Uinta BOCES Provides Education and Workforce Resources to Residents Across the Region

Uinta BOCES Provides Education and Workforce Resources to Residents Across the Region Main Photo

23 Jan 2025


News

Evanston, Wyoming, has an incredibly valuable program supporting workforce development in its backyard. Uinta B.O.C.E.S. (Board of Cooperative Education Services) is a joint venture between Western Wyoming Community College (WWCC) and Uinta County School District #1. Its goal is to offer services that neither the college nor the school district can provide on their own to support the region's education and training efforts. 

“Most people don’t realize everything we do here,” says Sheila McGuire, Executive Director of BOCES. “We’re whatever people need when it comes to education.”  

Learn more about the incredibly diverse programs and resources available through BOCES and how it supports residents, businesses, and government departments in Uinta County.  

BOCES Constantly Develops New Programs

McGuire and her team work closely with the Evanston community to understand residents' needs. From there, they build programs that directly address those needs. Here are just a few of the services offered by BOCES that highlight how diverse its services are.

  • On-site and online college courses 
  • High school equivalency tutoring, testing, and certification 
  • Tutoring and study skills development for students returning to college.
  • Test proctoring for any college or university that a student is enrolled in. 
  • Providing computer labs for public use. 
  • Community classes that teach life skills like financial and tech literacy. 
  • Workforce training programs for a variety of industries, including workforce safety training.

BOCES even administers K-12 afterschool programs for students to get study help while exploring other interests and also provides opportunities for them to try out the newly launched on-site MakerSpace. These programs give kids a safe place to go after school while parents are at work. BOCES also runs summer camps when school is out to provide continued support for working parents.

McGuire is a product of her organization’s success. She is currently working toward her EdD and uses the computer labs and quiet study spaces when she needs to focus on her dissertation.   

BOCES is Primarily Grant Funded

BOCES is able to develop a diverse resource offering because of its hard-working staff. McGuire’s team is constantly looking for grants and applying for funding that can then be used to create new programs or fund existing ones.

“One of the stipulations of most grants is that we meet community needs,” says McGuire. “We want to work with employers and economic development teams that can tell us what they need so we can then develop programs that support them.”

While the majority of funding comes from government grants, BOCES is also supported by a mill levy (a type of tax) that residents vote to pay every four years. Since 1986, residents of Uinta County have always approved this tax and then benefitted from the resources that BOCES provides. 

BOCES is Trying to Work With More Employers 

While BOCES already has a strong working relationship with WWCC and the local school district, its goal is to increase partnerships with local business leaders in the coming months. Listening to community needs has already been successful as seen with the new electrical and instrumentation courses offered to students. Now, BOCES wants to fill other skills gaps.     

“We really want more employers to reach out and ask us to offer training,” says McGuire. “We also would love city leaders to reach out and tell us about new businesses coming in so we can develop training programs for them.”

Current companies in Evanston can approach Uinta BOCES to ask about training programs and education opportunities for employees. Instead of developing these programs in-house, they can work with an organization that standardizes what each student across the region learns. Additionally, any company struggling to hire skilled talent should call BOCES. They can find relevant courses for new hires that are affordable and potentially free for low-income workers.

“Many cities wish they had a workforce development resource like BOCES,” says Rocco O'Neill, Director of Community and Economic Development for the City of Evanston. “We are incredibly fortunate to have their investment in the local community and appreciate their commitment to growing the skills of residents.”  

Contact BOCES to Learn About Their Programs

Regardless of who you are in Evanston, whether you are the city’s mayor or a newly arrived resident looking for work, reach out to BOCES. They either have resources you can use to grow your education and skills or they will work to develop those programs to assist you and your staff.

“We want to surprise people with how much we can say yes to,” says McGuire.

BOCES has tons of resources and tools designed to help anyone in Evanston and the surrounding areas. It even has grants to provide job seekers with professional clothing so they can arrive ready to work. 

“Call us!” says McGuire. “We can work with anybody who is looking to go back to school, needs their high school equivalency, or needs a new skill. Most of our programs don’t cost anything if you qualify. Getting an education or growing your skills and certifications are within reach.” 

Learn More About Other Workforce Development Programs

Evanston has a strong workforce that is only improving through the continued investment of organizations like BOCES. Learn about the people who work here and other workforce partners that support training and eduction. Residents of Evanston have the skills they need – organizations like BOCES will make sure of it. 

Follow BusinessWyoming.com for more news about Evanston and its investment in long-term growth.