Tourism expected to strain workforce

Sector’s employment needs expected to grow by 24% in just five years

CASPER — Ski weekends in the Snowy Range. Deer hunts in the Red Desert. Road trips through America’s first national park.

Travel and tourism is growing across Wyoming, and it’s bringing a pretty penny to the state. Travelers spent $4.5 billion in Wyoming in 2023, according to a University of Wyoming report, vaulting the travel industry to the number two sector in the Cowboy State.

But there’s a problem: The industry’s demand for skilled workers may not be met.

“This sector is really forecasted to grow substantially. And the concern that this report raises is that there’s a need for more students and a skilled workforce to serve these various industries,” said Dan McCoy, interim director for Wyoming Outdoor Recreation Tourism and Hospitality Initiative, a state-chartered collaborative.

Travel spending supported more than 33,000 local jobs, and industry experts and local businesses say it can support many more yet, as the sector’s employment needs are expected to increase by 24% in the next five years, eclipsing growth in all other job sectors in the state.

The report, which draws on state and federal data along with local business surveys, finds that the number of skilled workers emerging from relevant training and educational programs is lagging behind industry needs, which could curtail the potential of Wyoming’s second biggest economy.

Some of the labor force challenges may stem from a perception that the industry is limited to entry level jobs with little space for upward mobility.

McCoy says this is a misconception, and as the industry matures it welcomes a growing number of stable and salaried positions.

“In the tourism and hospitality sectors there’s a lot of entry level positions, but you can advance in those fields with more training and workforce development,” he said. “This report shows there’s lots of those opportunities statewide, the types of things that are going to help employees advance to managerial and supervisory positions with higher paying positions that provide career paths and trajectories to be successful in this field.”

The report notes that industry-specific programs offered by the state’s university and colleges saw low enrollment and graduation rates. In 2023, relevant programs produced 130 graduates, with overall enrollments under 200.

“It’s an area of concern that we need to get these programs enrolled to meet the needs for the future,” McCoy said.

McCoy believes the problem is an easy fix, and with proper marketing career-seekers will find their way to the programs that are themselves brand new.

In concert with Gov. Mark Gordon’s Wyoming Innovation Partnership, McCoy and WORTH are working to bolster the career pipeline through collaboration with the state’s university and colleges, where new programs and initiatives hope to train and supply a new generation of skilled workers for a multi-faceted industry seen as vital to the state’s long-term financial health.

The University of Wyoming this year launched a new focused area in hospitality, while Sheridan College inaugurated a coterie of related industry-specific workforce training programs.

“Our report highlights the need for strategic investments in education and workforce development to keep pace with the industry’s demands,” said McCoy.

This story was published on May 7, 2024.