Two Wyoming energy groups chip in $15K to help single moms train for good jobs

Two power cooperatives are teaming up to boost workforce development in northeast Wyoming. The Powder River Energy Foundation and Basin Electric Power Cooperative have partnered on a $15,000 contribution to Climb Wyoming, the nonprofit that helps low-income single mothers move into higher-paying, in-demand careers.

The money supports Climb’s career training and job placement programs in fields like health care, commercial truck driving, construction trades, and office and tech administration. Just as important, the program pairs those classes with mental-health services and practical life skills — think financial management and parenting — so graduates are set up to succeed at home and at work.

“Single moms and their children experience the highest rates of poverty among families in Wyoming,” said Dane Joslyn, who directs Climb’s Gillette program. “This investment from the PRECorp Foundation and Basin Electric will ensure that we can continue to support moms with skill-building and training so they can achieve financial independence and make meaningful contributions to our local economy by filling critical positions in the workforce.”

This year’s award reached $15,000 after the Powder River Energy (PRECorp) Foundation secured a matching grant from Basin Electric, which focuses on helping rural nonprofits. PRECorp Foundation Board President John Flocchini said backing Climb aligns with the foundation’s mission.

“Climb’s successful programs continue to implement one of the foundation’s general tenets, which is to give a hand up to those in need in rural northeast Wyoming. We appreciate Climb’s ability to create these sustainable solutions for single moms,” he said.

PRECorp Foundation Executive Director Joe Roth added that long-term services like Climb’s can help break the cycle of poverty, with benefits rippling to the co-op’s consumer-members across the region.

Climb Wyoming says its comprehensive model consistently leads to graduates doubling their income and relying less on public assistance. The goal is straightforward but ambitious: change the trajectory of families one household at a time. More information on programs and upcoming training opportunities is available on Climb Wyoming’s website.

The original story by Garrett Grochowski for County 17.