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Long awaited Job Corps facility breaks ground Friday

An effort that began almost 8 years ago will lead to a long awaited groundbreaking on Friday. The 41 million dollar Wind River Job Corps will train disadvantaged students in energy production and will also help them enhance their academic and social skills. 

Job Corps trains academically disadvantaged, at-risk young adults, to become responsible and employable citizens. Those accepted into the program will also have a chance to enhance their academic and social skills.  Sandy Barton of Fremont County Boards of Cooperative Educational Services – or BOCES was the leader of the effort to bring Job Corps to Wyoming.  The Wind River Job Corps will train people for jobs in energy production.                 

“It’s really going to be unique.  There’s going to be a classroom or a shop setting where they can see cutaways of how the production equipment works and then the energy companies have designed an outside facility about the size of a football field and the unique part about that is that it will be half oil and half gas.”

Barton says that will give students experience in both fields. Wyoming is the only state without a Job Corps and Barton said that she hopes it will have a positive impact on at-risk young people on the Wind River Reservation.

“This will be an opportunity that they didn’t have before that can change that landscape.  They will have an opportunity to go to Job Corps, they can live there, they don’t have to worry about three meals a day because it will be provide for them.  They’ll have a place to sleep, a safe place environment, and the training that they need so that they can have a hope and a future.

Barton says the facility will host close to 300 students at a time.

Bob Beck retired from Wyoming Public Media after serving as News Director of Wyoming Public Radio for 34 years. During his time as News Director WPR has won over 100 national, regional and state news awards.
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