Some of Mexico’s employers big and small all came together earlier this week to learn how to build the community’s workforce through apprenticeships.

The Mexico Area Chamber of Commerce, Mexico Public Schools, and Central Missouri Community Action (CMCA) all collaborated for the event that was held on Tuesday, Dec. 19, at the Chamber offices on the Mexico Square. The event was well attended and featured the town's four major employers along with other companies from industries such as construction and healthcare.

Rebecca Moppin, college and career advisor at Mexico High School, led the lunch and learn event and explained why they believe apprenticeships are a tool that can be utilized to build a strong workforce.

Moppin said this project is the next piece to an overall bigger picture of a workforce development model the school district and Chamber have been working on since 2016. Moppin said many times the dots are there but just need to be connected.

“Many times with today’s youth they just stop,” Moppin told the group. “If they don’t have the resources and the support they stop trying even though it’s just a little barrier or a little hurdle they need to get over because they feel like they don’t know where to go. That’s where creating these partnership apprenticeships will benefit them.

“It’s really providing opportunities and guidance to students so they can make those decisions and make them well instead of saying, ‘I don’t really know what I’m going to do,’” Moppin added.

Moppin said when traditionally speaking about apprenticeships the conversation was centered around the trades industries. She said that’s not the case with this program. Virtually any professional that has a teachable skill from customer service to running a spreadsheet can benefit.

“It can be somebody at the law office, it can be somebody at the title office and it may be one student, it may be six students, it may be a variety,” Moppin said. “We’re putting students into avenues and experiences that may catch their interest. They can get additional job training on the job site instead of just saying ‘Hey you’re going to leave school and go work.’”

Dan Kania, a consultant working with the Department of Education (DESE) was a guest speaker at the event and said in terms of workforce the whole narrative needs to change. Kania said gaining experience and academic achievement can both happen at the same time.

“Not every career is going to require a four-year education and that’s something we really need to focus on,” Kania said. “Students don’t have to choose between going to work and getting a degree.”

Kania said workforce apprenticeships are a win for everyone.

“It’s a win for the students because they’re in a program that provides for them to earn and learn,” Kania said. “That’s a great conversation to bring to a student when they’re making that transition to going out into the real world.

“The other win is for the employer because you get to build your own workforce,” Kania added. “If you give a person an opportunity early in their career that helps to develop loyalty and that’s hard nowadays.”

Chamber Executive Director Dana Keller said the partnership with the school district has been valuable for their core mission and they’re thankful to Mexico Public Schools for hiring someone like Moppin to help facilitate these projects.

“We’re just grateful (the school district) were able to put in the resources to it and have a position like (Moppin’s) so that as we partner with the school district for things like Manufacturing Day we know there’s somebody within those walls to specifically work with kids and help feed them specific things that interest them,” Keller said. “We’re very grateful.”

Moppin said traditionally we’ve released students into the world expecting them to be productive adults and many times that’s not the case. She said this would help bridge that gap for kids going into the world.

“The end game is making our community stronger so that people will live, work and play within our communities within which we live and have our businesses,” Moppin said.