FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Carli Smith
Director of Communications
C.Smith@goed.nv.gov 775.687.9903
July 8, 2026
Carson City, Nev. – The Governor’s Office of Economic Development (GOED) is proud to celebrate the 10th anniversary of its Workforce Innovations for a New Nevada Fund (WINN), the agency’s flagship workforce development initiative and a key component of Nevada’s economic development strategy.
Since accepting its first applications in 2016, WINN has invested nearly $25 million in industry-driven training programs delivered through approved educational partners such as Nevada’s four community colleges. Those investments have connected thousands of Nevadans to career opportunities in the industries driving Nevada’s economic diversification efforts.
“WINN is one of the most impactful tools we have to support economic diversification and workforce development in our work at GOED,” said Elaine Silverstone, GOED’s director of workforce development. “All of the WINN-funded programs are designed to serve the needs of industry seeking to make Nevada home and bring high-quality, high-wage jobs with them. As we mark ten years, I am immensely proud of the partnerships we have built and the thousands of Nevadans whose careers and lives have been transformed as a result.”
Created by the Nevada Legislature in 2015, WINN was designed to ensure Nevada businesses have access to the skilled workforce they need to grow and succeed. Administered by GOED’s Workforce Development division, the program supports training aligned with the State Plan for Economic Development and Nevada’s priority industries, including advanced manufacturing, information technology, transportation and logistics, natural resources, creative industries, healthcare and water sustainability.
“WINN shows what’s possible when education, industry, and state partners work in lockstep to meet Nevada’s workforce needs,” said GOED Executive Director Tom Burns. “This program has helped turn workforce development into a true engine of economic diversification, connecting Nevadans to meaningful careers while giving employers the skilled talent they need to grow. As we look ahead, GOED will continue building on that foundation to ensure Nevada remains competitive in attracting and retaining high-quality jobs.”
Over the past decade, WINN has supported workforce initiatives across Nevada that reflect the program’s broad impact and flexibility. Those have included Great Basin College’s Diesel Technology Program, which expanded industry-driven training opportunities to Ely to meet regional employer demand in the mining and heavy equipment sectors. In Northern Nevada, Truckee Meadows Community College’s Re-entry Initiative helped individuals involved in the justice system gain industry-recognized credentials and prepare for higher-wage careers in manufacturing and logistics. Outside of the Nevada System for Higher Education, WINN supported the Local 525 Joint Apprentice and Journeyman Training Center’s Welding Expansion Program in Southern Nevada, increasing advanced welding training capacity and strengthening apprenticeship pathways in the skilled trades.
In the past year alone, GOED awarded the program’s full $4 million allotment from the State Legislature across six workforce training initiatives, serving every community college within the Nevada System for Higher Education. This funding engaged more than 20 employer partners and expanded workforce capacity for over 500 students. Recent program awards highlight the breadth and depth of WINN’s reach across Nevada’s key sectors:
- College of Southern Nevada (CSN) – advanced manufacturing & IT sectors
CSN’s Westside Education & Training Center, supported by WINN investment, strengthens Nevada’s advanced manufacturing talent pipeline with employer partners including PENTA Building Group, Sunshine Minting, and Dolphin Machine. The training center is a transformative facility bringing advanced manufacturing training and economic opportunity directly to an underserved community, with HAAS Automation among its cornerstone partners. - Great Basin College (GBC) – mining sector
At GBC, WINN funding helped launch a Mine Skills Safety Training program developed in partnership with global mining training leader NORCAT. Industry partners including KG Mining, Komatsu and Empire CAT helped shape the curriculum, creating a direct pathway into high-wage careers in Nevada’s mining sector while supporting workforce needs in rural communities. - Truckee Meadows Community College (TMCC) – advanced manufacturing sector TMCC’s Advanced Manufacturing Mobilization program delivers incumbent worker training directly to Nevada’s most prominent manufacturers, reaching an estimated 5,000 workers at employers including Tesla, Panasonic, and Haws. Additionally, the college received WINN funding to expand its Heavy Equipment and Diesel Technician training, addressing a high-demand skilled trades gap as Nevada’s economy drives record job creation. Combined, these awards position Northern Nevada as a hub for advanced manufacturing talent aligned with the state’s Lithium Loop initiative and battery economy.
- Western Nevada College (WNC) – advanced manufacturing sector
WNC’s Advanced Manufacturing Training Center, located at the Victory Logistics District in Fernley, offers a cohesive curriculum responding to the explosive growth of Nevada’s clean energy economy. Employer partners Lilac Solutions, Panasonic Energy, and Redwood Materials co-developed the program to ensure graduates are workforce-ready on day one. Victory Logistics District in Fernley is creating a sustainable talent pipeline at one of the fastest-growing logistics hubs in the western United States.
GOED also recognizes the contributions of its many workforce development partners, including the Nevada System of Higher Education (NSHE), the Nevada Department of Education, the Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation (DETR), Regional Development Authorities (RDA), and hundreds of private-sector employers that have helped shape WINN-supported programs across the state.
As WINN enters its second decade, GOED remains committed to the principle that has guided the program from the beginning: workforce development is economic development. A skilled workforce is one of Nevada’s greatest competitive advantages and a key driver of the state’s long-term economic success.
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About the Governor’s Office of Economic Development
Created during the 2011 session of the Nevada Legislature, the Governor’s Office of Economic Development is the result of a collaborative effort between the Nevada Legislature and the Governor’s Office to restructure economic development in the state. GOED’s role is to promote a robust, diversified and prosperous economy in Nevada, to stimulate business expansion and retention, encourage entrepreneurial enterprise, attract new businesses and facilitate community development.