Midwest Energy helps with new construction skills training in western Kansas

KDC

GARDEN CITY–The Kansas Department of Commerce is partnering with Tatro Plumbing Company, Inc. and Davis Electric, Inc. to launch a short-term training program focused on upskilling participants with construction industry skills. This project connects economic and workforce development under the new Workforce AID (Aligned with Industry Demand) initiative—Right Training. Right Job. NOW.

“Programming through workforce development, Garden City Community College, and industry partners brings this community together,” said President of Tatro Plumbing, Justin Sanchez. “Western Kansas has great people who are willing to work hard, but might not have the skills we need in the construction industry. Through teamwork and partnerships, this program grows hard working people so they are immediately employable following graduation.”

The training will be delivered by Garden City Community College in Garden City, Kansas. Participants will receive eight college credit hours, an Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) 10 certificate, OSHA Forklift Certification, National Center for Construction Education and Research (NCCER) Millwright Certification, NCCER Core Certification, and a Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) certificate. Participants will have preliminary interviews with either Tatro Plumbing or Davis prior to being accepted into the program. Successful applicants will be hired by the companies, contingent upon successful completion of the training.

“Our goal at GCCC is to provide the necessary training for employees entering the workforce, as well as prepare students to transfer to four-year institutions. Participants will have the luxury of spending a week in our new state-of-the-art welding facility for portions of this training,” said Director of Workforce Development at Garden City Community College, Jerrad Webb. “We are excited to be able to offer this opportunity to the citizens of our communities and look forward to continuing to provide high quality training to prepare students to enter the workforce.”

Workforce AID supports Kansas’ strategic plan for economic development, keeping Kansas businesses competitive and promoting a more robust economy. To fill the skills gap in our workforce, the Kansas Department of Commerce and the Kansas Board of Regents are working in partnership with Kansas companies to find, train and deliver skilled and certified workers.

“Workforce development continues to be one of our primary focuses at FCEDC. To support a growing economy, we must have a long-term, sustainable pipeline of qualified employees,” said President of the Finney County Economic Development Corporation (FCEDC), Lona DuVall. “Garden City Community College plays a big role in providing the up-to-date training that our employers require to compete and meet demand in our active economy. Meeting with the needs of employers ‘at the speed of business’ is an absolute must and we at FCEDC are proud to partner with GCCC to help meet the workforce demands of the region.”

Space is limited for the training. Call Kansas WorkforceOne at (620) 276-2339 to apply and schedule your assessment.

This project is in collaboration with Kansas WorkforceOne, Finney County Economic Development Corporation, Finney County Workforce Connection, Garden City Community College, and is made possible with generous support from CoBank and Hays-based Midwest Energy, Inc.