Workforce Development

A report from the Montana Department of Labor & Industry report says construction jobs in Montana are expected to grow by more than two and a half percent annually, adding more than 800 jobs every year.

Without reskilling, only 2% of workers would have an optimal opportunity to transition to new jobs – while 16% would have none at all

There are an estimated 30 million jobs that pay at least $55,000 per year and don’t require a bachelor’s degree.

Some 91 percent of apprentices find employment after completing their programs, with a starting pay of more than $51,000 annually.

The need for modernization of the apprenticeship system is heightened by American industry’s need to address a national talent gap crisis that threatens the country’s competitive edge.

Local leaders gathered in East Helena Tuesday, to celebrate a grant that will pay for a program combining workforce development with arts and culture.

The state’s Department of Labor and Industry estimates that 20 percent of Montana’s workforce will retire in the next few years, he said. Yet the number of Montana high school graduates is expected to be flat.

Since 2000, the Montana Registered Apprenticeship program has overseen over 7,600 apprenticeships all across Montana.

Internships have become a necessary credential in a highly competitive job market — about half of interns are offered a job by a company where they have interned, according to a 2017 survey by the National Association of Colleges and Employers.

Washington Governor Jay Inslee touted the nobility of all work, the importance of developing talent, and the critical importance of innovation in his opening keynote at the Western Governors’ Workforce Development Initiative workshop in Seattle.