Department of Workforce Services awarded grant to support employment and growing Wyoming industries

March 29, 2023

CHEYENNE–Wyoming has been approved for $1,776,485 in funding through the Employment and Training Administration of the Department of Labor’s Quality Jobs, Equity, Strategy, and Training (QUEST) Grant. The goal of this grant is to support employment equity as well as Wyoming’s businesses and industries.

“Developing and growing job pipelines to connect potential employees with employers will help to add fuel to Wyoming’s economy,” says Robin Sessions Cooley, Director of the Department of Workforce Services (DWS). “The QUEST Grant will provide real benefit to growing industries by helping to supply them the skilled and trained workforce to take them to the next level.”

The QUEST Grant funds will serve individuals across the state with training and support services to help them find sustainable employment in a Sector Partnership industry; it also provides DWS the ability to provide more support to the local Sector Partnerships established by the Wyoming Workforce Development Council. Sector Partnerships are business leaders from the same industry and region, who work with education, workforce development, and community organizations to address the workforce and other needs of their industry. Through these efforts, DWS hopes to build employment pipelines to train participants to enter these in-demand industries.

“The QUEST grant will further allow DWS to be involved in Sector Partnerships in all corners of our state, to continue to nurture the public-private partnerships for these in-demand sectors. This will allow for better jobs for job seekers, as well as the ability to develop careers in growing industries,” says Holly McKamey Simoni, DWS Workforce Programs Administrator.

Wyoming’s Sector Partnerships currently involve the Construction and Trades industries, Healthcare, Hospitality and Tourism, Manufacturing, Oil and Gas, Technology, and Transportation industries. For more information, visit dws.wyo.gov/wioa.