Whipping Wyoming into shape

LCCC part of broad economic initiative through WIP

Chris Allen likes to see ideas transform into reality. In the Concept Forge at Laramie County Community College, that’s exactly what he makes possible. 

The Concept Forge is an innovative makerspace in the college’s recently established Advanced Manufacturing and Material Center designed to facilitate creativity and learning in manufacturing in southeast Wyoming. It offers access to advanced tools and technologies, including 3D printers and laser systems, for both students and the wider community. This space supports a variety of projects, from personal hobbies to entrepreneurial ventures, encouraging experimentation and the development of practical skills in a supportive environment. 

Chris is the Concept Forge coordinator who helps students and community members who come to LCCC to use the makerspace. Already familiar with 3D printing and information technology, Chris started his journey at LCCC in the AMMC’s CNC Precision Machining Bootcamp in May 2023. Before long, he was a staff member helping people realize their visions. 

“No project is too little and no project is too big in the Concept Forge,” Chris says. “There’s no better spot to experiment with something.” 

The big picture

The Concept Forge and the AMMC in which it’s housed are part of a big-picture idea. Wyoming’s leaders want to see the state transform itself in the 21st Century. Visionaries see a future where a diverse array of economic sectors help Wyomingites build prosperous lives that keep them in the Cowboy State. 

To drive the state toward the future, Gov. Mark Gordon has led the initiative to establish the Wyoming Innovation Partnership, or WIP. Launched in 2021, WIP’s proponents aim to transform and strengthen Wyoming's economy and workforce through collaborative efforts. WIP focuses on aligning economic development with educational goals, fostering innovation, entrepreneurship and research to diversify and modernize Wyoming’s economy. This initiative has brought together state entities, local partners and higher education institutions to develop programs in key areas such as entrepreneurship, energy, digital infrastructure, technology, tourism, hospitality and more.

Finding economic diversity at LCCC

At LCCC, WIP funds have supported virtual reality programming, digital infrastructure and technology, health care, manufacturing and entrepreneurship programming. Wyoming’s economy throughout its history has been dependent on the whims of energy markets, resulting in endless cycles of boom and bust. The through line with the programmatic areas WIP addresses, says Dr. Kari Brown-Herbst, LCCC’s senior vice president for Academic Affairs, is bringing Wyoming’s economy into a new era. The areas the funding supports — health care, technology, manufacturing and entrepreneurial innovation — all work in concert as part of a comprehensive economic plan.  

“Economic diversity has always been first and foremost in the governor's projections for how WIP will impact Wyoming,” Kari says. “It’s very important that we’re achieving positive outcomes for Wyoming as a whole, rather than for a specific service area.” 

The LCCC Entrepreneurship Program received Phase 1 WIP funding to expand makerspace resources, including the creation of the Concept Forge for prototype development, enhancing the campus and community's entrepreneurial capabilities. 

Minden Fox, LCCC Marketing and Entrepreneurship instructor, says this initiative has notably increased the number of students launching projects by providing access to advanced manufacturing tools. Additionally, LCCC proposed an innovation center to further support entrepreneurs, receiving a $950,000 award to develop services aimed at fostering local startups and small businesses, with plans to launch the center in 2024. Small businesses, Minden says, are a leading force in Wyoming’s economy, so it makes sense for WIP to focus on entrepreneurship as a way of helping future business owners with their launch and existing businesses with their growth. 

“The WIP initiative addresses the many areas where Wyoming has seen growth or is poised to see growth,” she says. “Entrepreneurship impacts all of those areas in encouraging new businesses in those industries or helping existing entities with innovative pursuits and growth.”

Training provided at the AMMC will also equip Wyoming’s future workforce for its reimagined economy, says Dave Curry, AMMC director. The AMMC not only can train a new machinist workforce; LCCC has also been working with companies to upskill and reskill their current workers. The most recent addition at the AMMC supported by WIP funds is the SmartCIM, which offers a robotic training element to LCCC’s programs; the first of its kind in southeastern Wyoming. SmartCIM introduces students to industrial automation and the applications used in smart factories, aiming to train skilled workers for next-generation jobs.

“This training will allow us to introduce our students, industry and the community to Industry 4.0,” Dave says. 

The Concept Forge, Dave says, is making significant strides in supporting local innovation, aiding a diverse array of projects from small Etsy ventures to businesses with global ambitions. It has contributed to the development of a wide range of products, including Dope Slime and meteorological equipment, demonstrating its versatility and impact on Wyoming-based businesses. Additionally, students recently completed the third nine-week CNC Precision Machining Bootcamp on March 7, successfully reskilling Woodward[JJ1]  employees and preparing newcomers for the workforce. 

“By March 13, nearly all participants had either been hired or were advancing in the hiring process with Cheyenne companies, showcasing the program's effectiveness in meeting local employment needs,” Dave says. 

WIP funding made the Practical Nursing Program at LCCC possible, supporting 16 students in Fall 2024, with an increase likely in the next year. The public funds allowed LCCC to purchase state-of-the-art, high-fidelity simulation mannequins, as well as industry-standard equipment such as vital sign machines, hospital beds, task and skills trainers that will help students learn and perform critical skills in the patient care setting. Through the support of WIP, LCCC was able to increase its Nursing faculty team by two full-time positions.  

Investing in health care is not only a way of providing jobs; it’s about improving the quality of life across the rural state. 

“This is an important initiative because we can increase the number of skilled nursing providers in rural communities around the state of Wyoming,” says Karen Bowen, Nursing Program director. “Nursing care is desperately needed in these areas and we’re able to reach those patients and families through the development of high-quality care providers graduating from this rigorous, but logistically flexible program. Students who were not otherwise able to step away from jobs, family obligations and more now have an avenue to continue their education and provide skilled care to their communities.”

When it comes to digital infrastructure and technology, it is clear artificial intelligence will be a part of Wyoming’s future. Kari says WIP is making it possible for LCCC to move forward with plans to partner with private industry to implement programming as soon as Fall 2024. 

“The idea was brought forward that WIP funds dedicated toward digital infrastructure could be an opportunity to redesign our Computer Science Program with a focus on artificial intelligence,” Kari says. 

Wyoming leaders realize that for WIP to provide a comprehensive plan for building a new economy, it would need to have a focus on quality of life in the Equality State. For Bailey Patterson, LCCC Communication and Creative Arts instructor, supporting the creative sector in Wyoming hits close to home.  

“Art was a lifeline to me growing up,” Bailey says. “The performing arts in Wyoming gave me a home, a community, and a method of expression that allowed me to learn more about myself while simultaneously learning more about the world and people around me.” 

The Creative Economy initiative portion of WIP focuses on nurturing the state's creative economy, recognizing its significant yet often underestimated impact on Wyoming's overall economic health. 

For Bailey, the arts are anything but trivial in the broader conversation about Wyoming’s economy. Instead, they are essential, she says, to crafting identity, building community and strengthening emotional intelligence. 

There are economic impacts directly from the arts, as well. The creative sector, encompassing arts and culture, is responsible for 10,640 full-time jobs, constituting 3.8% of Wyoming's employment and 4.3% of its compensation, according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis in 2020. This sector includes diverse ventures like art galleries, music venues, museums, film festivals and more, all contributing to the community's cultural identity and economic vitality.

WIP's initiatives to bolster this sector include workshops, a startup competition, industry mentoring and the creation of a centralized resource hub for the state's creative entrepreneurs. These efforts aim to support career development, networking and business creation within Wyoming's creative community. Spearheaded by the University of Wyoming’s Neltje Center for Excellence in Creativity and the Arts, the creative sector program has provided opportunities for artists from different regions in the state to participate in workshops where they learn from industry professionals and experts while they network. 

“One of the best parts of this experience was getting familiar with the work of other artists in the region,” Bailey says. “I have been involved in the Wyoming performing arts community since I was in elementary school, but I rarely get to cross paths with the literary and visual artists. Learning more about their successes, challenges and ambitions for the state was informative and inspiring.”

Bailey says she has a project in mind for a $25,000 grant through the program and will continue participating as it moves forward.

Chris says the big picture ideas come together for him when looking at WIP, believing it can move the state toward the kind of quality of life he’s seeking. He came to LCCC for the first time after being laid off from his job in insurance for COVID-19-related reasons. While Chris knows he could get another desk job and make a comfortable living, that’s not what motivates him. The opportunities available to himself and to Wyoming through the Concept Forge are extraordinary, he says. It provides a springboard to a future where he’s thriving on the cutting edge of development in all the areas WIP addresses, which is where he thinks Wyoming needs to go.

“I want to try new things,” he says. “I want to push the limits. I want to break things and then fix them. I just don’t want to wake up with the same monotonous job where I go to work, go home and repeat. The world of technology is always changing, and I need to learn and grow. I want to be at LCCC doing experimental stuff, helping students make a difference.”