SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — The IBEW 435 local union in Springfield is preparing to welcome a large number of electrical apprentices back to classes amid a growing demand for skilled trade workers across the state of Missouri.
Bryan Hensley, training director for the Springfield electrical Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee (JATC) tells Ozarks First they’re expecting 85 apprentices starting in September, a considerable increase from previous years.
“It’s definitely a lot bigger than whenever I came through this 25 years ago,” Hensley said. “We typically had about 5 or 6 people in each class. That has grown relatively quickly.”…