Missouri comes in second with completed apprenticeships.

There are numerous alternatives to the traditional college experience, and Missouri students know this. The state places second in the country with its amount of completed apprenticeships. The only state that has more completions is California. The number of completions is expected to rise next year. For each of the last three years, registered apprenticeships have grown by 2000. This is mutually beneficial to both job seekers and companies looking to hire.

Dr. Mardy Leathers, Director of Missouri Workforce Development, said ,” Statistically, registered apprentices that are currently in a program as they complete their programs are 80% will stay in their employment and out three years post completion, so three years after their apprenticeship program, that number still stays above 70%, so what we see is these jobs are sticky.” Leathers went on to say that apprenticeship programs can span one to six years depending upon the occupation.