Wentzville, MO  (KTRS)  Ranken Technical College and UAW-LETC are teaming up for a new initiative to help produce more skilled workers in the St. Louis area.

St. Louis County Steve Stenger toured the Wentzville campus on Wednesday for the of kick off the Pre-Apprenticeship Program.

“I back this program as really part of a broader vision for St. Louis County and our region. We have a lot of individuals who are recently unemployed and getting those individuals retrained and trained well to enter the workforce with not just jobs, but careers, I think is extremely important for our region.” said Stenger.

John Bowman, statewide coordinator for UAW-LETC, says The Pre-Apprenticeship Program will provide opportunities for the underserved in the community. “It’s a perfect fit for us to partner with Ranken on this program, because not only do they have a historical value, they have the latest and greatest in technology.”

Nick Robinson, Assistant To The President of UAW-LETC, said “These are jobs of a lifetime. Jobs like this just don’t come around everyday.”

Robinson added, “A lot of these people are really good people who’ve just had a lot bad luck. Men and women, for many different reasons, it’s been tough on them. Now they’ve got a chance to go into a real profession.”

The Pre-Apprenticeship Program offers individuals two years of training through Ranken Tech before moving on to a paid internship with UAW-LETC. The program is funded through a state grant.