FEC issues National Apprenticeship Week Proclamation

Proclamation

NATIONAL APPRENTICESHIP WEEK

APRIL 26-MAY 2, 2026

WHEREAS, National Apprenticeship Week annually raises awareness of the vital role Registered Apprenticeships provide in meeting critical industry workforce demands.  Registered Apprenticeship programs develop the highly skilled workforce that employers need and create pathways for Americans to catapult into in-demand, high-paying careers in the Kansas City vicinity and across the nation; and

WHEREAS, Registered Apprenticeship programs are industry-driven, high-quality career pathways that enable employers to develop and train their future workforce, and individuals can obtain paid work experience with a mentor, receive progressive wage increases, classroom instruction, and a portable, nationally recognized credential; and

WHEREAS, Full Employment Council, which is the official Public Workforce System for the region as designated by the United States Department of Labor and the State of Missouri, the has provided more than 400 Registered Apprenticeships since 2015; and

WHEREAS, the Full Employment Council, as an intermediary for the United States Department of Labor, initiated the first RN (Registered Nurse) Apprenticeship standards for new Staff Nurses who receive 4,000 hours of on-the-job learning. A total of 13 apprentices have been registered in the apprenticeship since 2024, with enrollment ongoing; and

WHEREAS, University Health and FEC established an apprenticeship to train certified medical assistants, with 39 trained; and

WHEREAS, Swope Health, Metropolitan Community College-Kansas City and FEC established a high-quality, six-month program to train certified medical assistants at no cost for participants with cohorts starting in 2025; and

WHEREAS, Registered Apprenticeship programs are uniquely able to meet the changing demands of the Kansas City and Missouri economy. 

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Clyde McQueen, President and CEO of the Full Employment Council, call upon stakeholders and partners to recognize the value of Registered Apprenticeship, and to promote awareness and expansion during National Apprenticeship Week.

Signed on this 24rd day of April, 2026,

Clyde McQueen, President and CEO

The Full Employment Council - 1740 Paseo Blvd. - Kansas City, MO 64108

View a PDF of this proclamation.