Pre-Apprenticeship Program

This fall we launched our pre-apprenticeship program which facilitates the NABTU's (North America's Building Trades Union) nationally recognized MC3 (MultiCraft Core) Curriculum. St. Mary’s South Side Catholic High School is proud to be the first and only high school in the state of Missouri offering this program. Other high schools provide trade skills training, but they do not facilitate this high level of curriculum. Skilled trades education is a good alternative for students who want to enter the workforce right away without taking on debt to attend college or be trained for specific skills in a trade school. Students participating in this program have proven their academic excellence and are applying their knowledge to gain skills and experience in each of the 15 trades of which the program exposes.

 

Through the Missouri Works Initiative, this program is fully funded for four years. This year 13 juniors and seniors are our first taking this course. Upon completion of this program, these 13 young men will have earned their OSHA 10 certification. This credential will allow them, upon graduation, to select one of the 15 trades and move immediately into an apprenticeship program, possibly paid.

 

The MO Trades Union is providing the curriculum, instructors, safety equipment, tools, transportation, and training at their facilities. In this inaugural year, we want to provide the cohort exposure to the craft of the 15 trades and provide hands-on experience in union facilities. Our goal is also to educate our families on the career possibilities for their sons and ways that they too can gain access to free training.