Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Workforce Development topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Local educators urge Natrona County to spearhead workforce pipeline for skilled trades
Summary
Two career-technical educators told the Board of Commissioners that shortages in skilled trades raise construction costs, reduce local tax revenue and threaten business recruitment, and they asked the county to convene a cross-sector working group to align training with local employer needs.
Rob, a local career-technical education advocate, and Joe Feiler, a 35‑year CTE instructor, told Natrona County commissioners that the county’s economic stability depends on a stronger pipeline into skilled trades. Rob framed the problem as “a workforce and infrastructure, a fiscal issue,” arguing that communities with local shortages see higher public‑works bids, imported labor and delayed projects.
Feiler, who identified his service on Wyoming SkillsUSA and CTE advisory boards, described employers’ efforts to fill gaps — including at least one local manufacturer that opened an in‑house welding school — and said welding and related trades are central to many sectors. “I spent 35 years as a career technical education instructor,” Feiler said, noting CTE concentrators have higher graduation rates in state data cited during the presentation.
The presenters asked commissioners to help convene a community working group of school and college leaders, workforce services, employers and economic‑development partners to coordinate training, apprenticeships and employer commitments. Commissioners offered to connect presenters to statewide workforce development contacts and explore ways to strengthen ties with the Natrona County School District.
Commissioners pressed for specifics on wages and program access. Feiler gave a range of local examples from the presentation — for instance, entry pay at one manufacturer’s floor was described as roughly $23–$24 an hour for apprentices with step increases as they qualify — and criticized what he called limited access to district CTE classes and underused equipment.
The commissioners did not take immediate formal action but several said they would assist in outreach and consider convening stakeholders after staff and presenters develop more concrete proposals and an implementation plan.
