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Pinal County and Phoenix win regional award for rapid workforce response after Nikola layoffs
Summary
Pinal County and City of Phoenix received an Arizona Association for Economic Development Golden Prospector Award for rapidly coordinating job fairs and training to help more than 800 workers displaced by Nikola Motors, including 740 attendees at regional job events and 44 employment opportunities identified.
Pinal County economic‑development staff and partners on Jan. 7 told the board they received a Golden Prospector Award from the Arizona Association for Economic Development for regional workforce work after Nikola Motors closed a plant that affected about 800 employees.
Joel Millman, director of Pinal County Economic and Workforce Development (Arizona at Work Pinal County), said the rapid‑response effort convened career fairs, workshops and partners including Central Arizona College and the Department of Economic Security. He said the coordinated events drew about 740 job seekers, involved 93 workshop participants and yielded 44 employment opportunities aimed at retaining regional talent after the layoffs.
Lucetta Hogans of the City of Phoenix described the work as a cross‑jurisdictional collaboration that preserved regional buying power, reconnected displaced workers, and protected local employers’ access to skilled labor. Millman introduced Pinal County staff — including rapid‑response coordinator Mariah Robles, economic and business strategist Caden Peterson and one‑stop operator Jose Alvarado — and asked the board to accept a photo and recognition of the award.
The board and staff took a group photo after the presentation; staff said the award highlights a model they plan to use for future employer disruptions.
