MU Extension: Missouri Works Initiative and MU Extension Labor and Workforce Development Collaborate to Provide Economic Opportunities to Missourians

PROTECTED CONTENT

If you’re a current subscriber, log in below. If you would like to subscribe, please click the subscribe tab above.

Username

Password

Login

Lost your password?

Username and Password Help

Please enter your email and we will send your username and password to you.

Email

Submit

← Back

JEFFERSON CITY, MO — The Missouri Works Initiative, a not-for-profit organization sponsored and supported by the Missouri AFL-CIO, announces collaborative partnership with the University of Missouri (MU) Extension Labor and Workforce Development Program to bring the Missouri Apprentice Ready construction pre-apprenticeship training program to the Springfield region. The free construction training program aims to connect underrepresented groups to the necessary introductory training to begin a career in the construction industry. To learn more about the program or apply online for the upcoming pre-apprenticeship training, please visit: https://www.moworksinitiative.org/missouri-apprentice-ready-program/.

 “This partnership will not only merge the collective expertise and professional networks of our respective organizations but will most importantly move forward the work of creating a more inclusive, equitable, and diverse construction workforce equipped with the necessary skills to meet the industry’s challenges and opportunities,” stated Greta Bax, Executive Director of the Missouri Works Initiative. “Our team is so pleased to work with MU Extension Labor and Workforce Development toward the shared goal of creating economic opportunities for all Missourians.” 

 Missouri Works hosts four major programs focused on addressing the spectrum of worker needs from creating healthy and recovery friendly workplaces, connecting laid off workers with job-search and upskilling resources for future employment, to collaborating with community partners to offer innovative points of entry to U.S. Department of Labor registered construction apprenticeship opportunities. 

 The MWI program areas include:

Missouri Apprentice Ready, offering a 5-week introduction to the construction industry to qualified participants in Kansas City and Springfield, working toward the goal of increasing the number of Missourians participating in U.S. Department of Labor registered construction apprenticeship programs. 

Building Union Diversity – St. Louis (BUD STL), addressing the growing need in the construction industry for a skilled and more inclusive workforce. Established in 2014, the BUD program has successfully graduated 23 classes, serving more than 250 St. Louis residents, with greater than a 90% student completion rate, resulting in more than  80% of students placed in the construction industry.

Worker Wellness, working to ensure that all workers have access to timely information regarding mental aspects of safety on the job and in the community.

Dislocated Worker, connecting dislocated workers to resources and assistance they need to re-enter the job market quickly following a closure or layoff. The Dislocated Worker Program has been a program of the Missouri AFL-CIO for over 20 years. 

“Working with the MU Extension Labor and Workforce Development on the Missouri Apprentice Ready project will ensure our success because of its partnerships and connections with employers, workers, and workforce development organizations across Missouri,” stated Missouri AFL-CIO President Jake Hummel. “I am excited to expand upon the years of success the AFL-CIO has achieved for workers.”

 

For more information about MWI’s programs and staff, please visit https://www.moworksinitiative.org  or follow us on Twitter @MissouriWorks, Instagram @MissouriWorks, and Facebook @Missouri Works Initiative.

Contact information: Amy Patillo, patilloa@missouri.edu, Missouri Works Initiative, moworksapprentice@moaflcio.org, 573-634-2115 or https://moworksinitiative.org/contact/

Writer: Amy Patillo