bringing career opportunities directly to students in tangible and inspiring ways,” said NM Chamber of Commerce Foundation President and CEO Rob Leming. “On the mobile workshop, students don’t just explore the breadth of skilled trades; they connect with professionals whose lived experience affirms the promise of these careers. By pairing immersive simulators with authentic voices from the field, we’re transforming exploration into aspiration and showing students what their own futures can become.”

Students attending the Heavy Equipment Rodeo can test high-tech simulators, watch live equipment demonstrations and interview on-site with employers for entry-level jobs and training opportunities.

The 18-wheel mobile workshop offers students immersive experiences in a variety of skilled trades, from operating heavy equipment and welding to driving a semi-truck and exploring health care careers.

Since its launch in 2023, the BPBP NM mobile workshop has made 173 tour stops and welcomed more than 17,000 visitors across New Mexico. More than 5,000 students have taken the next step by requesting more information or connecting with pre-apprenticeship opportunity programs and other mentorship programs to pursue careers in skilled trades.

The program is powered by the New Mexico Department of Workforce Solutions, New Mexico Chamber Foundation, and leading industry partners like AGC NM. BPBP NM is working to close the state’s skills gap by connecting young people with in-demand, debt-free, and close-to-home careers.