Montauk County rep urges Tipton R-VI to expand apprenticeships, internships

Mike Kelly, a representative of Montauk County Rural Economic Development, told the Tipton R-VI school board on Tuesday that the county can sponsor registered apprenticeships and help local employers set Department of Labor standards for on-the-job training.

Kelly described a two-part approach: a pre-apprenticeship program for juniors and seniors that funnels students into employer apprenticeship slots, and registered apprenticeships that include on-the-job training tracked against DOL standards. "We are the only economic development organization in the state of Missouri that's a sponsor of registered apprenticeships," Kelly said, adding that his office helps companies log on-the-job training and prepares standards for DOL review.

Board members and administrators framed the work as part of the district's comprehensive school improvement plan (CSIP) and workforce-readiness goals. Chair (board official) said the aim is to "keep our best from Tipton to live, work, grow here" and highlighted local examples of students placed into technical programs and returning to work in the community.

Kelly singled out Martin Energy as a company pursuing pre-apprenticeship and apprenticeship slots and said the Technical College of Missouri and State Fair Community College provide related technical instruction. He also noted the paperwork burden for companies and that his office maintains a database of previously approved DOL standards that can be tailored to local jobs.

Administrators and board members weighed in on complementary efforts—flex programs that let seniors work in the community, career pathway advising, and childcare access as a workforce barrier. The board did not take formal action on the presentation; members were encouraged to share attendance counts for a local workforce meeting on April 3 that Kelly invited them to.

The presentation closed with a request that the board consider these apprenticeship pathways as part of local retention and career-readiness efforts going forward.