Bechtel Backs New Pipefitting Pathway and Wider Electrical Training at Wyoming Colleges
A new Bechtel campaign, Build for More, urges Wyoming students, their families and the educators who advise them to see the skilled trades as a top career choice.
- By Danielle Naidu
- Nov 02, 2026
People in Wyoming who want electrical or pipefitting careers are set to gain new training routes at two colleges through a Bechtel investment of $1 million announced Oct. 28.
At Laramie County Community College and Western Wyoming College, the money will go toward coursework, teaching staff, equipment and training space, Bechtel said.
Part of the investment is a pipefitting pathway, the first in Wyoming higher education, the company said. Wider electrical training will also let more participants finish their training in Wyoming, it said.
A mobile pipefitting training unit is part of Western Wyoming College's program. The unit will travel to rural areas around the state to offer hands-on instruction and career awareness, Bechtel said.
Build for More, the companion campaign, is designed to work in tandem with the college investment, Bechtel said. Its audience includes students who perhaps have never thought about the trades, among them those aiming for a two-year or four-year degree. The campaign will rely on digital storytelling, community outreach and firsthand looks at construction careers, the company said.
Research Bechtel commissioned found that 47% of Wyoming high school students surveyed had never seriously considered working in the skilled trades. Only 20% of those students said they plan to go into a trade or vocational program or an apprenticeship once they finish high school. Students rely on teachers more than any other source for career information, the research found. Yet only 28% of teachers surveyed consider a trades career a first choice.
About the Author
Danielle Naidu is assistant editor for Occupational Health & Safety and Environmental Protection Online.