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.
In Round 5, the Governor’s Office of Science, Innovation and Technology awarded $982,886 to four applicants in Northern and Southern Nevada to create new STEM workforce training programs that meet the needs of local employers.
Grant Information
Tech Impact, a nonprofit organization with operations in Clark County, was awarded $156,810 to fund the launch of a Web Development Coding Bootcamp. The program will graduate 36 students annually through three cohorts of 12 students. The program will incorporate a unique learning style that leverages proven curriculum style of lecture, project-based learning, soft-skills, mentoring, and employer engagement. Students will earn an average of $55,000 as Web Developers.
The Associated General Contractors of Northern Nevada (AGC) was awarded $196,944 to fund their Construction Access Program (CAP), which is designed to prepare individuals to succeed in well-paid construction employment. The program will provide academic, technological and operational proficiency in heavy equipment operation and meet the requirements of the National Center for Construction Education and Research (NCCER) Heavy Equipment Operations Level 1 Certification. AGC’s program will utilize Caterpillar Inc.’s SimformationTM heavy equipment simulators. ACG will partner with the Nevada Mining Association, Operation Engineers Local 3, regional school district trade programs, and Truckee Meadows Community College. ACG will train about 120 students each year. The median annual wage for heavy equipment operators is $45,040 per year.
University Medical Center of Southern Nevada (UMC) was awarded $499,480 to provide industry-recognized nursing credentials to incumbent workers and nursing students. Funding will be used to purchase advanced clinical simulation equipment including sophisticated, higher-fidelity clinical simulation mannequins. The objective of the new program is to incorporate the use of advanced simulation equipment to provide more realistic and rigorous training for UMC’s Surgical Technologists, Sterile Processing Technicians, Surgical Services Nurses and 1,000+ other Registered Nurses, whose employment requires that in addition to an educational degree and clinical license attainment, they obtain industry-recognized clinical skills certifications: Basic Life Supports (BLS), Advances Cardiac Life Support (ACLS), Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS), Trauma Nurse Core Course (TNCC) and Emergency Nursing Pediatric Course (ENPC). UMC will partner with the College of Southern Nevada to provide training for nursing students. The starting wage is about $50,000 per year.
Western Nevada College (WNC) in Carson City was awarded $129,652 to fund the development of a Cybersecurity-Information Assurance program. WNC will become an Academic Partner with EC-Council and provide Certified Network Defender (CND), Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH) and Computer Hacking Forensic Investigator (CHFI) industry-recognized credentials. WNC will install NOC Stations in a lab environment giving students hands-on experience monitoring sandbox networks. Completers of the program will be prepared to work in the industry as Computer User Support Specialists, Computer Network Support Specialties, and Computer Repairers. WNC anticipates graduating about 70 students per year. The average starting wage is about $55,000.