On January 17, 2012, two students, one from each trade (Electrical and Facilities Maintenance) at Trapper Creek began the first of hopefully many WBL tours at the Rocky Mountain Laboratories in Hamilton, Montana. 

Rocky Mountain Laboratories is a component of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH).  Work there includes finding new and improved vaccines, therapies, diagnostic tests, and other medical technologies that  improve the health of people throughout the world.  Some of the latest research that has emerged,  due to threats of bioterrorism and naturally occurring, emerging and re-emerging infectious disease, includes HIV/AIDS, West Nile Virus, SARS, avian and H1N1 influenza and drug resistant tuberculosis.  The most recent facility to be added  is the Biosafety Level-4 (BSL-4) containment facility.  This laboratory operates using the most stringent type of infectious disease research protocols.  Infectuos agents requiring BSL-4 containment include viruses such as Ebola, Marburg, and Nipah. 

Our students have been hired as STEP employees at NIH, which is a government facility and will be payed WG-3502-02/01 wages, $12.55/hr while working there.  They will be doing things such as conduit bending, load calibrations, electrical safety, motor alignment, pump alignment, HVAC preventative maintenance and plumbing repair just to name a few.  This is a tremendous opportunity for our students and the center.  They will be learning things they never thought possible while attending Job Corps.  Clyde, the maintenance supervisor stated, “I am so excited and have wanted to create this partnership for some time!  I can’t wait to see these students learn somemething new.” 

Trapper Creek trades (EL, UC, FM) will be tourning Rocky Mountain Labs as part of their Ground Hog Job Shadow events next month.