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TrainND asks legislature for $1.6 million to restore regional satellite offices and staff
Summary
TrainND regional directors asked the Appropriations subcommittee for $1.6 million to reestablish one FTE and startup funding in each of four regional satellite offices to expand adult workforce training capacity, citing high demand for programs such as CDL instruction.
Sarah Volmer, TrainND director for the southwest region at Bismarck State College, told the Appropriations - Education and Environment Division that TrainND requests $1.6 million to reestablish satellite offices and one dedicated FTE in each of four regions to improve adult workforce training and industry outreach.
Volmer said the four regional allocations would fund one sales/outreach-focused FTE, office space and start-up expenses in each region and that the funds would be split equally among the four TrainND regions. She said those satellite positions would help local partners and CTE centers upstart and administer short-term programs and customized industry training—examples included CDL (commercial driver’s license) training, welding, crane and other equipment-based programs.
Volmer gave the committee concrete cost examples for discussion: TrainND in the southwest region runs continuous CDL classes and is fully booked into spring; adding another truck and trailer to run an additional CDL cohort would cost roughly $300,000 for equipment and another instructor. She said the program trained roughly 16,544 students last year across the TrainND system and logged about 190,000 contact hours. Volmer emphasized that some equipment-heavy programs will likely always require some state support because equipment and insurance costs limit complete self-sufficiency.
Senators asked whether spreading $1.6 million across four regions would dilute impact versus concentrating funds. Volmer said the colleges and regional leaders prefer a satellite in each quadrant to ensure statewide coverage and local "boots on the ground" administration rather than concentrating resources in a single region.
The subcommittee asked TrainND to provide more detailed lists of planned new programs, anticipated costs and where specific regional satellite offices would be located. The committee did not take a final funding action during this meeting; members signaled they will revisit the TrainND request during continued appropriations work.
