The Nevada Governor’s Office of Economic Development (GOED) Board has approved $1,693,230 from the Workforce Innovations for a New Nevada (WINN) fund to support three industry-led workforce training programs. These programs aim to enhance training in logistics, nursing, and mining.
The College of Southern Nevada (CSN) will receive $376,000 to initiate a logistics and operations training program at their North Las Vegas campus and Westside Education and Training Center. This initiative includes the establishment of four logistics labs and certification for instructors who will provide training in one of Southern Nevada’s significant growth sectors. The Regional Transportation Commission estimates 80 jobs in this sector, with employee partners including Findlay Automotive Group and Sunshine Minting.
Additionally, CSN was awarded $485,000 by the WINN Program to expand its nursing program at the North Las Vegas campus. This expansion aims to establish a nursing lab that will increase access to hands-on training in an underserved area. The nursing programs at CSN contribute significantly to the local workforce, providing one-third of the local nursing staff. Supporters include Dignity Health, North Vista Hospital, and the Department of Veterans Affairs who estimate around 45 jobs in this critical sector.
Great Basin College (GBC) has been granted $832,230 as part of a larger project aimed at advancing training in the mining sector. The funds will be used for instruction provided by NORCAT, a Canada-based company specializing in mining training, as well as for equipment and technology. This program is expected to generate approximately 1,150 jobs through partnerships with Lithium Americas, Sawtooth Mining, and Nevada Gold Mines.
Sheldon Mudd, executive director of the Northeastern Nevada Regional Development Authority (NNRDA), played a key role in establishing this relationship with NORCAT. “I was introduced to the NORCAT team in 2016 and had the privilege of visiting their facilities in Northern Ontario in 2017,” said Mudd. “I immediately recognized the potential their training programs had for the mining industry in Nevada.”
With this latest round of funding approvals, WINN funds awarded during this biennium period now total roughly $8.7 million out of a $10 million fund.
About GOED:
Created during the 2011 session of the Nevada Legislature, GOED is designed to promote economic development within Nevada by stimulating business expansion and retention while encouraging entrepreneurial enterprise.