The St. Louis Agency on Training and Employment (SLATE) will host an Apprenticeships & Trades Career Fair on Sept. 24, part of the city’s recognition of National Workforce Development and National Apprenticeship months.
The event also coincides with SLATE’s 50th anniversary of serving St. Louis. It comes as the city works to help residents who lost jobs in the May 16 tornado rebuild their careers.
The career fair will be held from 9 a.m. to noon Sept. 24 in the first-floor conference room at 1520 Market St., St. Louis. The city previously hosted a job fair on June 25.
“SLATE has proudly served generations of St. Louisans for 50 years, and apprenticeships remain one of the most powerful ways we can prepare people for meaningful careers while helping employers build the skilled workforce they need,” said Connie Johnson, SLATE Missouri Job Center executive director.
“This fair is about opportunity for individuals, families and our entire community to invest in our people and help rebuild their careers destroyed by the tornado.”
Apprenticeship training programs can be “direct pipelines to employment,” Johnson said.
“They allow individuals to start earning while they learn, gaining real-world skills that employers are urgently seeking.”
SLATE has placed job seekers each year into programs across healthcare, construction, information technology and transportation.
Healthcare apprenticeships are among SLATE’s strongest tracks, preparing certified nursing assistants in as little as 6-12 weeks for jobs earning $35,000-$40,000 annually.
- Transportation and logistics programs, including training to help participants earn a commercial driver’s license, which qualifies them to drive trucks, buses, and other large commercial vehicles.The CDL training is offered through partnerships with MIM Trucking, MTC Trucking and St. Louis Community College. There is urgent demand for drivers.
- Information technology apprenticeships and training through providers such as Savvy Coders and Claim Academy prepare dozens of participants for high-demand, high-wage careers in software development, cybersecurity and emerging artificial intelligence technologies.
- Construction and trades remain a cornerstone of SLATE’s efforts. Each year, more than 50 young people gain hands-on skills in SLATE’s YouthBuild pre-apprenticeship program. Participants are also referred to union pathways through programs such as Missouri Works Initiative and MOKAN.
For more information about the Apprenticeships & Trades Career Fair, call (314) 589-8000.