Daniel Anderson, a supervisor with the Wyoming Department of Workforce Services, told the Weston County commission the agency plans to reestablish local service hours after closing a previous office. Anderson said Workforce Services will provide laptops, printers and hotspots and is seeking a consistent, weekly or biweekly location for a start (he suggested 1 to 3 p.m. as an initial window).

Why this matters: County residents lost a nearby office that provided job-search assistance, training referrals and access to unemployment services. Local access is especially important for low-income residents, veterans and people reentering the workforce following incarceration, Anderson said.

Anderson said he supervises services for Campbell, Cook and Weston Counties out of the Gillette office and that the division has started limited office hours in nearby towns including Sundance and Moorcroft. He described services the office can provide on-site: resume help, job searches, training funding (including a recently approved $3,000,000 grant referenced by Anderson for employer training reimbursement), assistance with federal training dollars, and help with specialized needs such as CDL training when eligible.

Anderson said staff can operate from an existing community space; commissioners and staff suggested the public library’s conference room as a likely option because of confidentiality and consistency. The Department of Family Services building also has a conference room but presenters cautioned that Family Services might need priority use in emergencies.

Commissioners expressed support for the return of local hours and encouraged Anderson to coordinate with the library and local partners. Anderson said Workforce Services would advertise a regular schedule once a consistent location and time were confirmed, and would scale hours up if demand grows.

Ending: Commissioners and staff encouraged Workforce Services to work directly with the library and other community partners to establish regular hours. No formal county funding or lease was requested at the meeting.