The number of apprenticeships in Missouri is rising.
The state’s apprenticeship program manager Donna Sheets says the options are expanding far beyond traditional building trades.
“In the last 10 years, Missouri has done a remarkable job with growing registered apprenticeship into other industries, including healthcare, education, advanced manufacturing, information technology," Sheets says.
The state has a goal to serve 100,000 apprentices by September of next year. Sheets says there are many different options within manufacturing.
"Some is going to be machinists. Some is going to be the computer, the CNC operators, production technologists. It's a wide variety of different occupations," Sheets explains.
She says in the past decade, apprenticeships have expanded far beyond traditional building trades into health care and education as well. Sheets says their goal is to fill workforce vacancies with well-trained employees, even some in their teens.
“An apprentice can be as young as 16 years of age. So we do have programs that operate out of the high school and the career and technical education centers across the State," Sheets says. "But we have well over 250 registered apprenticeship programs in the State that operate outside of the high schools and career technical centers as well.”
She says in the past decade, the number and type of apprenticeships have expanded far beyond the traditional building trades. She says now there are opportunities for apprentices in health care, education, tech, and advanced manufacturing.
Sheets says, however, they often have to dispel common misconceptions for potential participants and employers.
“Registered apprenticeship is no longer just for the skilled trades. Registered apprenticeship tends to be because they're associated with the skilled trades, employers think that it's union aligned," Sheets says. "But there are programs that exist in the state that are associated with unions, programs that aren't associated with unions and labor organizations. And so registered, you know, that's a common question that we have to field and can sometimes create some concerns for some employers.”
The office reports since 2019, 25,000 Missourians have completed training, advancing to journeyman-level status. You can hear more from Sheets on the Show Me Today Podcast from Missourinet.
Missourinet