Sedalia, Missouri – Lori Blalock, State Fair Community College’s director of Apprenticeships, attended the Apprenticeship Missouri Summit last month in Columbia where Governor Mike Parson recognized National Apprenticeship Week and commended Missouri’s second in the nation ranking for new and completed apprenticeships.
According to the governor’s Nov. 12 press release, Missouri reached a milestone of 10,000 new Registered Apprenticeships for fiscal year 2019, ranking the state second in the nation for new apprenticeships according to U.S. Department of Labor data. Missouri also ranks second in the nation for the number of completed apprenticeships with 3,614 completed in fiscal year 2019.
SFCC’s Apprenticeships program started Jan. 1, 2018, with the assistance of a $67,000 Apprenticeship USA grant. Currently, SFCC offers apprenticeship programs in Industrial Electrical Maintenance, Precision Machining, Welding, Construction Management, Truck Driving, Digital Media Marketing, First Line Supervisor, Engineering Design Technology, and plans to add more programs.
People in apprenticeship programs have access to classroom and lab experiences with qualified SFCC faculty while working with a dedicated workplace mentor. The employer hires the apprentice, pays wages and benefits and pays for their education. Participants who complete the program earn nationally recognized credentials that certifies occupational proficiency and is transferable.
SFCC’s registered apprenticeship program offers employers a low-risk hiring plan that builds employee loyalty and allows for the transfer of job knowledge from experienced, retiring employees to new co-workers. The United States Department of Labor reports that employers using an apprenticeship program achieve higher productivity and employee retention and a substantial return on investment.
People who want to become apprentices and employers who want to work with SFCC to offer apprenticeships can go to www.sfccmo.edu/apprenticeships to apply or contact Blalock at (660) 596-7135 or apprenticeships@sfccmo.edu.
