Tag Archives: Education

Hands-on training in heavy equipment operation available in Boise

NEWS RELEASE

For Immediate Release: Feb. 26, 2025
Media Contact: Darlene.Carnopis@labor.idaho.gov

Free training is available for Idahoans wanting to pursue a career in heavy equipment operation.

The Idaho Career Opportunities – Next in Construction (ICONIC) program is a path to a rewarding career in highway construction. Most graduates who participate in the program may go on to obtain their commercial driver’s license to operate heavy vehicles.

The five-week intensive course involves a mix of classroom and hands-on learning. The next training session takes place in Boise from April 7 to May 9.

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LAUNCH workshops are available for graduating students, Feb. 26, March 5 and 12 in eastern Idaho

NEWS RELEASE

For Immediate Release: Feb. 24, 2025
Media Contact: Darlene.Carnopis@labor.idaho.gov

The Idaho Department of Labor is offering workshops in eastern Idaho to graduating students interested in applying to the LAUNCH career education grant program.

The open house workshops will be held from 4 to 6 p.m. at Labor’s Idaho Falls office on Feb. 26, March 5 and March 12. There will also be a workshop held at the Salmon Library on March 12.

The Idaho Falls office is located at 1515 E Lincoln Road and the Salmon Public Library is located at 300 Main St. Continue reading →

Apprenticeship Idaho distributes over 3,000 books to schools across the state

NEWS RELEASE

For Immediate Release: Nov. 18, 2024
Media Contact: Renee.Bade@labor.idaho.gov

Author Elaine Zabriskie with her dog and star of the book, Booper.

Over 3,000 free children’s books about the value of apprenticeships were distributed by the Idaho Department of Labor and Apprenticeship Idaho to elementary school classrooms across the state in September.

Designed for K-5 students, “Booper Dreams Big: An Almost True Story of Apprenticeship” follows the journey of Booper the dog and his apprenticeship as a satellite technician.

Apprenticeship Idaho originally published the book in 2022, becoming one of the first U.S. government agencies to produce a children’s book about apprenticeship. Continue reading →

Learn about in-demand skilled trades in Lewiston, Aug. 22

NEWS RELEASE

For Immediate Release: Aug. 15, 2024
Media Contact: Misti.Sullivan@labor.idaho.gov

Job openings continue to increase in Idaho in the skilled trades industry — specifically for welders, plumbers, electricians, commercial driver’s license workers and heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) workers.

When looking at total employment, the Lewiston Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA)’s rate of welders is nearly five times the U.S. national average. In fact, the Lewiston MSA ranks in the top five MSAs nationally for its employment concentration of welders, according to Labor Economist Lisa Grigg.

“With the 2023 median annual wage of $56,000, the Lewiston MSA has the highest median wages for welders and exceeds 20% above the statewide average of $46,000,” Grigg said.

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Free apprenticeship children’s book is available for schools to order

NEWS RELEASE

For Immediate Release: Aug. 8, 2024
Media Contact: Gina.Robison@labor.idaho.gov

The children’s book, “Booper Dreams Big: An Almost True Story of Apprenticeship,” is available for Idaho schools and libraries to order before Aug. 30 at no cost. Booper Dreams Big cover

Kindergarten to fifth grade students will follow Booper the dog as he learns the value of career education through his apprenticeship as a satellite technician.

The book was created on behalf of the Idaho Department of Labor’s Apprenticeship Idaho program and comes in both English and bilingual (English-Spanish) versions.

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Program offers free training in Idaho construction occupations

NEWS RELEASE

For Immediate Release: Feb. 26, 2024
Media Contact: Georgia.Smith@labor.idaho.gov or Lindsay.Trombly@labor.idaho.gov

Free training is currently available for Idahoans wanting to pursue a career in heavy equipment operation, cement masonry and concrete finishing.

Depending on the occupation, annual wages in this industry can range from $43,000 to $52,000 statewide, according to the 2023 Occupational Employment and Wage Survey (OEWS) from the Idaho Department of Labor.

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Apprenticeship Spotlight: Idaho businesses focus on family with apprenticeship opportunities

Long-term staffing can be challenging for small family-owned Idaho businesses. Finding and hiring talent can also be a costly burden in a tight labor market. A fully trained candidate expects higher wages, and the cost to train a job candidate can be expensive.

Some Idaho businesses are turning to the Idaho Registered Apprenticeship program to train their children and keep the business in the family.

Aspen Air Design – Malad

Aspen Air Design has been in the HVAC business since 2008 and has locations in Idaho (Rexburg and Malad) as well as Utah.

As owner Virginia Edlefsen experienced hiring challenges, she noticed her 16-year-old grandson Leonardo Dirilo took interest in her business and decided to give him some valuable work experience as a Registered Apprentice.

“He’s handy with tools and he’s very mechanically inclined and likes to be working,” she said. “He likes to work, and the labor of it. He’s quite talented at building metal and putting things together. He’s a quick learner.”

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Oct. 10 webinar addresses how Idaho’s population changes affect school enrollments

NEWS RELEASE

For Immediate Release: Oct. 5, 2023
Media Contact: Craig.Shaul@labor.idaho.gov

Idaho’s population growth has been growing fast – so quickly that the state had the No. 1 growth rate in the nation at 21.5 % from 2012-2022, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Labor Economist Lisa Grigg will highlight her research findings on how Idaho’s shifting population affects K-12 enrollments in an Idaho Department of Labor webinar, Tuesday, Oct. 10.

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The future of broadband in Idaho

High-speed internet, or broadband internet, once seen as a luxury service, is now understood to be a critical utility that brings equitable economic opportunity to many.

Broadband not only brings social connectivity, but can raise property values, increase job opportunities, boost education access and expand health outcomes through telehealth. [1] However, the difference in access between urban and rural America continues and was especially apparent once the pandemic set in.

This gap, known as the “digital divide,” is a gap rural America is all too familiar with. From 2017-2021, rural households in Idaho have seen smaller percentage increases in internet subscriptions (1.3% fewer) and computing devices (0.5% fewer) than urban households. With the pandemic highlighting this issue to a broader audience, lawmakers are working on closing this gap, increasing economic opportunities for rural households.

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Summer job opportunities available for teens May 13

NEWS RELEASE

For Immediate Release: May 8, 2023
Media Contact: Janalee.Henderson@labor.idaho.gov

Teens and young adults (ages 16 and older) are invited to connect with employers about summer job opportunities Saturday, May 13.

Boise and Meridian employers will be available from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Galaxy Event Center at Wahooz Family Fun Zone, 1385 S. Blue Marlin Lane, to interview teens for job openings.

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