Work continues on one of Gov. Mike Kehoe’s first executive orders after taking office – improving Missouri’s career and technical education programs and infrastructure.
Kelli Jones, Deputy Commissioner of Learning Services with the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE), said at the end of the day, Missouri needs workers.
“When I left Gov. Mike Parson’s office, there were about 250,000 jobs that we couldn’t fill,” she said. “To be able to get other companies to come into our state and expand, we have to have the pipeline of workforce to get that done.”
Jones told the Coordinating Board for Higher Education this week that one of her work group’s top priorities is increasing work-based learning for both trade skills and for four-year college graduates.
“Can we expand that apprenticeship? Can we expand our internships? Can we have more partnerships with business and industry?” There’s a lot of good things going on right now,” she said. “I know Boeing has a great partnership with our students.”
Jones said such partnerships can also contribute to young people choosing to remain in Missouri when they enter the workforce. But she also identified two professions with crisis-level shortages.
“That’s educators and law enforcement officers,” she said. “Those are two areas in the state and in the nation (that) if we can’t fill, we are going to be in trouble.”
Jones suggested that work-based learning could help recruitment in both teaching and law enforcement.
A list of recommendations on improving Missouri’s workforce preparations could possibly be included in Gov. Kehoe’s State of the State Address next year.
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