Three Initiatives at Job Services

This past week I travelled across eastern Montana visiting local Job Service offices and updating staff about the exciting programs we are rolling out for Montana’s workforce. It is always wonderful to visit Glasgow and discuss how important your local Job Service is to your community and the workers who visit the office to not only find a job, but to also improve their skills to seek a position with a higher wage.

Montana has a robust and productive economy right now. In the last year, Montana businesses and industries had exceptional growth, adding thousands of new jobs. At 4.1 percent, Montana’s unemployment rate is lower than the national average of 5.1 percent, and more Montanans are on the job today than ever before.

Montanans work hard and deserve opportunities to increase their earning power. I’m proud to report that Montana leads the nation in workforce development and education programming. Through these opportunities, Montanans from all backgrounds can earn high quality credentials qualifying them for high-paying jobs in their local communities. For example, RevUp Montana, HealthCARE Montana, and the Montana Registered Apprenticeship program are creating new and exciting partnerships between the Department of Labor & Industry, two-year and tribal colleges, and local businesses across the state.

RevUp Montana is a grant-funded collaboration that benefits companies in the advanced manufacturing and energy sectors. Graduates of the program bring highly sought-after skills to the workplace to meet the demands of local employers. The business community has provided unprecedented leadership for this program, and our public education and workforce system has been transformed through this partnership. After their training is complete, RevUp Montana graduates are joining the labor force in a variety of industries, including oil and gas, industry safety, and industrial technologies.

Due to our success with RevUp Montana, the state was awarded another grant from the U.S. Department of Labor. This grant is being used to create HealthCARE Montana which will revolutionize and streamline workforce training in the healthcare industry. Through this grant, we are “Creating Access to Rural Education” by providing workforce training in high-growth, high-skill healthcare professions, including nursing, emergency service technicians, and other healthcare professions. With about 1,300 new positions projected to be added yearly through 2024, the healthcare industry is Montana’s fastest growing in terms of jobs.

An age-old workforce training model, apprenticeship has been revitalized in the last two years. With feedback from local employers, the Montana Registered Apprenticeship program has expanded for a new generation of the workforce and into new industries.

For business owners, being an apprenticeship sponsor means training employees to learn the specific skills needed for their company, as well as teaching apprentices the culture and values of their organizations. For high school graduates and adult job seekers alike, the Montana Registered Apprenticeship program opens a door to attaining in-demand skills, avoiding student debt, and earning a wage immediately.

These three initiatives represent a small sample of the many workforce opportunities available to Glasgow businesses and job seekers right now. Visiting the Glasgow Job Service office today can not only provide you more information about the above programs but you will also be able to learn about opportunities to improve your existing work skills to earn a higher wage jobs.