Governor Gianforte Highlights Workforce Support In Rural Montana

Continuing his 56 County Tour in Valley County, Governor Greg Gianforte recently visited a worksite to recognize a Glasgow business for their participation in the Montana Department of Labor & Industry (DLI) Registered Apprenticeship Program.

"Through the Registered Apprenticeship Program, Montanans gain in-demand skills while we help our employers meet their workforce needs," Gov. Gianforte said. "I am grateful to business partners like Dale for supporting good-paying jobs in rural Montana and boosting our local economies."

Visiting the construction site of the Valley County Community Pool, the governor met with Nathan Dale of Dale Plumbing & Heating who's working on the project alongside his employees and apprentice.

"Being able to keep up with work in the area and keep my business going all while having younger people that are willing to learn new skills. With the workforce shortage, it's hard to get anyone into this kind of work so this hands-on training is important," Dale said of being able to hire apprentices.

Joining the governor for the visit was DLI Commissioner Sarah Swanson.

"Thanks to Governor Gianforte's leadership, Montanans have the tools they need to learn new skills and find good-paying jobs in their community. Our agency's Registered Apprenticeship Program empowers Montanans through work and opportunity while helping employers find the high-skilled workers they need to continue to grow our state's economy," Commissioner Swanson said.

Since 2020, Montana's Registered Apprenticeship Program, administered by DLI, has seen a 20% increase in active apprenticeship enrollment in over 100 different fields where workers receive paid, supervised, on-the-job training.

Plumbing occupies the second highest number of apprentices in Montana. There are currently 11 active apprentices registered in the program in Valley County.

In 2022, Montana added more apprenticeships to the Registered Apprenticeship Program than ever before. Many of these were added following a rule change supported by the governor that went into effect that year.

While maintaining workplace safety and training standards, the revised rule changed the journeyman-to-apprentice ratio from 2:1 to 1:2. Now, one journeyman can supervise two apprentices.

And, to improve the skills of hardworking Montanans and address employers' needs, the governor proposed and implemented the Montana Trades Education Credit (MTEC) in 2021. This credit offers employers credit for employee education and training. The governor nearly doubled MTEC in 2023.

For more information and data on the Registered Apprenticeship Program, visit https://dli.mt.gov/data-dashboards/montana-registered-apprenticeship-program.