NEWS
WY Workers to Benefit from $4.5 million Grant that Targets Emerging Industries
CHEYENNE, Wyo. - Eight local and statewide projects to train workers in emerging industries in Wyoming will be funded under a grant received by the Wyoming Workforce Development Council.
U.S. Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis announced today that the $4,495,704 State Energy Sector Partnership grant to Wyoming is designed to teach workers the skills required in emerging industries, including energy efficiency and renewable energy. The grant was part of $190 million that was available under a competitive process.
Joan Evans, Director of the Wyoming Department of Workforce Services and member of the Wyoming Workforce Development Council, said the training will be delivered throughout the state by community colleges and other training entities.
"This is a tremendous opportunity to utilize partnerships with our training providers to better prepare our citizens for jobs that exist not only today, but into the future," she said.
The Wyoming Workforce Development Council serves as the Department of Workforce Services' advisory board for Workforce Investment Act programs.
The projects will target disadvantaged populations, including Native Americans, women, unemployed and underemployed citizens, older workers, at-risk youth, inmates and veterans. More than 2,000 Wyoming residents will be served during the three-year funding period.
Following is a summary of the local projects that will be funded:
- Casper College-- $578,200 to create awareness of the benefits of energy efficient buildings and provide training in energy auditing, residential wind turbine installation and geothermal heating installation.
- Central Wyoming College-- $302,060 to provide training for environmental compliance, health and safety technicians and to create a Facilities Maintenance Program that focuses on energy efficiency.
- Eastern Wyoming College-- $333,700 to offset tuition and provide instructors for an energy-efficient construction program and to provide training in remote areas in wind and solar equipment installation and weatherization.
- Fremont County Board of Cooperative Education Services (BOCES) -- $1,476,483 to offer training in energy-efficient building technology, recycling of construction materials, and energy auditing.
- Laramie County Community College-- $600,000 to create an Energy Management Program that emphasizes fundamentals in electrical, mechanical and motor controls and encompasses HVAC-specific curriculum.
- McMurry Training Center/Wyoming Contractors Association -- $361,930 to provide safety training for wind energy workers and training in recycling of concrete materials.
- Northern Wyoming Community College District -- $439,335 to offer instruction in energy efficient construction methods and introduce a second building trades apprenticeship in HVAC.
- Wyoming Electrical Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee -- $255,186 to train apprentice and journey electricians in energy efficient building fundamentals, including solar and wind technologies, and to provide mobile training in high-voltage cable splicing and rigging for industrial wind turbines.
Additionally, $100,000 is set aside for training in carbon storage or other sectors that may rise in prominence during the period of the grant.
For more information on the State Energy Sector Partnership Grant call Rob Black, Grants Coordinator for the Wyoming Department of Workforce Services, at 307-777-8716. For more information on the Wyoming Workforce Development Council, visit wyowdc.org.
Listen to the audio from Joan Evans, Director of the Wyoming Department of Workforce Services.
