Western Wyoming Community College (Western) has received a $3 million grant. The hope is it’ll boost southwest Wyoming’s healthcare workforce.

The money will go toward renovation and construction of new spaces in the health science wing on Western’s main campus in Rock Springs. According to Western’s President Kim Dale, the college’s nursing program has been successful in producing graduates but the facilities aren’t up to par. She said the new additions will prepare students for more real life events.

“[What] this is going to do is allow us to really expand our simulation suite for the nursing skills labs, as well as for EMS and phlebotomy and they're going to be able to share that space,” said Dale. “They're also going to have an opportunity to have space for practice skills outside of the simulations to mimic day to day emergency situations.”

The $3 million is a match from the federal government; the state is contributing the other half.

Dale said this will help recruit and retain healthcare workers in the southwest.

“What this will help with, is to keep a qualified workforce in Wyoming. That's very, very important. So we're training Wyoming folks, and we're keeping Wyoming folks in these communities,” she said.

Dale said they hope to break ground sometime this year.