The goal of the Childhood Development Associate Registered Apprenticeship Training Program is to provide more than 250 Missourians with an apprenticeship in the childcare industry throughout the Kansas City, St. Louis and southwest areas of the state. 

“Missouri is ranked third in new apprentices, and we strive to keep delivering opportunities for our citizens to earn a paycheck while also training for a career," said Julie Carter, director of the Office of Workforce Development. "This apprenticeship program will help address the shortage of childcare workers and give more Missouri families access to quality childcare."

According to a 2021 report from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, childcare issues result in an estimated $1.35 billion loss annually for Missouri’s economy. 

With this funding, FEC plans to train 60 students and place at least 38 of them in environmental jobs. FEC’s training program includes over 230 hours of instruction in areas such as hazardous waste, health and safety, and commercial driver’s licensing with certification in removal and transport of toxic materials. The program is focused on providing training and jobs for Kansas City, Missouri, residents who are unemployed, underemployed, or in low-income brackets.

Life can have its ups and downs, but one Kansas City man is using his down to bring others up. “It’s something that you got to earn,” said Michael Smith, owner of Smith’s Upholstery. “You got to work for it.”

At the corner of 72nd Street and Prospect, culture is tucked away in a building.

“This is where we make it all happen at,” Smith said.

Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas and Clyde McQueen, president / CEO of the Full Employment Council announced they have received two grants totaling $2.2 million to fund a youth development program and re-entry support program. The Kansas City Globe asked McQueen for his reactions from the recent roundtable discussion focused on violent crime. when the grants were announced.

In the greater Kansas City Region, we are systematically putting in place foundational building blocks to sustain and expand our economic footprint in local, regional, and international markets. 

These system-focused efforts include building the new Kansas City International Airport terminal and facilitating increased global commerce within the advanced manufacturing, health care/life/bioscience; information technology, and transportation/distribution sectors of our region.

“This partnership would enable people who are experiencing houselessness to train for a career while helping improve our community and earning an income.  We feel that this system of support enabled through this three-way partnership of the Public Works Department, Hope Faith Ministries, and the Full Employment Council will facilitate career achievement and economic stability for those persons assisted through this effort,” Full Employment Council CEO, Clyde McQueen said.

Read the latest news from the Full Employment Council in this month's Workforce Developments.

When 2020 brought layoffs and a global pandemic, Isaac Madearis took it as a sign to follow his passion for a tech job.

“I really was looking for a career,” Madearis said, who gets married in October. “Something I could work remotely, if need be.”

“Learn-as-you-earn activities allow students to rapidly apply their skills while demonstrating proficiency on the job. It’s also a great opportunity for employers to participate in ‘try-out‘ employment. Learn-as-you-earn creates a win-win for both the students and employers," said Shelley Penn, senior vice president and COO of the FEC.

Kansas City wouldn't be what it is without the dedication of Clyde McQueen over the last three decades. McQueen is celebrating 35 years with the Full Employment Council. During his career, he has redefined workforce development in the KC area and helped thousands of people with employment.

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Clyde McQueen, President and CEO of Full Employment Council, spoke with K-Love's Joel Reagan. McQueen outlined free services for job seekers, employers looking for workers and the impact these services make. Barriers to  employment due the COVID-19 were also discussed. Listen to the interview below.

“Registered Apprenticeship is a proven way for community members to obtain pathways to secure, high-paying careers in a number of different in-demand fields,” said Clyde McQueen, President and CEO of the Full Employment Council. “The FEC is excited to provide paid apprenticeships in areas like healthcare and information technology."

FEC CEO and President Clyde McQueen cites four factors thwarting a full recovery during an interview with The Kansas City Globe.

“The COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on our local and national economy proves that workforce development remains a critical part to prosperity, here at home and across the country,” said Clyde McQueen, CEO and President of the Full Employment Council. 

To help both employers and job seekers meet these new post-pandemic benchmarks, the Full Employment Council is helping employers launch “registered apprenticeships," Clyde McQueen explains in an interview with KSHB 41.

“Our mutual objectives are to facilitate a career pathway for early childhood development professionals," said Clyde McQueen, president and chief executive officer of the Full Employment Council. "Currently, in the Kansas City region, we have a shortage of more than 62,000 childcare slots, directly related to the shortage of childcare professionals. Concurrently, we have 85,000 job openings in our region. Addressing the shortage of childcare professionals will enable more parents to apply for the jobs that exist. More childcare professionals increase childcare capacity, enabling potential and existing employees to have the opportunity to apply for more jobs, work a variety of job shifts, and pursue skill-training programs. This interstate initiative is a win-win for the State of Missouri, the cities of Kansas City and St. Louis, and most of all, the parents and employers in our state.”

Workforce development is about more than just attracting industrial business. Access to housing, child care and reliable transportation also need to be a part of the equation to take advantage of new job opportunities.

The president of the Full Employment Council, Clyde McQueen, announced two grants that will fund a youth development program as well as a re-entry support program for offenders who are re-entering the community following incarceration.
 

“We’ll be working inside with them to make sure that, when they do come back, they don’t go back for further violations,” McQueen said.

Concorde Career Colleges, Inc., the health care division of Universal Technical Institute and operating 17 health care focused campuses across eight states, announced Full Employment Council (FEC) as the winner of their 2022 Workforce Development Partner of the Year Award, a nationwide award that recognizes a leading Concorde partner for their continued involvement with the campus, students, and associates.

In this episode, Equus’ Bob Knight is joined by Clyde McQueen, CEO of the Full Employment Council, Inc. in Greater Kansas City, Missouri. The pair dives into public policy, the complexities of jobs of the future, economic development drivers and more.

Literacy is key to success and self-confidence, from filling out an application to just finding a good job. Almost every job requires reading in some form.

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"This program is a great way for Kansas City to ‘Grow its Own Workforce’ through providing continuous career information and just in time training and employment systems,” said Full Employment Council President & CEO Clyde McQueen. “This program will help employ our citizenry at all levels while sustaining the tremendous growth we are experiencing and further anticipate.”

aSTEAM Village has partnered with the Full Employment Council to further deliver on the Digital KC NOW initiative. This partnership will allow aSTEAM Village to continue employing a ready and skilled workforce to both perform the functions of the initiative, while giving youth of the community experience in bringing equitable internet access to the 3rd District of Kansas City.

For more than three decades, one Kansas City man has spent his life giving others opportunities. Clyde McQueen’s contributions to this city go well beyond his words. His actions have made the difference for 10’s of thousands of people right here in Kansas City.

The Full Employment Council was one of 11 nonprofit organizations in the Kansas City area to receive a grant from the Health Forward Foundation. The grant helps ensure Missourians are informed about the opportunity to enroll in Medicaid.

The 7th annual National Apprenticeship Week (NAW) will take place November 15 - 21, 2021. NAW is a nationwide celebration where industry, labor, equity, workforce, education, and government leaders host events to showcase the successes and value of Registered Apprenticeship for re-building our economy, advancing racial and gender equity, and supporting underserved communities. 

FEC CEO and President Clyde McQueen speaks to the future of workforce development in the Kansas City region with host D. Rashaan Gilmore on Kansas City PBS's premiere episode of Flatland.

FEC CEO and President Clyde McQueen speaks to KCTV5 about the worker shortage. He states the FEC sees a huge increase in interested potential workers since the federal unemployment benefits ended, but workers need certain stipulations in place before applying for a job. The biggest one is childcare.

“Many employers are now realizing they’ve got a pay a decent wage to even attract people,” President of the Full Employment Council, Clyde McQueen said in interview with KCTV 5. 

McQueen said the current job shortage many sectors of the economy are experiencing have a lot of factors behind it.