Bechtel Puts $1 Million Into Wyoming Trades Training and Launches Build for More

Bechtel announced a $1 million investment in Laramie County Community College and Western Wyoming College on October 28, 2026, to expand skilled trades training and create electrical and pipefitting pathways in Wyoming. The company also launched Build for More, a statewide campaign encouraging students to consider the trades as a first-choice career, PR Newswire reported.

What the Wyoming College Investment Funds

At Laramie County Community College, the investment supports electrical and pipefitting training, including curriculum, instructors, equipment and dedicated training spaces for hands-on experience. The programs prepare participants for employment and apprenticeship opportunities and connect graduates with local contractors and industry partners. The investment includes a pipefitting pathway new to higher education in Wyoming and expanded electrical training that lets more participants complete their training in-state.

At Western Wyoming College, Bechtel's support expands electrical and pipefitting training through investments in faculty, equipment and training capacity. A mobile pipefitting training unit will bring hands-on training and career awareness to rural communities across Wyoming.

"Skilled craft professionals build the infrastructure and energy projects that power communities, and the need for them keeps growing," said Walker Kimball, Senior Vice President, Head of Construction, Bechtel. "These are well-paying, stable careers that let people build a good life, often without leaving home."

Bechtel announced the investment and campaign at a panel discussion at LCCC in Cheyenne with Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon, LCCC President Dr. Joe Schaffer and Kimball. The event was hosted in partnership with the Wyoming Innovation Partnership and the Wyoming Business Alliance.

Bechtel's Record on Partnerships

According to akta.pro company records, Bechtel was selected by Micron in June 2026 as engineering, procurement and construction partner for Phase 1 of a semiconductor manufacturing facility in Clay, New York, projected to generate 50,000 jobs and $16.7 billion a year in economic output. In May 2026, Cheniere Energy Partners awarded Bechtel a lump-sum, turnkey EPC contract for Phase 1 of the Sabine Pass LNG expansion covering Train 7, with capacity exceeding 6 million tonnes per annum. Bechtel also partnered with NVIDIA in May 2026 to modularize NVIDIA's 1-gigawatt AI data center design.

Earlier Workforce and Nuclear Deals

Bechtel and the University of South Carolina announced a partnership to build South Carolina's nuclear workforce, establishing the Bechtel Nuclear Energy Workforce Development Fund, PR Newswire reported in October 2026. Bechtel held a hiring event in DeWitt, New York, attracting 500 applicants for its Micron chipmaking complex in Clay, The Post-Standard reported in October 2026. The company is hiring hundreds of staff and thousands of union workers, with 3,000 workers expected on site by next summer.

Build for More Campaign Details

Build for More is designed to reach students who may never have considered the trades, including those planning two- or four-year degrees. Because students say they rely most on parents and teachers for career guidance, the campaign will also engage families and educators through digital storytelling, community engagement and real-world exposure to construction careers. Bechtel research found that 89% of Wyoming adults view the trades favorably and 60% see them as a first-choice career, while 47% of high school students say they have never really thought about a career in the skilled trades.