Iron workers union, city to offer pre-apprenticeship program in June

The city of Springfield and an iron workers labor union are teaming up to offer a pair of opportunities next month for people to learn about careers in the iron working industry.

Two sessions of a free pre-apprenticeship program offered by the Iron Workers Local 10 union and the Springfield Department of Workforce Development are scheduled June 12-16 and June 19-23, according to a news release. In each of the five-day training sessions, program participants will earn industry recognized credentials in forklift operation, fall protection in construction, Occupational Safety and Health Administration training, fire watch and prevention, and aerial and scissor lift training. Additionally, an introductory course on rebar and structural steel will be taught.

Both sessions will run 8 a.m.-4 p.m. at the Iron Workers Local 10’s training facility, 3737 E. Evergreen St. Missouri Job Center spokesperson Katherine Trombetta said there is no cap to class sizes for the program.

“At the Department of Workforce Development, we are intentional about creating equitable pathways into pre-apprenticeships and registered apprenticeships by providing opportunities to individuals that may never have considered apprenticeships as a career option,” said Haley Jones-Sides, grant coordinator, in the release. “We especially want to reach out to women, as the percentage of women in not just the trades but apprenticeships in general, is low. We are working very hard to change that in our community.”

Nationally, women made up about 11% of the construction workforce last year, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. 

A pre-apprenticeship program is designed to prepare participants to enroll in registered apprenticeships by offering a base of knowledge about careers in industries, such as iron working, as well as credentials needed to start on-the-job training, according to the release. The iron workers pre-apprenticeship program is funded as part of the $3 million Apprenticeship Building America federal grant the city received from the U.S. Department of Labor.

The city was one of 39 agencies – and the only one in the state – awarded part of the $121 million in ABA grants allocated, according to past Springfield Business Journal reporting.

The iron workers program isn’t the only pre-apprenticeship program offered locally. The Missouri Apprenticeship Ready program, which launched last year in Springfield, is a free course run through Missouri Works Initiative, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization affiliated with the Missouri AFL-CIO, according to past reporting. Two of the four cohorts scheduled for this year have been completed, according to the Missouri Works Initiative website.

To enroll in the iron workers program, contact Meagan Girth at 417-841-3381 or meagan.girth@springfieldmo.gov.