$14.5M skills center project aimed at training next generation of local workforce

WENATCHEE — The Wenatchee Valley Technical Skills Center’s $14.5 million modernization project was presented to the Chelan-Douglas Regional Port Authority as both a construction update and a long-term investment in the region’s workforce pipeline.

Pete Jelsing, director of the technical skills center, told commissioners the program’s purpose has remained consistent for more than three decades: providing a shared, centralized campus where multiple school districts can offer career and technical training that would be difficult to sustain on their own.

“The whole point behind the skill center is a central location where you can get technical training that all the districts can be a part of,” Jelsing said. “We’re looking at programs that any one district probably is not going to be able to afford.”

The campus currently offers training in fields including automotive technology, collision repair, construction trades, cosmetology, criminal justice, fire science, culinary arts, digital media and medical occupations, with additional programs planned as part of the expansion.

Jelsing said the facility is designed not as a stand-alone alternative to high school, but as part of each participating district’s graduation pathway.

“We are literally a part of our districts and the high schools,” he said.

Students attend for a half-day session and return to their home campuses for the remainder of their coursework, a structure that brings together students from across the valley in a setting focused on shared career interests.

“If you’re from a big school, they’re thinking they want a smaller environment to thrive,” Jelsing said. “If you’re from a small school, we hear it all the time — ‘I’ve been going to school with the same kids for 12 years and I want something different.’”

That mix, he said, produces both technical training and personal growth.

“The amount of growth and friendships that are built there is unparalleled,” Jelsing said.

The state-funded modernization will expand program space and update existing facilities to reflect current industry standards, a change Jelsing said is necessary to keep pace with local employers and evolving career fields.

“We want to continue to be relevant for our valley, for students and for our businesses,” he said.

Beyond equipment and classroom upgrades, the project is intended to support what Jelsing described as a different learning model for many students.

“It’s hands-on. It’s a different type of learning style for a lot of students,” he said. “That’s super important.”

A project representative also outlined design changes requested to meet port development standards, including screening for exterior service areas and the addition of a small storage feature to break up long wall sections. Commissioners approved the requested variances.

Commissioners praised the program’s regional impact and its role in preparing students for employment in fields that continue to face workforce shortages.

For the port, the training center represents a direct connection between education and economic development, providing local employers with a pipeline of workers who already hold industry certifications and practical experience.

Jelsing said that outcome is the long-term goal.

“This is more than just learning a trade,” he said. “It’s part of a graduation pathway, and it gives students a place where they can find what they’re passionate about and move directly into the workforce or continue their education.”

Andrew Simpson: 509-433-7626 or andrew@ward.media