UNM-Gallup

The UNM-Gallup Community Access for Student Achievement Department (CASA) is comprised of several sites throughout McKinley County. These sites include Gallup-Northside and Zuni South-Campus. CASA delivers adult basic education/GED classes, individual assessment, career counseling, and career planning. On-site basic education services may be provided to area employers at no charge.

Workforce Training Programs
The Community Education Department provides workforce educational programming in a variety of formats to meet community needs. The EDGE Program is a partnership of several state, tribal, and federal programs which seek to support workforce development activities in the Gallup-McKinley County area. EDGE stands for Experience, Development, & Growth through Education. Industry needs determine course offerings, which currently include Nursing Assisting, Administrative Office Specialist and Tourism Enterprise Development training. The programs are each taught in an intense Monday through Friday format, which simulates the work ethic of the workplace. These programs are generally completed in 16 weeks, are scheduled year round and include career transition services to benefit both participants and area employers.

Placement services include candidate recruitment services and subsidized wage support to qualified employers. Candidate recruitment services include candidate identification, screening, testing, internship and job coaching. An effective match for job placement is defined as twelve months successful integration of the new employee into the workplace. There is no charge to employers for these services. Additional services may be available for a fee. These include additional recruitment and screening, background checks, and drug testing.

New employee wage support services include internship, On-the-Job Training (OJT) and Work Experience Training (WEX). In partnership with area workforce funding sponsors, the EDGE Program currently seeks to transition new employees into the workplace as seamlessly as possible. Many employers take advantage of the 160 hour internship available from the EDGE Program. This 4-week work-based learning experience provides employers with the opportunity to orient and train new candidates for employment at no charge. The program participant is provided the opportunity to apply the skills they learned in the classroom and lab in the workplace with the support of their instructor, program manager and a site supervisor. Participants must successfully complete their internship prior to graduation from the EDGE Program. Participants may receive wages from their worksite or from a workforce funding sponsor after completing at least two-weeks of internship.

The OJT and WEX programs are sponsored through U.S. Department of Labor Workforce Investment Act funding. OJT provides for 50% wage subsidy for up to six months at the market rate of pay for the position. The employer is contractually obligated to employ the candidate upon completion of the scheduled term for subsidized employment. WEX program participants receive 100% subsidized wages for about four months at $6.50 per hour, however, there is no binding obligation for employment at the end of the program. However, the EDGE Program will screen employers for their intent to provide full-time employment upon completion and at the minimum living wage of $7.50 per hour.

Customized Contract Training
In the recent past, the EDGE Program has provided short courses in employability, computer literacy, and retail customer service skill training under in a customized contract-training format. These services can be created on-demand and may include any variety of learning objectives necessary for pre-employment candidate development. Training costs may shared by the employer, depending on the availability of third party funding. Course development lead-time may vary from two weeks to two months depending on the complexity of training, equipment and materials requirements and the funding partnerships needed to put the project together. Training may be delivered at the employer work-site as appropriate.

Community and Continuing Education Workshops
Each semester the Community Education Department publishes a schedule of classes and workshops, which include workforce specific subjects such introductory computer skills, intermediate and advanced Microsoft Office Work, Excel, Access and PowerPoint, supervisory skills, and customer service. These trainings are offered on a fee-for-service basis.