Gateway Registered Apprenticeship reaches one-year mark
Madison County’s Employment and Training Department (MCETD) continues to make progress through the Gateway Apprenticeship Hub program, one year after the U.S. Department of Labor (USDOL) awarded a $5.8 million grant.
Madison County serves as the administrative agency for the project funded through the USDOL’s Apprenticeship Building America program. The project seeks to develop and expand registered apprenticeship programs for healthcare, bioscience and education careers in both Illinois and Missouri.
“The St. Louis metro region is home to an incredible number of leaders in the healthcare, bioscience and education industries,” Employment and Training Director Tony Fuhrmann said. “We’re pleased that this grant has allowed us to collaborate with employers and education providers on both sides of the river to provide individuals with opportunities to begin careers in these fields.”
The Gateway Apprenticeship Hub encompasses 13 counties, including Madison and St. Clair Counties in Illinois and St. Louis, St. Charles, Jefferson and Franklin Counties, as well as the City of St. Louis in Missouri. The goal of the Gateway Apprenticeship Hub is to place 750 individuals into registered apprenticeship programs, with an emphasis on providing opportunities for individuals from underserved communities.
Fuhrmann said through August 15, they have registered six new apprenticeship programs for healthcare and education positions and enrolled 45 individuals into the programs.
Training providers from across the region, which include the University of Missouri St. Louis, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, McKendree University, Southwestern Illinois College, Lewis and Clark Community College, Jefferson College, the Special School District of St. Louis County, and St. Louis Community College, among others, utilize the grant’s resources to develop pre-apprenticeship training programs.
“These pre-apprenticeship programs will allow the individuals seeking apprenticeships to gain the skills and knowledge necessary to begin the apprenticeship programs,” Fuhrmann said.
Fuhrmann said that MCETD collaborated with BioSTL and the regional workforce development boards to establish relationships with employers and training providers. The employers include BJC, SSM, HSHS, Washington University, Hazelwood School District, St. Louis Public Schools, and Stillwater Senior Living.
“Several apprenticeship programs have been registered for these employers, with additional programs still in development,” Fuhrmann said.
Visit GatewayApprenticeshipHub.com or contact the MCETD at (618) 296-4992 for more information about the program.
