HELENA – U.S. Sen. Steve Daines (R-MT) met Friday with leaders from the skilled trades in Helena, to discuss ways to encourage more students to consider apprenticeship programs.
Daines visited the Montana Electrical Joint Apprenticeship and Training Center, operated by local chapters of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers and the National Electrical Contractors Association.
The center offers a competitive apprenticeship program where young people who want to become electricians can earn a salary while developing the skills they will need.
“What we saw here today is an example of how we’re training the workforce for 21st-century challenges,” Daines said.
But leaders told Daines there are challenges for many of their apprentices. They said people going through these programs often need help with expenses for books, supplies and housing.