I-64 Graduates Apprentices to Journeymen

Missouri Department of Transportation is also celebrating the graduation of several individual craftsmen who have become journeymen on
the I-64 project.  To date five individuals working on the I-64 project have worked enough hours and mastered the skills to graduate from apprentice to journeyman in their respective union trades.

With the I-64 project, MoDOT has worked with Gateway Constructors and the community to develop pre-apprentice training programs and on-the-job
training programs for socially and economically disadvantaged individuals to increase the project's workforce diversity.  The ultimate goal is to help
these individuals acquire journeyman status in the trades for a long-term career.

Over the last two years, more than 70 on-the-job trainees have worked on I-64 and five of them have achieved journeyman status to date with many more eligible by next year.  The total workforce diversity on the I-64 project is exceeding the federal minority goal of 14.7 percent with the I-64 workforce having more than 19 percent minority workers.

I-64 Laborer Tressa Bell graduated from the Construction Craft Laborers' Apprenticeship Program this month.  With almost 3,000 hours worked on the I-64 project over the past 16 months, she has reached journey status as a laborer. "I didn't think I could do it.  I have worked for almost four years toward this goal and working on I-64 gave me the experience to reach my
goal," said Tressa Bell.  "Now I know I can accomplish anything."

Other recent graduates include two carpenters, a cement mason and another laborer.  By 2010, it is anticipated that more than a dozen additional
workers from I-64 will graduate to journey status.

"The I-64 project with its vast amount of work presented an opportunity for MoDOT to make a difference in the lives of people looking for a chance at a
career in construction," said Lesley Hoffarth,    I-64 project director.  "We are proud to have helped these individuals achieve their goals and get
to journey status in the construction industry."

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