Economic development is intrinsically connected to workforce.

This truth is recognized by leaders in a region that has spent several decades working to diversify its economy and grow in a healthy, holistic way. An integral part of that solution is Workforce Connections, one of two Nevada local workforce development boards charged with the mission of fostering a workforce that is ready and eager to work.

“Since taking office, I have made economic diversification and workforce development top priorities for my administration,” said Nevada Governor Joe Lombardo. “Workforce Connections is an essential partner in our efforts to connect Nevadans with work training, career resources and, ultimately, rewarding and good-paying jobs.”

“We’re in the people business,” explained Jaime Cruz, executive director of Workforce Connections in southern Nevada. “We’re connecting employers to ready workers. Without the right workforce, there can’t be economic growth in southern Nevada.”

The Workforce Connections logo sums up the organization’s mission. It reads “People. Partnerships. Possibilities.” Each of those three components represents a core principle for Workforce Connections as it takes on the monumental task of convening the workforce development system in southern Nevada. “We identify the market demand for talent, then build partnerships that produce a talent supply that meets that demand,” said Cruz.

“Workforce Connections has been able to grow and provide additional resources in the arena of workforce which are kind of mind blowing,” explained Mary Beth Sewald, president and CEO of the Vegas Chamber, the largest business support organization in the state. Sewald is also a board member for Workforce Connections. “Workforce Connections is breaking new ground and creating new partnerships with organizations like the Vegas Chamber.”

On any given month, it’s estimated there are between 45,000 and 60,000 unfilled job positions in Clark County alone. Workforce Connections determines what employers need and then works to meet that demand. It does so in a number of ways, many of which are innovative, not only in the region, but in the nation. So innovative, in fact, southern Nevada’s methods are being modeled by local workforce development boards in other markets.

“Nevada’s model is unique because it takes a collaborative, data-driven approach and aligns education, economic development and industry needs,” explained Tom Burns, executive director of the Governor’s Office of Economic Development (GOED), the state agency responsible for economic growth in Nevada. “This model creates a skilled workforce pipeline tailored to Nevada’s key sectors, like advanced manufacturing, technology and clean energy. Workforce Connections complements GOED’s workforce development division by serving as a resource for job seekers and employers.”

Governed by a consortium of local elected officials who have fiduciary responsibility over the federal funds awarded to southern Nevada, Workforce Connections is comprised of a board of decision makers with optimum policy making and hiring authority in the region. The board consists of business leaders and strategic partners in economic development, labor, education and other necessary stakeholders which creates a web of leaders with a vested interest in both economic development and the role workforce plays in that process.

“I’m on the board of Workforce Connections,” said Tina Quigley, president and CEO of Las Vegas Global Economic Alliance (LVGEA), southern Nevada’s regional development authority (RDA). “They’re a great partner for us in company recruitment and attraction. They are our faucet of information as it relates to where we are going to get workforce for companies, depending on the type of company it is.”

Innovation for Growth

Workforce Connections utilizes public funding as a starting point to growth. “We strive to have an excellent level of stewardship of these public funds,” said Cruz. “We believe taxpayer money deserves a great return on investment. Whatever the investments we make in our system, we believe they should have great results.”

While this concept may seem relatively simple, the reality of administering public funds to serve a wide net of needs can be incredibly complicated. In Nevada, workforce development services have been streamlined under one name, EmployNV, to simplify the process for businesses and job seekers. The united branding is due to strong partnerships between the Nevada Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation (DETR) and Nevada’s two local workforce development boards, Nevadaworks in northern Nevada and Workforce Connections in southern Nevada.

As a network of American Job Centers, Nevada’s EmployNV Hubs serve businesses and potential employees, both those seeking jobs now and the community youth who will be Nevada job seekers in the future. “By working together, we’re streamlining what could be cumbersome bureaucratic government services into one access point with the EmployNV Hubs,” said Cruz.

“These are our storefronts, if you will,” he explained. “This is where people find help, where businesses go and find help.”

While a job center is not a new concept, Workforce Connections’ take on a job center is innovative in a number of ways. The organization works to place these centers where they are needed most. “We’re right where the businesses go and, when it comes to job seekers, we want to be in places where the need for our services is actually at,” explained Cruz.

For example, in the case of job seekers, these American Job Centers – called EmployNV Career Hubs – can be found in libraries, community centers, recreation centers, schools, essentially anywhere a potential worker is bound to go on any given day. In the case of businesses, the EmployNV Business Hubs can be found where a business owner already goes, like chambers of commerce, city halls and libraries. In fact, the Vegas Chamber was the first chamber of commerce in the nation to host an American Job Center at their headquarters.

These placements result in easier access to essential services while saving over $1.1 million per year in infrastructure costs. “We have 27 locations and, because of our partnerships, we only pay for one of them,” said Cruz. These cost savings are applied to assisting more businesses and job seekers.

This unique system of partnerships has attracted national attention to southern Nevada. The National Association of Workforce Boards (NAWB), the U.S. Conference of Mayors Workforce Development Council (USCM WDC) and the U.S. Department of Labor, among others, have visited the region and hosted meetings with the specific goal of highlighting these innovations so they can be replicated in other states.

“I’m extremely proud of Workforce Connections, Jaime and his team,” said Sewald. “The fact that all of these other workforce entities, on a national level, are coming to Nevada and using us as a template is super gratifying. And it’s gratifying to have been a part of that.”

Business Driven Strategies

Southern Nevada’s complicated workforce development system is best tackled in smaller pieces. For businesses, this means addressing workforce and training needs. But, before you can even begin, it’s important to understand what those needs are in southern Nevada.

Several years ago, economic development in Nevada became a focus for the state and seven target industry sectors were identified in southern Nevada for future growth. Those target sectors are a foundation for Nevada’s future and include:
Healthcare Services
General and Advanced Manufacturing
Information and Communication Technologies
Transportation and Logistics Technologies
Clean Technologies
Business and Financial Services
Creative Industries

Many businesses in southern Nevada are encompassed within those seven sectors and actively engaged in the region’s seven industry sector partnerships. Through the partnerships, businesses are communicating their present and future workforce needs to skill acquisition partners.

“I appreciate that they are focused on developing relationships with the industries themselves,” said Quigley. “That helps us. The more employees [Workforce Connections] has training for those industries, the easier it is for us when we go out to attract those industries.”

Workforce Connections has also embedded EmployNV Business Hub staff as talent liaisons at key business organizations like the LVGEA and Vegas Chamber to address any needs a business has when it comes to employment. These liaisons have business cards from their host organizations and act as members of the team, providing a seamless resource of information for businesses.

“They actually have three EmployNV Business Hub staff placed in our chamber offices,” said Sewald. “We were the first chamber of commerce in the entire United States to host an American Job Center. That’s allowed us to add another tool to our toolbox.”

At LVGEA, the talent liaison provides companies direct access to an expert on workforce from the get-go without having to go anywhere else. “That person is embedded in our team and has an LVGEA email address and business cards,” said Quigley. “When we have a company come, it’s easy for us to pull the talent liaison right into the meeting to talk to the company about the different programs they would be eligible for, in terms of grants and training programs. It’s our direct connection into the EmployNV Business Hubs.”

“Having those subject matter experts, housed right in our midst, collaborating and working shoulder to shoulder with the team at the Vegas Chamber, has given our team members direct access to resources we wouldn’t have access to,” added Sewald.

“It’s a competitive advantage to have the talent liaison right here,” agreed Quigley.

Benefiting Business

Providing these services and creating access for them is only the first step. For businesses to benefit, they must utilize those services. EmployNV Business Hubs were created specifically to address the needs of businesses and add to their bottom line so they can continue to grow.

Any business owner knows, finding and hiring talent costs money. A rough estimate of time and resources just to find and hire a single employee could be upwards of $5,000. When training costs to get that employee up to speed are added, businesses are potentially spending over $10,000 each time they need a new worker.

“We can eliminate that cost for a small business because we pick up those costs,” explained Cruz. “We say to them, ‘Let us work with you on the job descriptions. Let us prescreen so you only have to meet the top two candidates. Let us identify whatever training they might need, and we’ll pay for that training. We’ll provide their uniforms and tools, so they come to you ready to go.’ All those avoided costs can add tens of thousands of dollars to the bottom line of a small business.”

By helping a business with no-cost talent recruitment and bridging the gap in any missing skills potential employees might have, EmployNV Business Hubs are providing tangible ways for businesses to grow. “Just like we take the over $1.1 million we save on rent and other costs for our locations and invest it in helping more people, a business that avoids spending $20,000 on talent recruitment can use it in other areas of their business,” said Cruz. “It’s a positive impact to their bottom line.”

Building for the Future

A state cannot have real economic development without workforce development and workforce development starts and ends with people. By implementing innovations now and creating partnerships with businesses, Workforce Connections is helping set the building blocks for southern Nevada’s future successes.

Vital to the economic future of Nevada, building the workforce happens in several different ways. By once again interweaving tried and true methods with new innovations, Workforce Connections helps grow the talent pipeline.

In southern Nevada elementary schools, students are being introduced to potential, in-demand occupations through locally created workbooks called “NV My Future”. These activity workbooks are utilized in Clark County School District (CCSD) elementary schools by teachers and readily available to anyone, including parents, online at NVmyFuture.org.

For older students, there is an online platform that connects students to career paths, as well as in-person “Student Showcases” that invite employers into schools to meet with students face to face and provide internship and job opportunities. The organization also works to train CCSD support staff in workforce development through a workforce fellowship and actively seeks out youth to engage them in Nevada’s workforce system through the Disconnected Youth Initiative.

“A skilled workforce starts with a strong, foundational K-12 education,” said Dr. Brenda Larsen-Mitchell, interim superintendent for CCSD and Workforce Connections board member. “With student access to rigorous coursework, curriculum, community support and working with local employers, our talented students will excel and help keep our economy strong.”

In addition to looking in Nevada’s schools for future employees, Workforce Connections employs creative strategies, such as looking at alternative populations for workers. For example, in partnership with Hope for Prisoners, Nevada DETR, the Nevada Department of Corrections and local employers, the organization has located EmployNV Career Hubs inside the Vocational Village at the Southern Nevada Desert Correctional Facility and inside Casa Grande, a Nevada Department of Corrections transitional housing facility.

“This project is unprecedented in our state,” said Governor Lombardo of Vocational Village. “It’s only made possible by invaluable community partners. Through this project, we’re reducing recidivism by empowering offenders to gain valuable job skills. Program graduates can utilize these job skills for post-prison employment, so they can begin their next chapter with confidence.”
Providing these resources directly to people who are seeking a new start, these innovative partnerships help incarcerated individuals reenter the workforce. They also help the southern Nevada community by directly addressing business needs for ready workers.

Looking at the larger picture, Workforce Connections takes a holistic look at Nevada’s economic landscape. Leadership in the organization recognizes the great opportunity facing the Silver State. By applying both traditional and out-of-the-box ideas to workforce development, the organization is quite literally changing the economic future of southern Nevada.

“Workforce Connections is essential to Nevada’s economic future, driving workforce development and strengthening communities across southern Nevada,” said Burns. “By connecting talent with opportunity, they support businesses while empowering Nevadans to excel in high-demand, high-growth industries. To attract and sustain good-paying jobs, we need skilled professionals ready to fill them. Jaime Cruz and his team are bridging this gap by helping Nevadans access opportunities that lead to lasting career success. Their work ensures Nevada stays competitive by cultivating a workforce that meets the demands of our growing economy.”

Cruz added, “By facilitating the right partnerships, developing collaborative strategies and setting funding priorities for our region, we’re making sure that workforce development is supporting economic development in southern Nevada.”

Related

LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — 2024 was a huge year for politics, especially here in swing-state Nevada.

Not only did a former president regain the White House for only the second time in history, but there were some unusual developments in state politics, as well.

Here’s our list of the top 13 political stories of 2024.

1. Donald Trump wins all the things.

You can erase the “former” from Trump’s title because as of noon on Jan. 20, he will be the president once again. Trump will be the first and only president since Grover Cleveland in 1892 to win a non-consecutive term.

Not only did Trump win Nevada, but he also won all the other swing states — Georgia, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin and Arizona — flipping six of them back to the GOP after they went for Democrat Joe Biden in 2020.

Trump beat his past performances in Nevada, too, beating Vice President Kamala Harris by 3.1 percentage points and more than 46,000 votes. Even more remarkably, Trump came within about 27,000 votes of beating Harris in Democrat-rich Clark County.

Nationally, Harris logged 6.2 million fewer votes than Biden in 2020, a deficit that allowed Trump to win the popular vote, albeit narrowly, 49.9% to 48.4%.

2. Republicans change their voting habits.

One of the factors behind Trump’s victory in the Silver State was the GOP changing its tune on voting. In past years, Republicans everywhere discouraged early and mail voting in favor of in-person voting at the polls on Election Day.

But this year, Republicans embraced early voting like never before. Nevada Republicans cast more than 247,000 ballots during early voting, far outpacing Democrats’ 150,000. And they kept pace with mail voting, too: Democrats posted 268,000 ballots by mail, while the GOP sent in 202,000. Election Day voting — the least popular method of voting — was about even.

That change, which for some Republicans was a long time coming, erased the advantage Democrats formerly enjoyed using mail and early voting and will change turnout efforts going forward.

3. Trump’s short coattails in Nevada.

But if Trump’s victory was solid, his ability to help other Republicans on the ticket was limited.

For example, Republican U.S. Senate candidate Sam Brown, who campaigned with Trump and JD Vance during their visits to the Silver State, lost his race to Democratic incumbent Jacky Rosen. Brown, in fact, earned 74,000 fewer votes than Trump did statewide.

And in Southern Nevada’s congressional districts, all three Republican challengers lost: Mark Robertson in Congressional District 1, Drew Johnson in Congressional District 3 and former North Las Vegas Mayor John Lee in Congressional District 4 all fell short by margins ranging from 2.7 to 8 percentage points.

In the state Legislature, Republicans gained a single seat in the Assembly, with Dr. Rebecca Edgeworth capturing Assembly District 35 after the Democratic incumbent chose not to seek re-election.

The numbers suggest Trump’s brand is unique and that other Republicans — even those who vocally support Trump — may not enjoy as much support from their party as he does.

4. Candidates talk…mostly.

One of Nevada’s advantages as a swing state is that locals get to hear directly from presidential candidates at big rallies and small gatherings alike. This year was no different.

Trump made several visits, including one at Sunset Park in the June heat. He met with Channel 13 in September at the Trump International Hotel to answer questions about how his plans would affect local voters.

WATCH: We asked Donald Trump questions on the issue that matters most to locals in Southern Nevada

We asked Donald Trump questions on the issue that matters most to locals in Southern Nevada

Vance didn’t do a one-on-one interview, but he did take questions from local reporters, including Channel 13, at the end of an October rally at the Treasure Island hotel-casino.

WATCH: JD Vance speaks on housing crisis at a Las Vegas rally

Vance: To fix housing, fix the border

Then Democratic vice presidential candidate Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz took time after a small October rally in downtown Henderson to speak to Channel 13 about the Harris economic agenda.

WATCH: We asked Tim Walz questions on the issues that matter most to Southern Nevadans

Gov. Tim Walz in Las Vegas valley for early voting events

Harris, for her part, made more visits to Southern Nevada than any of the other candidates for the White House, but did not do individual interviews with local media here. In August, she held a rally at the Thomas & Mack Center that attracted thousands.

5. Lombardo saves his veto pen.

Although Gov. Joe Lombardo recruited a number of candidates for legislative seats, he only succeeded in turning over two: Senate District 11 in Las Vegas, where Lori Rogich defeated Democratic state Sen. Dallas Harris, and Edgeworth’s victory in Assembly District 35.

But those victories were enough for him to keep his veto power, as the state Senate is now divided 13-8 and the Assembly 27-15, both in favor of Democrats. That means neither house has the two-thirds majority needed to override a gubernatorial veto or pass a tax bill over the objections of Republicans.

Meanwhile, with 15 veteran lawmakers not returning to Carson City, the Nevada Legislature lost more than a century of political experience.

6. Fake electors of 2020 become real electors of 2024.

After the 2020 election, as Democratic electors met and signed official certificates of election attesting to Joe Biden’s victory, a group of six Republican electors met in Carson City and signed certificates of their own, falsely claiming Donald Trump had won the election.

Those fake certificates were sent to all the places the state sent the real ones, including the secretary of the U.S. Senate. It was part of a nationwide scheme to cloud the results of the election and keep Trump in power, a plan that fizzled after the Jan. 6 insurrection at the Capitol.

Attorney General Aaron Ford ultimately indicted the six on charges of filing a false instrument and uttering a forged document, both felonies. But he sought the indictment from a Clark County grand jury, when the alleged crimes had taken place in Carson City and Douglas County. As a result, a Clark County judge ruled she lacked jurisdiction and dismissed the case.

At year’s end, Ford was appealing that dismissal, and had filed new charges in Carson City just before the statute of limitations on uttering a forged document expired.

In the meantime, two of the electors who signed the fake certificates were once again selected to serve as real electors for Trump this year. So, despite being under indictment and facing new charges in Carson City, Nevada Republican Party Chairman Michael McDonald and Clark County Republican Party Chairman Jesse Law were able to sign real Electoral College certificates on Dec. 17.

WATCH: Four years later, Nevada’s ‘fake electors’ become real ones

Four years later, ‘fake electors’ become real ones

7. Changing of the guard at City Hall.

After 25 years, the rule of the Goodmans is over on Main Street. A term-limited Carolyn Goodman turned over the gavel to former Congresswoman Shelley Berkley in December.

Berkely won after defeating Councilwoman Victoria Seaman, who emerged from the June primary. The two debated frequently, agreeing on the need to settle the contentious Badlands litigation. (At year’s end, a settlement was nearing approval.)

Following Berkley’s victory — and that of newly elected Ward 5 Councilwoman Shondra Summers-Armstrong, a former Assembly member — the Las Vegas City Council is composed nearly entirely of women. The only man is Ward 1 Councilman Brian Knudsen.

8. Fiore faces justice.

Speaking of the City Council, former Councilwoman Michele Fiore was convicted of wire fraud charges stemming from money she raised for a police memorial, but which she actually used for personal expenses, including plastic surgery.

WATCH: Chief investigator Darcy Spears breaks down the allegations against Michele Fiore

Deception goes deep: Federal prosecutors add fraud charges against Michele Fiore

Fiore had long been under scrutiny by the FBI. In 2021, agents searched her home for evidence in the case.

Fiore, who considered running for mayor, had previously lost bids for Congress and for state treasurer. She was ultimately appointed as a justice of the peace in Nye County, a job she was suspended from with pay after charges were filed. After her conviction, she lost the pay from the Nye County post. She’s expected to be sentenced in March, although she’s appealing her conviction.

9. ‘Big Dan’ in big trouble.

Former Nevada congressional candidate Dan “Big Dan” Rodimer — who lost a bid for Congressional District 3 in 2020 — was charged with murder in Las Vegas after a fight at Resorts World in October 2023.

Rodimer, who turned himself in after an arrest warrant was issued, allegedly assaulted Christopher Tapp in a dispute about cocaine that was allegedly given to Rodimer’s stepdaughter. Tapp later died of his injuries. Rodimer has denied all the charges.

After his 2020 loss to Democratic Rep. Susie Lee, Rodimer sued to question the election results, although his case was later dismissed. He also lost a bid for Congress in a Texas special election in 2021.

10. Board of Regents spark controversy.

The Nevada System of Higher Education Board of Regents earned some negative publicity thanks to comments made by several members during the year.

First, Regent Patrick Boylan in March went out of his way to say that transgender athletes were “men masquerading as women” and insisted he would continue to speak out on the subject. He ignored calls to resign and remains on the board.

Second, in June, Regent Donald McMichael objected to an anti-discrimination policy by saying Jewish people were trying to “set themselves up in a higher position than everyone else in the United States” and that they should “get in line” because members of other groups had faced discrimination for longer periods.

Finally, in September, Regent Stephanie Goodman faced criticism for posting a doctored clip from the movie “Tropic Thunder” aimed at Harris’s presidential candidacy. Goodman quickly apologized for the post and said it was “irresponsible.”

But the incidents didn’t hurt the regents when it came to an issue on the November ballot: Question 1 would have removed the regents from the state constitution and put them into state statute, where the Legislature would have greater control over their management of the state’s colleges and universities. But Question 1 failed, 54.5% to 45.5%.

11. Voters adding to the constitution.

Speaking of constitutional amendments, voters began the process of inserting two items — one liberal, the other conservative — into the state’s governing document.

Question 7, which passed with 73% of the vote, would require voters to show an ID when voting in person or to write an ID number on their mail-in ballot. The measure comes after several attempts to enact voter ID in the Legislature were ignored by majority Democrats.

Question 6, which passed with 64 percent, would protect abortion rights in Nevada. Although voters already approved an abortion-rights statute in 1990 (a law that cannot be changed without another vote of the people), putting those rights into the constitution would make them harder to change in the future and insulate the state in the event a federal law is passed restricting abortion.

Both Questions 6 and 7 will have to be approved again by voters in 2026 in order to go into effect.

12. Clark County School District budget whiff draws criticism.

Although the Nevada Legislature provided the district with additional money during the 2023 session, school trustees still ended the year with a budget deficit, both at local schools and in its central office.

Officials blamed unexpected litigation and cybersecurity costs for the central office shortfall and said a miscalculation of teacher pay caused local schools to overspend. Trustees fired the district’s chief financial officer after the budget problems came to light and were able to find money to cover the expenses.

But that didn’t stop Senate Majority Leader Nicole Cannizzaro from incredulously grilling district officials for more than an hour at year’s end, demanding explanations and declaring “that just cannot happen again.”

Afterward, Cannizzaro said she was introducing an education accountability bill in the upcoming 2025 session of the Nevada Legislature.

13. The Culinary Union’s longest campaign ends.

On a spring evening in March 1999, the Culinary Workers Union Local 226 held a protest on the sidewalk in front of the yet-unopened Venetian hotel-casino. They objected to Las Vegas Sands CEO Sheldon Adelson’s refusal to negotiate with the union at his property.

Flash forward 25 years: The Venetian has expanded, adding the Palazzo. Adelson has died, and the hotel has a new owner.

But the Culinary Union isn’t outside anymore. Instead, union officials and workers were inside, celebrating the signing of the resort’s first contract with the union with acting U.S. Secretary of Labor Julie Su in September.

Ted Pappageorge, the union’s secretary-treasurer, said the long wait demonstrates the union’s tenacity.

At year’s end, with every Strip casino represented by the union, Culinary Workers were once again on the picket line, this time outside the Virgin hotel-casino.

If you have questions about any of our 2024 political takeaways — or want to share your opinion — submit your question or comment to Ask Steve.

RENO, Nev. (KOLO) – Nevada football will be hosting FCS school Montana State in 2026.

The non-conference game will be on Sept. 12, 2026 in Reno.

The agreement to play completes Nevada’s 2026 non-conference schedule for that year. Nevada will host Western Kentucky in their 2026 home opener on Sept. 5, then travel to Los Angeles to play UCLA on Sept. 19, then to Murfreesboro, Tennessee to play Middle Tennessee on Sept. 26.

The meeting with Montana State will be the first between the two since 1996 when Nevada won 31-7 in Reno.

For Nevada head coach Jeff Choate, it would be his first time playing against the team where he served as head coach for four seasons. He led the Bobcats to a combined record of 19-9 over his two final seasons, making consecutive appearances in the FCS playoffs with a run to the semifinals in 2019.

This season, Montana State will play North Dakota State in the FCS Championship on Jan. 6.

Copyright 2024 KOLO. All rights reserved.