Technical apprenticeship programs currently in the works

<p>Submitted photo</p><p>Gov. Eric Greitens visited North Central Missouri College in Trenton in March 2018 to visit with students and discuss the impact of registered apprenticeship programs.</p>

Submitted photo

Gov. Eric Greitens visited North Central Missouri College in Trenton in March 2018 to visit with students and discuss the impact of registered apprenticeship programs.

New apprenticeship programs statewide will be created by the Missouri Department of Economic Development as part of a recently announced plan to train college students in technical fields.

Gov. Eric Greitens announced a plan March 13 to allocate $3.6 million in discretionary funding from the U.S. Department of Labor to expand the program. DED officials said the funding will be used to create 26 new programs across Missouri.

The Missouri Registered Apprenticeship Program allows students throughout Missouri to work with employers to learn trades. Missouri currently has about 400 registered apprenticeship programs with 13,000 apprentices working for hundreds of employers.

Maggie Kost, Missouri Department of Economic Development director of communications, said the funds will be used to expand the program so students can better work with employers across the state. Kost said a variety of workforce development boards and community colleges typically run the programs.

The closest registered apprenticeship program to Jefferson City is in Moberly at the Moberly Area Community College, Kost said.

State Technical College spokesman Brandon McElwain said the college in Linn offers students apprenticeships under a slightly different program.