CANDO Training Center

CANDO Training Center

CANDO started the Center in July 2000 with a grant from the City of Douglas. That funding allowed CANDO to purchase its first group of ten computers, a powerful server, and all the necessary related equipment and software. The Center’s original location, in the basement of the Wyoming State Fairgrounds administrative building, served our early needs well. Pre-employment camps and leadership training for youth were early successes.

By 2001, we had outgrown our first facility and moved into the old Armory building on the State Fairgrounds. Converse County provided funding to the Wyoming State Fairgrounds to renovate this facility, installing a new electrical and network cable system, refinishing the hard wood floors, and making other needed repairs. This 3,500 square foot facility housed nearly fifty computers at any given time, with multiple training programs operating. Additionally, five CANDO staff members were housed in the Training Center facility. Thankfully, the City of Douglas offered to lease the Old City Hall to us, so we are currently updating the building to meet our IT and staff needs and have occupied the space since December 8th, 2003. AsceNT Technologies, our partner with web site development/hosting and networking capabilities, moved along with us until they decided to have a "store front" & moved in the Spring of 2005. We are enjoying having all of CANDO under one roof for the first time.

The vision for the Center has always been to use technology to train employees in any industry, making them more productive and increasing their value. Thus, a number of workforce training programs have been developed as part of CANDO’s focus on strengthening our infrastructure. Currently, computer training is emphasized at the Center. High speed Internet and powerful desktop computers have revolutionized nearly every industry, and even started some new industries in their own right. There was once a time when a college degree was necessary to get ahead. Today, the absolute “must” to compete in the business world is computer proficiency, and so that has become a priority with CANDO.

Another area of training that is just now becoming a reality is with “soft skills” needed in the business world. Management skills, regulatory compliance (e.g., OSHA), sexual harassment, problem solving, teamwork and similar workshops are offered by CANDO. The need for appropriate soft skills training became apparent during a series of employer interviews recently conducted by the Wyoming Business Council, CANDO and the Douglas Chamber of Commerce, as part of CANDO’s BEAR (Business Expansion And Retention) program.

Converse County’s low population (12,052 residents) means there are never more than a few hundred folks that are unemployed. New employers do not necessarily just hire the unemployed. Therefore, if we intend to grow our available workforce to meet the needs of a growing economy, we need to work with more than the unemployed workers. Thus, CANDO has reached out to low and moderate-income populations of Converse County to train families that otherwise would not be considered part of our workforce. Many of our classes are free to low & moderate income families.

CANDO has similarly focused on youth development programs. By offering pre-employment training to high school students, CANDO is able to help youth succeed with their very first job. Several innovative programs at the Center have been designed to connect youth to real jobs, real skills, and real responsibility. Youth are learning the importance of showing up to work on time, dressed appropriately, and with the right attitude to get things done. The community’s investment in local youth, coupled with early job success, will be a key to retaining our youth in Wyoming.

A second area of emphasis on youth is entrepreneurship training. CANDO wants youth to be able to find a good job in their career path once their education is complete. But if they cannot find appropriate work, youth need to have the business skills and entrepreneurial spirit to create their own job. Thus, CANDO offers summer Youth Business Camps at the Training Center. Seasoned entrepreneurs and inspirational speakers challenge and train youth from all over Wyoming as they come to the camps to learn the fundamentals of becoming great business planners.

During the last two years, CANDO has begun to leverage the resources at the Center to start significant new programs within the energy industry. The Wyoming Energy Conservation Network (WECN) allows Wyoming residents to conduct an on-line self-assessment of their home or businesses energy consumption. The WECN provides tips to save energy, along with connections to Wyoming businesses to help the consumer save that energy. Rebuild America is another national program (also led in Wyoming by CANDO), encouraging public facilities to become more energy efficient. For more information about these energy programs please refer to the information later in this document.

The CANDO Training Center has become a necessary catalyst for several other programs that can help our economy grow. It is an effective, powerful economic tool, without which CANDO would not be able to have the impact it has had and will continue to have on our local workforce, businesses and community.