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Missouri Celebrates Apprenticeship Week

  • November 16, 2021

Happy Apprenticeship Week!

Did you know that Missouri ranks second in the U.S. for completed apprenticeships according to a report from the U.S. Department of Labor?

More than 3,800 people completed apprenticeships in Missouri last year, securing the state’s position as a top location for apprenticeship programs. What’s more, Missouri ranked second in the country for the highest number of new apprentices, with nearly 11,000 registered in the state.

“We finished the year last year second in the nation only behind California for new apprenticeships,” said Dr. Mardy Leathers, Missouri’s Director of Workforce Development. “That means new people starting apprenticeship programs and people completing those programs.”

In September 2020, the Missouri Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development and the Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry announced the start of a new statewide apprenticeship matching service that helps employers with registered apprenticeship programs find aspiring apprentices.

The matching service makes it easier for Missourians to take advantage of career opportunities that apprenticeships provide. The service enhances Missouri’s leadership role in using apprenticeships to help train the state’s workforce.

“While we continue to have more than 12,000 registered apprentices in our skilled trades, we’re now adding three and four-thousand apprentices a year in areas like IT and education and advanced manufacturing,” said Leathers.

Missouri’s apprenticeship programs help businesses find high-quality job candidates and help workers find good-paying jobs. For apprentices who finish their program in Missouri, 83 percent of them are still employed with the company that sponsored their apprenticeship nine months after completion.

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