According to the U.S. Census Bureau, New Mexico's population totaled
1.68 million in 1995, up 16.3 percent from 1980. (The U.S. population
increased 9.8 percent during the same period.) The major growth areas
were in and around the three major metropolitan areas - Albuquerque,
Las Cruces, and Santa
Fe - and in Los Alamos County. The labor pool has also experienced
healthy growth.
New Mexico's work force is young, ethnically diverse, and well-trained.
The state's highly touted In-Plant Training Program has been producing
quality employees for more than 20 years. Companies such as General
Mills, Intuit, and Taco Bell cite the program as one of the reasons
for locating there. Both classroom and on-the-job training are offered,
with an emphasis on industries that manufacture or assemble products.
Reimbursable training costs include 50 percent of on-thejob hourly
wages up to 1,040 hours and 100 percent of an institution's costs
when training is offered at a public educational facility. In fiscal
year 1996, funding for the program totaled $6.5 million.
A well-educated population is a priority. Approximately 95 percent
of public school funding is provided by the state. New Mexico was
the first state to provide funding for bilingual and multicultural
education in public schools and is one of only four states using an
equalization funding formula to distribute K-12 funds equally to all
students. SAT scores in the state are consistently above the U.S.
average. In addition, there is a broad spectrum of postsecondary institutions,
including five universities, five community colleges, and three vocational-technical
schools.
