Back row (left to right): Cashman Trainer Steve Winters, Henry Frank, Waylon Nino, Ira Crutcher, Ryan Murrah, Rosson Camas, Rick Crutcher, Dave Blaine, Melford Crutcher, Judy Pichoff, James Franklin and James Parrill. Front row (left to right): Rosie Scott, Delora Snapp and Morissa Bitt.
Back row (left to right): Cashman Trainer Steve Winters, Henry Frank, Waylon Nino, Ira Crutcher, Ryan Murrah, Rosson Camas, Rick Crutcher, Dave Blaine, Melford Crutcher, Judy Pichoff, James Franklin and James Parrill. Front row (left to right): Rosie Scott, Delora Snapp and Morissa Bitt.
Lithium Nevada and Cashman Equipment in Winnemucca recently partnered to host a heavy equipment operator training in Fort McDermitt, offered to Fort McDermitt Tribal Members as well as residents of McDermitt and Orovada. 

Participants learned to perform safety pre-checks and to safely operate a general construction wheel loader, hydraulic excavator, 5-yard dump truck and track-type dozer.

A Level I Operator Certificate of Completion was issued to each participant for each piece of equipment they were trained on, for a total of four certificates each. 

The training was held on October 26 and 27 and an additional training session is being planned for Spring 2022.

Lithium Nevada’s Thacker Pass Project will require up to 1,000 workers for construction and three hundred full-time employees for operations. 

Lithium  Nevada Community Relations Manager Maria Anderson and Cashman Equipment company Mining Account Manager Drew Jenkins began collaborating in early 2021 to host the fort McDermitt training after recognizing a need to build a local workforce with Lithium’s commitment to hire locally as much as possible.

Early works construction of Thacker Pass is planned to begin in 2022 upon approval of all required permits.