CHEYENNE – An apprenticeship can be a huge boost for a person new to a career, and it can also help a business increase its productivity. The apprenticeship allows the employee to gain new knowledge and skills, and with an Apprenticeship Grant from the Department of Workforce Services (DWS), the employer’s costs associated with education and training can be reimbursed.

Apprenticeships have been common in many fields for generations, but employers are thinking outside the box and creating apprenticeships in industries not commonly thought of as having these opportunities. In addition to traditional trades such as welding, plumbing and electrical, other careers in technology, health care, law enforcement and more can now begin with an apprenticeship.

DWS, with its partners from the Wyoming Office of Apprenticeships and the Wyoming Department of Education, is hosting a virtual Apprenticeship Fair from 4:30-7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 10, to demonstrate how easy it is to set up an apprenticeship and how beneficial an apprenticeship can be for both the student and the employer. The fair will take place on Zoom in order to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Representatives of the DWS Apprenticeship Grants program, as well as employers and training providers, will discuss the apprenticeship process and explain the benefits, and the public is invited to ask questions and join in the discussions.

The schedule for the fair is as follows:

Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2020, via this Zoom link

4:30 p.m., Welcome from DWS Director Robin Sessions Cooley, J.D.,
and Wyoming Superintendent of Public Instruction Jillian Balow
4:35 p.m., Christina West, DWS Workforce Centers
4:45 p.m., Sharon Geissler & Lukas Cramer, DWS Apprenticeship Grants program
5 p.m., Mike Broad, Wyoming Office of Apprenticeships
5:15 p.m., Penny Fletcher, Laramie County Community College
5:30 p.m., Laura Baker, Cyber Wyoming
5:45 p.m., Brenda Morgan, Wyoming Statewide Electrical JATC
6 p.m., Eric Trowbridge, Array School of Technology
6:15 p.m., David Garcia, Electrical Division, Black Hills Energy
6:30 p.m., Larry Fodor, Mechanical Systems Incorporated (MSI)
6:45 p.m., Questions & answers