Las Vegas’ Black community’s contributions to the city’s industries are immeasurable.
Black workers helped build the railroads that brought some of Vegas’ earliest settlers. They also were instrumental in public works projects like Hoover Dam and wartime efforts at the Basic Magnesium plant in Henderson. They established the first integrated hotel and casino in the country, the Moulin Rouge. And entertainers like Sammy Davis Jr. and Nat King Cole helped define Las Vegas as the entertainment capital of the world.
While the Black community helped turn Las Vegas into the prosperous place it is today, the city hasn’t always returned the favor. But now, a new facility that broke ground in May 2024 could cater to the workforce in Vegas’ historically Black neighborhood.
“The Historic Westside Education and Training Center is a workforce training center, and what that means to us is really a diverse set of resources in a post-secondary space,” says Stavan Corbett, executive director of the Division of Workforce at the College of Southern Nevada.
“There’s definitely a high focus in terms of bringing diverse resources as it relates to talent development, upward mobility for economic growth—not only for the community at a macro level, but also individually for the residents of West Las Vegas.”
The $16.4 million, 15,000-square-foot facility will provide credentialed job training programs in advanced manufacturing, health care, technology and construction trades, all in-demand jobs that pay a living wage ($18 to $28 per hour, Corbett says) and help build the foundations for prosperity in a long-neglected neighborhood.
With the understanding that affordability is a barrier for some to obtain higher education, CSN offers tuition support based on eligibility. The college receives grants from the Nevada Department of Training and Rehabilitation, which can be put toward students’ tuition.
“Ninety-six to 97% of our existing students do receive tuition support,” Corbett says.
The training center, a project of the City of Las Vegas and CSN, is expected to be completed in August 2025.
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