NV: $1.7 Million Approved to Support Workforce Training in Logistics, Nursing and Mining for Nevada

The Nevada Governor’s Office of Economic Development (GOED) Board approved $1,693,230 from the Workforce Innovations for a New Nevada (WINN) fund to support three industry-led workforce training programs that will bolster training in logistics, nursing and mining.

This latest round of WINN funding will help operate three programs:

The College of Southern Nevada (CSN) will receive $376,000 to launch a logistics and operations training initiative at their North Las Vegas campus and Westside Education and Training Center. The initiative will include the building of four logistics labs and to certify instructors who will provide training in logistics and operations, one of Southern Nevada’s major growth sectors. The Regional Transportation Commission estimates there are 80 jobs in the sector. Employee partners include Findlay Automotive Group and Sunshine Minting.

CSN was also awarded $485,000 by the WINN Program to help complete a nursing expansion effort at the North Las Vegas campus. The expansion will establish a nursing lab to increase access to hands-on training on the CSN North Las Vegas Campus and benefit an underserved area, complementing programs offered at West Charleston and Henderson campuses. The nursing programs at CSN offer a robust curriculum taught by highly educated, experienced nursing faculty. Collectively, the nursing programs provide one-third of the local nursing workforce. This commitment to workforce training is supported by Dignity Health, North Vista Hospital and the Department of Veterans Affairs who estimate around 45 jobs in this critical sector.

Additionally, the WINN program has awarded Great Basin College (GBC) $832,230 as part of a larger project to bolster advanced training in the mining sector. The funds will be used for instruction provided by NORCAT, a Canada-based company that provides world-class training in the mining sphere, as well as equipment and technology. The program will bring about an estimated 1,150 jobs through employer partners at Lithium Americas, Sawtooth Mining and Nevada Gold Mines.

Northeastern Nevada Regional Development Authority (NNRDA) was instrumental in facilitating 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 Sheldon Mudd, executive director of the Northeastern Nevada Regional Development Authority. "I immediately recognized the potential their training programs had for the mining industry in Nevada and began making the appropriate connections to introduce their unique training model to relevant stakeholders. It is great to finally see a partnership develop between NORCAT and Great Basin College, the premier training institution for Nevada’s mining industry."

The total amount of WINN funds awarded through this biennium period now totals roughly $8.7 million of the $10 million fund.