MDHEWD awarded $4 million Apprenticeship Building America grant to put Missour…

The Missouri Department of Higher Education & Workforce Development (MDHEWD) has been awarded a $4 million Apprenticeship Building America grant by the U.S. Department of Labor that will help Missourians land high-wage jobs in high-demand industries.

MDHEWD, in partnership with Missouri Works Initiative (MWI) and BioSTL, will utilize the grant to launch the Missouri Strategies for Training and Apprentice Readiness (MO-STAR) project.

MO-STAR will put 625 Missourians on a path to secure long-term employment in skilled, higher-wage jobs through pre-apprenticeship programs and build a more diverse and skilled workforce across the state by serving underrepresented populations, such as Black, Hispanic, women, veterans, and individuals with disabilities. The MO-STAR programs will provide individuals with training in advanced manufacturing, bioscience, data science and cybersecurity, and other in-demand occupations.

MDHEWD is one of 43 grant recipients across the nation to receive this competitive award and allows the agency to continue its strategic work in increasing access to the Registered Apprenticeship career pathway. Missouri is among the top states in the nation in apprenticeships, ranking third in new apprentices, third in completed apprenticeships, and third in active apprentices as of July 1, 2024.

"The MO-STAR project will support MDHEWD's goal of being the best in the Midwest in educational attainment and workforce participation by 2030 while also boosting the progress in how we serve underrepresented populations," said Julie Carter, Director of the Office of Workforce Development. "Apprenticeships are an efficient and advantageous way for Missourians to earn credentials, gain knowledge and skills, and obtain high-wage employment in in-demand industries. Helping Missourians on this path is not only beneficial to them and their families, but also helps strengthen the state's workforce and economy."

With the MO-STAR project, MDHEWD, MWI, and BioSTL strive to increase awareness about high-demand career paths, increase the knowledge and skills of Missourians so they can enter those career paths, and break any barriers participants may face with increased access to supportive services such as childcare and transportation.

"We are thrilled to work alongside the MO-STAR team to empower Missourians with the skills and training needed for family-sustaining careers in manufacturing," said Megan Price, Executive Director of MWI. "By addressing workforce shortages and raising awareness of these high-paying jobs, our entire state and economy stand to gain. This new program reflects our commitment to creating diverse and skilled talent pipelines that benefit our entire state."

"St. Louis and Missouri global leadership in the bioscience industry relies on a skilled and diverse workforce across manufacturing, technology, and research," said Dr. Brittany Whitley, Director of Regional Workforce Strategy at BioSTL. "As part of the MO-STAR initiative, we look forward to accelerating our partnerships between industry, training providers, community organizations, and the public workforce system to support Missourians entering these quality jobs that advance innovative solutions in human health and agriculture."

For more information about Missouri Registered Apprenticeships, visit dhewd.mo.gov/apprenticeship_missouri.php/.

For more information about MWI, visit moworksinitiative.org/.

For more information about BioSTL, visit biostl.org/.

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