ROCK SPRINGS — Western Wyoming College’s Board of Trustees will consider accepting $2.36 million in grant funds to expand its welding program and decide if it will extend the deadline of its early retirement program Thursday evening.
If approved, the funds will come from the Growing the Nuclear Workforce Project, which will expand the welding lab to create 12 additional welding booths and machines. The expanded lab would increase student training capacity and support the creation of a Generation IV pipefitting welding course. The “Generation IV” term refers to the type of nuclear power plant under construction in Kemmerer, the first of its kind in the U.S. According to the college board’s agenda, the grant will also increase opportunities to prepare graduates for workforce needs.
In total, the grant amounts to $2,365,316.
The board will also consider extending the college’s voluntary early retirement program deadline. According to meeting documents, the pending general election ballot initiative that would see a 50% reduction in property taxes and the “need to provide sufficient time for informed decision-making” fuel the request. The property tax initiative would impact funding to Western if voters approve it, resulting in fewer dollars going to the college. If approved, the deadline would be extended to Jan. 5, 2027.
The program was already approved by the board and would offer a $7,074 annual insurance benefit to employees who qualify for early retirement. The original deadline was set for Nov. 1, with board approval scheduled for its December meeting. Under the proposed deadline, the board will consider approval of early retirees at its January meeting.
The board meeting takes place at 6:45 p.m. Thursday at Western Wyoming College’s Rock Springs campus in Room 3060. The college provides a Zoom link the day of the meeting, while the meeting packet can be found here.
