By Gregg Wartgow, Special to the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM)
Laramie, Wyoming, was once known for being a rowdy hotspot of the Wild West, attracting a mix of railroad workers, gamblers, and outlaws. Today it’s known for being a college community, attracting some of the best young technical talent in the country.
Laramie is home to both a four-year university and community college, as well as one of the most renowned specialty trade schools. With programs in automotive technology, collision repair, diesel technology, and welding, WyoTech is helping prepare the next generation of technicians for a variety of industries that desperately need them.
“In 2018 when I started working with WyoTech, we had just 12 students,” said Cindy Barlow, WyoTech’s director of industry relations. “We’ll have more than 1,200 this fall.”
Nearly 500 of those students complete the well-established diesel technology program each year. The welding program produced 71 graduates in 2025 but has recently been expanded and is rapidly growing in popularity. “We’re already having a hard time keeping up with demand,” Barlow said.
WyoTech students come from all over the country. All 50 states are represented in WyoTech’s student body, with some students traveling more than 1,000 miles to attend. Employers from all over the country are interested in WyoTech too. In fact, 107 attended WyoTech’s most recent quarterly career fair.
Why are WyoTech students so coveted? Because they aren’t just graduating with a degree or certificate. They are entering the workforce with the training and preparation needed to hit the ground running in their new career.
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Aligning Training With Real-World Needs
According to Barlow, there is still a large gap between education and industry. Doing things the way they’ve always been done will not help to close that gap. That’s why WyoTech has been willing to adapt to change, which is a big reason the school has seen so much success over the past several years.
First of all, students don’t spend the majority of their time in a classroom. “I would say students spend 60-70% of their time in the shop,” Barlow said. “We offer extensive hands-on programs.”
In addition to the core program they are enrolled in, students must also complete one of six specialty programs before they can graduate, such as advanced diesel, high-performance powertrains, and applied service management.
“Completing one of our specialty programs is required because our goal isn’t simply to get a student through school,” Barlow said. “Our goal is to make each student more valuable when they walk into an employer’s shop. The core gives them their foundation, and the specialty gives them another layer of knowledge and experience that can differentiate them from another entry-level technician.”
There is one other benefit to the specialty program requirement.
“It gives students an opportunity to discover where their passion and strengths may lie,” Barlow said. “Employers are investing in our graduates, and we want to send them someone who has been exposed to more, challenged to do more, and is prepared to continue learning from day one. Those additional three months of schooling are part of what makes the WyoTech experience different.”
WyoTech also conditions students for life in the real world.
“Their schedule is Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 4:20 p.m.,” Barlow said. “We really stress those good old-fashioned standards. You have to be here by 7 a.m. We take attendance eight times a day. If you’re late twice in a six-week phase, we release you from WyoTech to go back home and come back when you’re professionally ready.”
Engagement with industry has also been a key to WyoTech’s success. Aside from participating in quarterly career fairs, companies can get involved in other ways. Many do, and many of those industry partnerships are quite significant. Barlow pointed to Kenworth as a classic example, where the truck manufacturer has donated trucks and technology to the WyoTech campus. Barlow also pointed to companies in the heavy equipment space, such as Takeuchi and United Rentals, who’ve also donated equipment and technology.
“We encourage all industry partners to respond in the same fashion if they can and want to,” Barlow said.
WyoTech has also developed a program where industry partners come in every Tuesday and Thursday to visit with students and discuss career opportunities with their companies. Barlow said this creates a powerful recruiting opportunity because a company doesn’t have to compete for attention like it does at a career fair. “We’ve never failed to have a slot filled,” Barlow pointed out.
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Connecting With Today’s Students
Because those Tuesday/Thursday slots fill up so quickly, Barlow said it’s not uncommon for companies to arrange private campus visits to meet with certain students and maybe take them to dinner or lunch to get to know them. This has also proved to be a powerful recruiting method.
“The younger generation values relationships and wants to be part of something,” Barlow said. “Knowing they are more than just a number on your shop floor is integral to being able to place them in the right spot on your shop floor.”
To that point, Barlow said it may not be enough to just show up at a career fair. Companies can use WyoTech’s career services platform to send students texts, for example, to make a connection upfront before meeting them in person. “Then, there’s nothing like being able to shake somebody’s hand and have a true conversation,” Barlow said.
Let Students See Your Operation
It’s also important for companies to bring students to their operation so students can see it firsthand. Some companies work with WyoTech field reps to arrange facility tours with students who live in their area, which Barlow said is a good idea because it’s typically most effective to recruit within your immediate geographic area.
“Let students see what a day in the life is like at your company,” Barlow suggested. “We also have something we call ‘pit stops’ where WyoTech field reps bring new students and their parents to tour a company’s facility. Getting to meet them before they even come to WyoTech is huge.”
To that point, Barlow said companies can work with WyoTech field reps to identify new students who just enrolled. The outreach can begin immediately with a congratulatory letter, which can make a big impact.
“Completing one of our specialty programs is required because our goal isn’t simply to get a student through school. Our goal is to make each student more valuable when they walk into an employer’s shop. The core gives them their foundation, and the specialty gives them another layer of knowledge and experience that can differentiate them from another entry-level technician.” -- Cindy Barlow
Show Students the Passion
Whenever engaging with students, Barlow said it’s important to display a sense of passion about your company — as well as the profession in general.
“Recruiters have an amazing opportunity to change the life of a young person first coming into an industry,” Barlow said. “Be excited about that opportunity.”
Barlow said recruiters should also talk to company management about making sure they have the best recruiting tools possible. And it’s not always about money. It’s more about time, relationships, and really understanding who you’re hiring.
