BRAVO Award, Governor's Award for Economic Development: The Wyoming Cooperative Recruiting Effort received the 2006 Governor's award, which recognizes businesses, organizations, communities or individuals that contribute to significant economic growth in Wyoming. This informal alliance worked together to recruit workers to Wyoming. Sharing the award are representatives of the Casper Area Economic Development Alliance, Sweetwater Economic Development Association and the Campbell County Economic Development Corporation.

Campus Expands Training Capacity with $2 Million Grant Award

The Gillette team, which included Campbell County EDC, Gillette Campus of Northern Wyoming Community College, Campbell County School District and the Employment Center, wrote a winning proposal and were awarded $1,997,385 for a three-year training and capacity building project.

President George W. Bush and the U.S. Department of Labor recognized the importance of linking local training capacity and employers to growing the economy. The President’s Community-Based Job Training Grant program identified 14 industry targets, including energy, for grant applications submitted in July 2005. According to the Department of Labor, by expanding the local workforce system's capacity to be market-driven, responsive to local economic needs, and a contributor to the economic well being of the community, the Employment and Training Administration is promoting workforce quality, enhanced productivity, and economic competitiveness.

According to Dr. Paul Young, Dean of the Gillette Campus, they propose to reach and recruit new candidates for technical certificate and degree programs by (1) early and more aggressive recruitment for emerging workers; (2) by providing innovative and flexible training opportunities for incumbent workers; and (3) by deploying new outreach activities to draw untapped workers into basic skills training and start them on the way to technical certification and/or degree achievement. Second, the Campus proposes to expand the college's capacity to assess, enroll, train, certify and place workers in the critical high demand skill areas of welding technology, diesel technology, and industrial electronics.

Assistance Received:
$2 million grant award from the Employment Training Administration of the Department of Labor