SEMO WORKS Advisory Committee
SEMO WORKS is managed by SEMO REDI with guidance from the SEMO WORKS Advisory Committee. Current committee members include:
- Brandon Bradshaw, Cape Girardeau Career & Tech Center
- Aase Brooks, Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
- Leann Clark, Three Rivers College
- Cara Dirnberger, Codefi
- Kurt Goodwin, Carpenter's Union
- Jodi James, South Center Workforce Development Board
- Gretchen Morse, Southeast Workforce Development Board
- Dan Presson, Southeast Missouri State University
- Ashley Raney, Jackson Public Schools
- Any Robinson, Ranken
- Jaden Skaggs, Mineral Area College
- Robin Tolbert, KT Power Systems
Table of Contents
SEMO WORKS: Apprenticeship Network
SEMO WORKS is the apprenticeship network for Southeast Missouri. Led by SEMO REDI, the network covers all 18 counties in the region and serves as the connection point between businesses, educational institutions, and individuals looking to build careers through apprenticeships.
Our role is simple: we connect the right people to the right programs. If you’re a business interested in apprenticeships, we help you figure out the best path forward and match you with the educational and training partners who can make it happen. If you’re an individual looking for a career pathway, we connect you with the program and institution that fits your goals. And if you’re already doing some form of hands-on training but haven’t formalized it, we want to hear from you too.
SEMO WORKS also convenes the region’s educational institutions and workforce partners through a regional advisory committee to ensure apprenticeship activity across Southeast Missouri is coordinated, visible, and growing.
Current Apprenticeship Programs in Southeast Missouri
COMING SOON — We are building a comprehensive directory of registered apprenticeship programs, emerging apprenticeship activity, and experiential training opportunities across the 18-county region. Check back for a searchable list of programs by industry, county, and educational partner. Tell us about your existing program below to be included in our directory.
How to Get Involved
Whether you’re a business or an individual, there’s a way to plug in. Select the option below that best describes you.
1. Tell Us About Your Training Program
For businesses that already operate an apprenticeship or structured training program.
You may already be running a registered apprenticeship, or you may be doing hands-on training that hasn’t been formally recognized. Either way, we want to know about it. We’re building a regional inventory of apprenticeship and experiential training activity, and your program should be part of it. Businesses with existing training programs may also qualify for our upcoming Emerging Apprentice designation. Businesses with DOL registered programs may qualify for tax credits. We will follow up accordingly if that is possibility for you.
2. Start an Apprenticeship Program
For businesses interested in creating or exploring a new apprenticeship program.
Not sure where to start? That’s exactly why SEMO WORKS exists. We’ll follow up with you to learn more about your workforce needs, what roles could benefit from an apprenticeship model, how many positions you’re thinking about, and what kind of support you need. From there, we connect you with the right educational and training partners in the region and help you navigate the process.
3. Find an Apprenticeship
For individuals interested in apprenticeship career pathways.
Whether you’re a high school student exploring options, an adult looking to retrain, or someone already working who wants to advance through a structured program, SEMO WORKS can help connect you with the right opportunity. Tell us a little about yourself and we’ll point you toward the educational institution or program that best fits your situation.
Why Apprenticeships Matter
Southeast Missouri already has strong momentum. The region accounts for roughly 6% of Missouri’s population but is home to 8% of the state’s registered apprenticeships, with more than 1,500 active apprentices across 22 program sponsors. Programs span construction, healthcare, manufacturing, transportation, IT, agriculture, public safety, education, and more.
Apprenticeships work for everyone involved. Nearly 90% of apprentices remain employed and stay in their communities after completion, making apprenticeships one of the most effective tools for workforce retention in rural and mid-sized regions. Employers benefit from reduced turnover, improved productivity, and a strong return on investment. Apprentices earn wages from day one, gain nationally recognized credentials, and build long-term career pathways without taking on the debt that comes with other training models.
For Southeast Missouri, apprenticeships are not just a workforce strategy — they are an economic development strategy. Every apprentice who completes a program and stays in the region is a person invested in their community, earning a higher wage, and contributing to the local economy.
SEMO WORKS Advisory Committee
SEMO WORKS is managed by SEMO REDI with guidance from the SEMO WORKS Advisory Committee. Current committee members include:
- Brandon Bradshaw, Cape Girardeau Career & Tech Center
- Aase Brooks, Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
- Leann Clark, Three Rivers College
- Cara Dirnberger, Codefi
- Kurt Goodwin, Carpenter's Union
- Jodi James, South Center Workforce Development Board
- Gretchen Morse, Southeast Workforce Development Board
- Dan Presson, Southeast Missouri State University
- Ashley Raney, Jackson Public Schools
- Any Robinson, Ranken
- Jaden Skaggs, Mineral Area College
- Robin Tolbert, KT Power Systems
Contact
For questions about SEMO WORKS, partnership opportunities, or general inquiries, contact:
Shad Burner, CEO
Southeast Missouri Regional Economic Development, Inc. (SEMO REDI)
shad.burner@semoredi.com
573-576-2755