How Nevada aims to increase vocational education

In 2023, manufacturing job postings grew by 46 percent throughout the U.S., making it no surprise that organizations across Nevada are working to develop programs that address demands for blue-collar jobs.

“By developing a skilled and diverse workforce, we are not only supporting our local economy but also attracting new businesses to our region,” said Milton Stewart, CEO of Nevadaworks, which partners with employers in Northern Nevada to provide a skilled workforce.

As of 2022, almost 22 percent of Nevada’s workforce is considered “blue-collar” workers — a jump from 10.3 percent in 2016.

Although vocational high schools and colleges have long been an option in Nevada, four-year colleges are now beginning to offer programs that delve into careers that take place outside of an office setting — welding, heating, ventilation and air conditioning, automotive and electrical work.

Although UNR doesn’t offer vocational programs, it has developed two new applied learning programs that aim to support Nevada’s billion-dollar outdoor-based tourism industry by giving students a path to pursue a career in outdoor recreation.

These programs, in partnership with the Nevada Division of Outdoor Recreation, include a major emphasis in sustainable outdoor recreation management and a minor in outdoor adventure and leadership.

Andy Rost, director of the program, said this area of study “is a long time coming.”

“There are similar programs in many Western state universities, and the outdoor economy in Northern Nevada is just booming. I think there's a huge need for (them)” he said.

Before it was introduced at UNR, the program was offered at Sierra Nevada University, which UNR took over in 2022. Rost said because UNR didn’t have an outdoor recreation program, university officials were interested in bringing it to the Reno campus.

“I think that many years ago, UNR used to have more programs that were aimed at outdoor recreation … so it's a nice opportunity,” said John Shintani, vice provost of undergraduate education.

Shintani said that he thinks the outdoor recreation focused programs are great for students because they provide an opportunity to find jobs after graduation and “potentially allows (UNR) to recruit different kinds of students.”

At Great Basin College, a welding lab is undergoing expansion with the hope of retaining “skilled tradesmen and tradeswomen for the ever-growing workforce needs in rural Nevada,” the school noted in a post on LinkedIn.

In addition to school programs, Nevadaworks, the Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation (DETR), and the U.S. Department of Labor all offer training and hands-on programs.

Nevadaworks’ apprentice program, the Nevada Apprenticeship Initiative, is funded by the U.S. Department of Labor and is “designed to create equitable registered apprenticeship pathways by expanding pre-apprenticeship programs” according to a news release.

DETR’s vocational training programs specialize in health care, skilled trades and information technology. DETR also offers scholarships, transportation and child care, career coaches and a career assessment tool.

Ben Daseler, chief of workforce operations at DETR, said there is a high demand from employers.

“A lot of people left the trades because they got hit so hard (by the 2009 recession). Then as things improved, there's the demand for those occupations,” Daseler said.

Nevada’s Office of the Labor Commissioner recently received a $721,602 grant from the Department of Labor’s State Apprenticeship Expansion Formula, to boost job training through the Culinary Academy Las Vegas apprenticeship and the UNLV educator pathways programs.

“This grant award enables awardees to pursue a career and obtain financial stability without incurring debt,” said Toni Giddens, Nevada’s state apprenticeship director.

The Culinary Academy program pays apprentices in underserved communities to work with a full-time certified chef instructor, where they are provided with the materials needed for their training and paid a competitive salary. After completing the program, apprentices traditionally receive job offers from the Las Vegas resorts that partner with the program.

UNLV provides alternative methods for those interested in becoming educators through its Paraprofessional Pathways Project and the Accelerated Alternative Route to Licensure. Both are fast-track methods to become licensed teachers, and allow students to work and earn an income while completing their studies.

This story was published Aug. 19 by The Nevada Independent and is republished with permission.