The bottom line, the first graduates of CSN’s new Facilities Maintenance and Operations program said at a ceremony Thursday, is that now they’ll be able to get good jobs. 
“I wanted to learn a trade, something that’s going to be long-lasting,” said William Hurd, who attended the graduation ceremony with his fiance.
Hurd was one of 19 people to graduate from the 20-week program, which began this year under the college’s Division of Workforce and Economic Development. The program is funded by a grant from the U.S. Department of Labor. The grants are part of the Labor Department’s Trade Adjustment Assistance Community College and Career Training program, called TAACCCT.
The Facilities Maintenance and Operations Training program was founded on the principle that students learn best by doing, rather than just from reading or listening to classroom lectures. The program includes lab work and some of the latest, high-tech equipment in the industry. 
The entry level program’s purpose is to train people in electrical, plumbing and other maintenance and operations work. Facilities maintenance is an important, but often unseen, part of what keeps organizations operating. In Las Vegas, those organizations range from small businesses to governments to some of the largest resorts in the world.
Hurd, who found himself unemployed and looking for work earlier this year, said the state’s Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation told him about the CSN program.
Others, including graduate Harless Donelow, also learned of the program through DETR. Donelow had been a journeyman carpenter, but was out of work. Though he had some plumbing and engineering skills, he wanted to learn more.
“You think you know something until you go to school and learn it,” he said. “The program was really fabulous.”
Graduate Robert Lang, who was laid off from his job in the construction industry, enrolled in the program, hoping it would help him land a new job. Instead, his old job hired him back. He stayed in the program anyway because it will make him a more valuable employee.
“Now, I have something else to offer,” Lang said.
Dan Gouker
Dan Gouker, the CSN division’s executive director, created the program with the intention of giving students hands-on experience in maintaining and repairing electrical, plumbing, heating and air conditioning equipment.
The program includes certification from the National Center for Construction Education and Research, which is a vital component. Students who graduate from the program will have their information entered into an international database that potential employers can use to verify their skills.
In designing the program, Gouker consulted with industry leaders to find out what kind of training they saw a need for in potential employees, such as what equipment the workers should be trained to operate.
Also included are coaching on essential job interviewing skills, and how to write a proper resume.