If you’ve used anything glass today, you likely came in contact with Trona. If you took an antacid you ingested it. If you passed a water treatment plant, you saw a common place for its use. Trona is the mineral that results in soda ash, which has many everyday uses in our lives. The world’s largest know deposit of trona lies beneath the ground in Wyoming’s Green River Valley, near Rock Springs, where it is mined. The mining process employs various large pieces of equipment that require operators, mechanics, welders and more… many of the trades to which Wind River Job Corps trains students.

Wind River Job Corps was invited in June to speak to the Rock Springs Chamber of Commerce Enterprise Committee, on which a number of the Green River area mining companies sit. The presentation discussed how WRJC could feed the workforce development needs of Wyoming’s mining and energy industries. It also provided a general overview of Job Corps and our mission, as well as a detailed look at the trades. Our WRJC 2020 Reference Guide was provided in digital format, with a comprehensive look at the trade curricula, allowing the industry to feel confident in our graduates’ level of skill and experience. The meeting was the first step in developing deeper partnerships with individual companies through one-on-one meetings.

Sample of Mining Companies included in Rock Springs Enterprise group