Area employers learn how to offer apprenticeships

In Missouri, formal apprenticeship programs have been rapidly evolving and creating new career pathways for a growing number of occupations. They are no longer just for the skilled trades, such as electricians and carpenters.

Heightened interest prompted the city of Springfield’s Workforce & Economic Vitality Department to hold a roundtable April 30 at the Midtown Carnegie Branch Library to provide a roadmap for employers interested in providing a paid training pipeline for their future workforce. Eight employers signed up.

“Any industry can have an apprenticeship,” said Cynthia Collins, business services representative with the Missouri Job Center in Springfield.

Collins belongs to a local apprenticeship team that helps business and industry leaders work through the process.

Part of that support is in the form of a $3 million Apprenticeship Building America Grant the U.S. Department of Labor awarded to the city. Funding flows to the city and can be used for outreach, training, partnerships and work materials.

There is no cap for the number of apprentices an employer can hire. Apprentices are paid as they work and can receive training at no cost.

Collins said registered apprenticeships involve a paid job, related instruction, on-the-job training and the ability to earn industry credentials and college credit. 

“This is beneficial for the employer because the employer has strong retention. If you invest in your employees, as we all know, they’re going to be loyal and trust you and they are going to stay with you,” she said. “It also benefits the employee because whatever skill and knowledge they have, they can take with them throughout their career.”

She said formalizing the program allows the employer and apprentice to set specific expectations and track progress.

“Most companies are already doing pieces right now, but they just haven’t registered with the Department of Labor and don’t have their standards in place,” Collins said.

Registered apprenticeships have grown rapidly in the state since the October 2019 inception of the Missouri Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development’s Office of Apprenticeship and Work-Based Learning.

They were also boosted by the “Preparing Americans for High-Paying, Skilled Trade Jobs of the Future” executive order from the Trump administration in April 2025. It aims to expand access to paid training in jobs with a shortage of skilled workers.

Sue Smith, workforce development specialist with the city, said Missouri ranks No. 3 in the nation in the number of active apprentices and programs.

A recent report from that office showed that in early 2026, there were 22,740 active apprentices, 339 programs and 5,483 participating employers. Top occupations, after electrician and carpenter, included correction officer, plumber, educator, construction worker, trucker, healthcare professional, direct support specialist and information technology professional.

In fiscal year 2026, Missouri registered at least 20 new programs in high-demand occupations including computer numerical control operator, welder and automative technician, according to the report.

Smith said getting started is simple. Employers can reach out directly to the city’s apprenticeship team. Prospective employers and apprentices can find details online at Missouri Apprenticeship Connect or MoApprenticeConnect.com.

“This is a really flexible structure. The Department of Labor is friend, not foe, in this, and you are in control of setting up your registered apprenticeship,” Smith said. “There are some baseline requirements, as far as hours go, but when we sit down with you and work through that application, you get to decide what the starting wage is, and what the bump in pay is, it could be $1, after a year.”

She said one misconception is that apprenticeships are only for those entering the workforce for the first time.

“Oftentimes, registered apprenticeships are entry level, but they don’t have to be. You have somebody who is mid-career, and you can see that they have the ability to be a leader, but they need those next steps,” she said. “You could have an incumbent worker do an apprenticeship to change roles.”

Stacey Connell, senior director of human resources with the Community Blood Center of the Ozarks, asked about that option and if setting up an apprenticeship required an employer to take any applicant that applied.

“We have a very strict hiring process. We see a lot of people. They may be very qualified to do their jobs, but those are not a good fit for us,” she said.

She expressed relief after Smith explained that employers still control the hiring process.

“Our concern has always been that we’ll have to take people coming in that don’t meet our criteria,” Connell said.

Mike Tucker, chief operational officer for Cox Roofing Co. LLC, said he was initially wary of offering a program because he only associated apprenticeships with labor unions in the past.

Other participants included SPX Technologies Inc., McDonalds Corp. and Guaranty Bank.

Ozarks Technical Community College partners with employers to provide technical and academic instruction for apprentices seeking an associate degree or certificate. The college provides prescribed and customized pathways, depending on the needs of the student and employer.

Matt Hudson, executive dean of career, technical and community development at Ozarks Tech, said in the past 15-20 years, more employers have required trained apprentices and journeymen who want to be in leadership positions to have a post-secondary credential beyond on-the-job training,

“That is where we come in,” he said.

Hudson said registered apprentices have paperwork from the Department of Labor showing what they know, which is interpreted like a transcript, and they may be able to test out of courses and earn credit toward a degree.

“If this person has the skills, they’re basically back to us to finish general education requirements,” he said. “They can complete their degree really in the course of less than a year. If they had dual credit in high school, it could be a semester.”