The State, through STEM Workforce Challenge Grants, seeks to spark the creation of lasting partnerships between industry and workforce training providers. These partnerships must result in:
- The identification of STEM-specific skills needed by employers in Nevada;
- The creation of programs that provide the education and skills training to workers that match the needs of employers;
- Are aligned with present and future workforce needs in Nevada as identified by relevant labor market information (LMI); and
- Are sustainable after grant funds have been exhausted.
Grant Information
Great Basin College (GBC) was awarded $20,000.00 for Ely’s Deisel Technology program. The program has been stagnant while searching for a new instructor. With a new instructor hired, GBC will use the funding for tuition assistance as a strategy for rebuilding program participation and awareness. Ten students in the first cohort will each receive $2,000.00 in tuition assistance. The Diesel Technology program prepares students with specialized training in repairing, maintaining, troubleshooting, reconditioning, and rebuilding diesel vehicles and equipment. Several location businesses have proclaimed interest in the Diesel Technology program and its graduates, including Robinson Mine, Wheeler Machinery, Flore Gold, Nevada Northern Railway, and White Pine High School. The program aims to enroll 10 students in the Fall cohort, with a 90% retention rate in the Spring semester, and a 90% job placement rate for program completers.
The Northern Nevada Electric Joint Apprentice Training Committee (NNEJATC) was awarded $90,000.00 for the Electrical Autodesk Training Program, which will provide classroom instruction and hands-on training to 80 Journeymen electricians and apprentices on the Autodesk Suite that includes AutoCAD, BIM (Building Information Modeling), Bluebeam, and Trimble. The project will modernize the current electrical workforce and create “just in time” trainings and educational, translating into industry-recognized, stackable credentials. The Electrical Autodesk Training Program includes 32 hours of classroom lecture and hands-on training. NNEJATC expects a 100% participant completion rate, with 95% of completers entering into full-time jobs.