For more than 30 years, the North Idaho College Workforce Training Center has worked directly with employers to design training that responds to local hiring needs and prepares students for jobs with immediate openings across the region.

“When employers tell us they have jobs ready to be filled but can’t find workers with the right skills or credentials, that’s where workforce education matters most,” said Colby Mattila, executive director of workforce and economic development for North Idaho College. “By building training programs around real hiring needs, we’re helping people step into good jobs while giving local businesses the workforce they need to keep projects moving and communities strong.”

Programs drawing the highest enrollment at NIC Workforce Training consistently align with North Idaho employers’ most urgent workforce needs, according to the college. Skilled trades apprenticeships, health careers training and commercial driver’s license programs remain among the most popular offerings and are repeatedly identified by the Idaho Department of Labor as some of the region’s hardest jobs to fill.

Trades apprenticeship programs at NIC Workforce Training include electrical, plumbing, and HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) training. These federally registered, four-year programs combine paid, on-the-job training provided by employers with classroom instruction at the Workforce Training Center. Graduates earn journeyman credentials, validating their skills while opening doors to higher wages and long-term job security.

This year, 910 students are enrolled in NIC Workforce Training’s trades apprenticeship programs.

To meet growing demand for commercial drivers, NIC Workforce Training continues to expand its CDL program. CDL training is currently offered at the NIC Parker Technical Education Center in Rathdrum and was launched in Sandpoint in 2025, with plans underway to bring the program to Kellogg.

“Demand for CDL training continues to grow, and expanding capacity is essential,” said Ethan Patzer, who manages the Workforce Training Center’s CDL program.

The CDL program partners with employers seeking licensed drivers, including Litehouse Foods, The Coca-Cola Company, the Coeur d’Alene Police Department, the U.S. Forest Service and CDA Paving and Concrete Specialties.

Tori Newcomb, corporate trainer for CDA Paving, said NIC Workforce Training has played a key role in meeting the company’s training needs through in-house instruction.

“For Class A CDL training, our employees are registered with NIC and complete the online coursework while they receive hands-on instruction from our in-house instructor using our company trucks,” Newcomb said. “This approach not only aligns with our needs but also promotes both professional and personal development, allowing employees to earn a paycheck during their training.”

NIC Workforce Training also works with employers and other types of organizations to provide training customized to their operation, which Newcomb said CDA Paving has benefited from over the years.

Health care workforce shortages remain another critical challenge in North Idaho. The Idaho Department of Labor continues to report a high number of unfilled health care positions, particularly in the region. In 2023, the Idaho Legislature’s Office of Performance Evaluations projected that Idaho’s direct health care worker gap would continue to widen through 2032. Direct care roles include medical assistants and certified nursing assistants, two of NIC Workforce Training’s most popular Health Careers programs.

A 2024 report by the Idaho Healthcare Workforce Collaborative identified apprenticeship models as an effective strategy for addressing the state’s health care workforce shortage.

NIC Workforce Training offers apprenticeships for medical assistants, dental assistants, and certified nursing assistants, blending classroom or online instruction with paid, on-the-job training. In some cases, the model can be adapted into unpaid internships to meet employer or student needs.

“These models rely heavily on partnerships,” said Marty Matney, manager of the Workforce Training Center’s Health Careers programs. “We establish and nurture a very close relationship with the employer and our instructor.”

CNA Program Coordinator Sarah Martin said NIC Workforce Training works with CNA employers across long-term and acute care settings, including facilities in Coeur d’Alene, Post Falls, Sandpoint, St. Maries and Shoshone County.

“We can’t do it alone. This kind of training is a combined effort,” Martin said. “It takes everyone, from employers and instructors to students, to ensure communities have the health care professionals needed to provide high-quality care.”