Young adults between the ages of 18 and 24 who either didn’t attend college or didn’t finish high school have the opportunity to receive free job training as part of a new program. The young adults will also be connected with employers needing to fill positions in high-demand fields.
The training is through the Missouri Job Center in Springfield, and applicants can choose from four different fields: healthcare, transportation, construction, and the environmental field.
Katherine Trombetta, a spokeswoman for the Missouri Job Center, says staff members work closely with local employers to find jobs for students who complete the programs. It’s part of the job center’s Aspire Youth Program.
“Once these students finish their training, then we can do the warm hand off - if you will - to these employers and recommend these students for them to hire,” Katherine Trombetta said.
Training can last anywhere from five to 35 weeks.
Training programs like this help fill a workforce gap at a time when Springfield is making a push to attract and grow more businesses.
Alex Greiwe is the project manager for workforce development at the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce. She says training like this is beneficial to both the young adults and to employers.
“When they have some sort of exposure to the job or to the training materials or to the specific set of skills needed to do that job well, that individual or that potential employee is more likely to be a good hire for the company,” Alex Greiwe said.
Those who would like to apply for the Aspire young adult training can call 417-887-4343 or visit www.aspireozarks.org.
The deadline to apply for the healthcare training is February 5th, and the deadline for the other fields is February 12th.