Works Initiative News | Worker Wellness & Career Opportunities

Wellness & Well-being Highlights August 18th

Wellness & Well-being Highlights

for the

Week of August 18, 2025

This week’s edition of our Worker Wellness & Well-being blog looks at the negative impact of Chatbots on people with Autism—to how deaths from the opioids crisis has turned grandparents into parents once again—to why many teens today are avoiding learning how to drive. This week I would like to take a closer look at the ever-changing 4^th wave of our nation’s opioids crisis.

In previous blogs I have written about how the opioids crisis has moved from one phase to another. Today, I wish to speak to its current phase but let’s first quickly identify the first 3 phases.

1) Overprescribing/Diversion

2) Heroin

3) Fentanyl

The 4^th phase can be described as Polysubstances. In this phase we find suppliers/dealers adding other substances (typically drugs) into their fentanyl supply. By now, most of us have heard that we should NEVER take a pill unless it was provided to you by your doctor or pharmacist. Why? Because suppliers/dealers are pressing counterfeit pills laced with fentanyl. The cutting of the fentanyl may be done for various reasons, including but limited to stretching one’s profits.

Another possible reason to cut fentanyl is to prolong one’s high. Within the past 2 years we have seen Xylazine laced into fentanyl. Xylazine is an animal sedative…it was not intended for human use…therefore, we do not have an antidote for humans. Since Xylazine is a sedative and not an opioid, Narcan (naloxone) does NOT work to reverse it. More recently, we are experiencing a different drug being added to fentanyl: Medetomidine…is stronger than Xylazine. While approved for specific uses in humans, Medetomidine is “most often used by veterinarians as an animal tranquilizer.”[1] This drug dangerously slows the heart rate sometimes into the 20s (~60 beats per minute is usual) and also does NOT respond to Narcan.

So as law enforcement cracks down on Xylazine, the drug cartels pivot. Thus, creating stages within the 4^th phase. It appears this deadly game of cat and mouse will continue as long as US consumers seek illegal drugs. To this end, one expert suggested the “interdiction of synthetic drugs is so difficult that US policy-makers should focus resources on helping drug users find medical treatment instead of funding more law enforcement efforts.”[1]

Please check out the rest of this week’s blog: https://moworksinitiative.org/category/worker-wellness-news/

Source: [1] https://www.npr.org/2024/05/31/nx-s1-4974959/medetomidine-overdose-fentanyl-sedative

Kids & School Safety

UT / MH / Calls Surge

Opioids: Grandparents’ New Role

WARNING: Medetomidine & Fentanyl Mix

Meth is Making a Comeback

Psychedelic Therapy?

Drug Recovery Triumph

Drinking Less?

Listening to Your Body

Implants & Mind Reading

Weight Loss & Fat Shaming

PT: Reduce Pain & Boost Strength

Men / Retirement / Life Satisfaction

PR & Breastfeeding @ Work

MO: Having a Baby

Workers / Stress / Finances

Resilience Guide

Canada: Safety Harmonization

Processed Foods Impact on Health

Japanese Boxing / TBIs / Deaths

Air Canada Strike

Philly Teachers’ Strike Looms

IL Bolsters Labor Laws

Books / CWA / Anit-union Charges

MI / Teamsters / ULP

AI / Unions / Worker Protections

CDC Shooting / Remote Work / Union

Trump Cuts Challenge US Science Leadership

Trump / DC / Purging Homeless

Trump Deploys Military on US Soil

DEI / Govt Pressure / Companies Retreat

MO / Repeal /Paid Sick Leave

Safety / Liability / Staff

NY Scaffolding: Relief vs Protection

Chop Wood, Carry Water

OSU Football’s Reading List

America’s Mobility Stalls

Kareem’s Choice: A False America

St. Mary’s High School: Careers

KY Construction & Goodwill Train Workers

Canada’s Apprenticeship Strategy

Canada / Women / Trades

MA & Private Apprenticeship

Teens’ Driving Dilemma

Constructive Dismissals

Recognizing Employees?

Moms Leaving the Workforce

Pay Transparency

Navigating Online Job Postings

Short Breaks Improve Creativity

Upcoming webinars, etc.

Construction Suicide Postvention (8/21)

Farm Safety Week (9/21-27)

NOTE: The links provided above are for informational purposes only. None of these serve as a substitute for medical advice one should obtain from his/her own primary care physician and/or mental health professional. Please contact jgaal@moworks.org with related questions or comments.

August 18, 2025/by Missouri Works Initiative

Denise’s Story: Missouri Works Initiative

Denise Whitener, a stay at home mom doing deliveries part time to supplement her income, had been interested in working in construction for “quite a while, and was looking for ways to skill up and prepare to get started in the industry”. She found Missouri Works Initiative through her interest in labor related pages on social media, and thought it matched her goals. “I signed up because I wanted to enter the construction field through the right door. I want to be a Union Construction worker.”

Through the Apprenticeship Ready Program in Construction, Denise got a taste of the different construction trades that could become her full time career through work site visits and hands-on lessons at training centers. “I enjoyed getting to view the different union training facilities,” she said, “I learned how to cut and set tile, bend conduit, and bend sheet metal!”

Beyond the job-specific training Denise participated in, she was able to get industry-standard certifications that employers look for in a potential employee, giving her a leg up over other candidates, “obtaining a MEWP (Mobile Elevating Work Platform) certification, First Aid/CPR, and OSHA 30 Certifications helped with the interview process.”

Soon after her graduation, Denise’s new skills and certifications got her in the door and hired at a company that values her drive and her ability to take on any task.”I work for MoDOT Warrenton as a maintenance worker. We maintain the roads, performing pothole patching, bridge washing, indecking and sealing, mowing, hauling, ditching, and litter pick up…I now have a job where I can put my skills to use, and it has been rewarding. I am working towards my Class A CDL with several endorsements. I am gaining experience working in the field instead of inside a manufacturing plant, which I enjoy.”

Denise’s passion for the construction industry is driving her to further her skills and her career. “I am working towards becoming a Heavy Equipment Operator. That is my ultimate goal. I want to be a member of IUOE Local 513 and learn how to skillfully maneuver the beautiful giants that build our nation!”

As she reflects on her time in the Missouri Works Initiative program, she wants to shout out, “All of the union locals for hosting us!” We want to shout out Denise for her commitment to following her dreams and taking charge of her future to build a better life.

Start your journey here.

August 15, 2025/by Missouri Works Initiative

Worker Wellness News

Wellness & Well-being Highlights August 11th

Wellness & Well-being Highlights

for the

Week of August 3, 2025

This week’s edition of our Worker Wellness & Well-being blog looks at psychological safety in the workplace—to how to manage addiction in the workplace—to our economy’s need for unbiased data. This week I would like to take a closer look at preparing for Suicide Prevention Month activities in September.

As noted in the “Upcoming Webinars” portion of this week’s blog, you will see no less than 4 opportunities for you and others to participate in and/or share regarding suicide prevention/intervention/postvention. The first event is being delivered by the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP). This is being held on Sept 4 and focuses on Support for Suicide Loss Survivors (aka after-care or Postvention).[1] For those of you who have not completed AFSP’s “Talk Saves Lives” (TSL), it is highly recommended you do so before taking this course. (NOTE: In May 2025, AFSP launched a TSL version specifically for the construction industry.) The TSL course is a suicide awareness/prevention primer. For more info, please visit https://afsp.org/talk-saves-lives/.

The second one I would like to discuss is the 4-part series being delivered by UMSL & Missouri Institute for Mental Health’s Safer Homes Collaborative.[2] These will be held virtually as follows:

Sept 9 MO Firearm Suicide Prevention Learning Cohort

Sept 16 From Research to Real World: Firearm Suicide Prevention

Sept 23 Conversations for Suicide Safer Homes: CALM

Sept 30 Suicide Prevention: The Role of Lethal Means Access

Next, AGC America delivered a webinar this past July 16^th that addressed Veterans and Suicide Prevention.[3] Since each of our trades is partially made up of the brave men and women who served our country, it is incumbent upon ALL of us to do what we can to assist this population. Why? Because for the past +decade, 17-25 Vets die by suicide—EACH and EVERY day—in this great nation. Nearly 75% of those deaths are by firearms! This alone should be enough of a reason for most of us to—at the very least—register for the CALM training mentioned above.

Finally, before the end of August, I highly encourage ALL construction workers to set aside 60 minutes to watch the Preventing Suicide in the Construction Industry video linked below.[4] This is a high-quality interactive video offered for FREE from the University of Washington’s Forefront. In my opinion, it is by far one of the best I have seen on this vital topic to date!

Please check out the rest of this week’s blog: https://moworksinitiative.org/category/worker-wellness-news/

Sources: [1] https://umsystem-umsl-mimhpt.catalog.instructure.com/browse/firearm-suicide-prevention-learning-series

[2] https://caring-communities-sept1.attendease.com/

[3] https://agcofamerica.sharepoint.com/:v:/s/RiskManagement/ETo5J5-XEeFArYqhyrJ4SycBaU7ASpK9pF0jASeIMbEW8A?e=x5enhB

[4] https://intheforefront.org/preventing-suicide-in-the-construction-industry/

Kids / Marketing / Nicotine Pouches

Workplace Psychological Safety

OSHA’s Safe + Sound Week

OH & Carfentanil

Deadly Nitazenes Spread

STL: Downtown & Drugs

Addiction in the Workplace

Trump / Mexico / Cartels

Kenndey Defunds Vax Research

Trump / 988 Cuts / LGBTQ+

Teen Suicide Rate Declines

RI & Menopause Law

Parenting Parents

GLP-1’s: What to Know

Weigh Loss Pill

MT & Medical Experiments

Reversing Alzheimer’s: Lithium

Youth & Colon Cancer

Preventing Fall Risks

Med Diet = Healthy

Skin Cancer

10k Steps: Myth?

NLFPA’s Disturbing Decision

Union Leaders / Democrats / Drift

WI Video Gamers New Contract

All Vegas Strip Casinos Unionized

CU / Labor Complaint / Medical Residents

Trump Terminates VA Labor Contracts

Trump / Pot / Reclassify

Trump Rewriting Jan 6^th History?

Kash’s Gestapo?

2025’s Redistricting Wars

New Tariffs = Higher Prices

Needed: Unbiased Govt Data

Trump / BLS Commissioner / Firing

Bringing Back Construction Workers

Support for 4-day Workweek

Recognition = Retention

Developing Gen Z Workers

Trades Lost on Gen Z

New Grads / Jobs / Degrees

Students / AI / Study Guides

Heinz / Men / Family Benefits

BJC ER Dr / Partnering / Homelessness

Uber / Women / Assaults

MLB’s First Female Ump

Police & FR Drones

Americans Retiring Overseas

Airline Etiquette

Blackstone: Returning to Normal?

Upcoming webinars, etc.:

Tobacco Use Disorder (8/12)

AFSP: Support for Loss Survivors (9/4)

Firearms & Suicide Prevention (9/9, 9/16, 9/23 & 9/30)

AGC: Construction / Vet / Suicide Prevention

Missouri’s Suicide Safety Plan

Suicide Prevention in the Construction Industry

NOTE: The links provided above are for informational purposes only. None of these serve as a substitute for medical advice one should obtain from his/her own primary care physician and/or mental health professional. Please contact jgaal@moworks.org with related questions or comments.

August 11, 2025/by Dr. John Gaal

Worker Wellness News

Wellness & Well-being Highlights August 4th

Wellness & Well-being Highlights

for the

Week of August 4, 2025

This week’s edition of our Worker Wellness & Well-being blog looks at how changes to OSHA will place profits BEFORE people—to how the understaffing at the VA affects medical care which has resulted in an increase in veterans’ suicide deaths—to how DC edicts have negatively impacted women and minority construction contracts in the STL region. This week I would like to take a closer look at the tragedy that unfolded earlier this week in Manhattan.

In 2021, nearly 49,000 lives were lost to firearms in the USA. By now, many of us are aware that another mass shooting took place earlier this week, in this nation, where several people were killed including the shooter. The gunman’s alleged target was the NFL. He linked the NFL to his mental health condition and indicated that his high school football career may have caused CTE.

For those of you who do not know what CTE is I have included several related articles that do a good job explaining the neurodegenerative disease known as Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy.[1, 2] In the interest of full disclosure, I lost my son, John Jr, to suicide in March of 2017. John Jr was a multi-sport high school athlete who suffered multiple concussions in his junior and senior years. After he died, we requested that his brain be studied for CTE. To date, the ONLY way to positively identify CTE is posthumously. Dr Ann McKee, the world’s foremost expert on CTE, in Boston, and her team of researchers shared with us on December 6, 2017 that my son had Stage 1 CTE. While we know so much more about CTE today than we did 8 years ago, here are some facts worth sharing:

* CTE can manifest with a range of symptoms, including memory loss, confusion, mood changes (depression, anxiety, aggression), impulsivity, erratic behavior, and difficulty with judgment and motor skills.

* CTE is a progressive disease, meaning symptoms worsen over time, and the changes can occur slowly over years or even decades.

* Reducing the risk of head injuries, particularly through safety measures in sports and other activities, is the primary way to prevent CTE. (Gemini AI)

Two points I wish to leave you with:

The first point is related to the last bullet above. Not all head protection is equal. In construction, it is high time we make the switch to safety helmets from hard hats. Safety helmets provide protection from the sides as well as from above. (See https://www.hardhatstohelmets.org/ for more info.)

The second point refers to the need be vigilant with those around us…especially when it comes to lethal means. To this end, I highly recommend taking a course known as CALM: Conversations on Access to Lethal Means. This is NOT anti-gun…it is anti-suicide! (See https://learning.agrisafe.org/products/conversations-on-access-to-lethal-means-calm-training-live-81125 for more info.)

Please check out the rest of this week’s blog: https://moworksinitiative.org/category/worker-wellness-news/

Sources: [1] https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2025/07/29/cte-brain-disease-head-trauma-nyc-shooting-explained/

[2] https://one.npr.org/?sharedMediaId=nx-s1-5483956:nx-s1-9391098

OSHA: Optional Safety & Health Act?

Combat Cocktail & Vet Suicides

IL / Students / MH Screenings

WARNING: Stronger than Fentanyl

PA Recognizes Construction Opioids Awareness

Protecting Workers & Heat

Work-Life Balance & HR

Connection

Medicare Costs Set to Rise

Patients Forced to Switch Weight-loss Drugs

Preventing Dementia?

Older Adults & Walking

WARNING: Caffeine Pouches

The Wrong Way to Pee

Mankeeping?

Reversing Seasonal Depression

NYC / Shooter / CTE?

NFL / Shooter / MH

What is CTE?

How CTE Affects the Brain

JR Hoffa: 50 Years Later

Boilermakers Sue Past President

MT Lumber Strike

RI Hospital Workers Reject Contract

NY Prisons & Wildcat Strike

CA UFCW / Fed Mediator / Safeway

Nigerian Nurses Strike

ICE Raids & Construction Labor

STL / DEI / Construction Projects

Construction / Interest Rates / Reaction

Construction / Misclassification / Workers

New OT Tax Rule: Confused?

Fed Workers Paid for NOT Working

Job Vacancies: Lowest since 2017

AI’s Impact / New Grads / Entry-level Jobs

Employers & Ethical AI

Apprenticeships & Internships Close Skills Gap

What Does Your Gen Want from Work?

Fast-tracking Med School?

Digital Privacy @ Work

DANGER: Air Traffic Controllers

Unintended Consequences / Trump / Africa

Trump’s K-12 Fitness Test

Trouble Ahead for New Pope

Student Loans: Interest Rates Jump

Upcoming webinars, etc.:

What is Emotional Intelligence? (8/5)

Free CALM Training (8/11)

Responding to a MH Emergency (8/12)

Construction / Suicide Prevention / Safe Messaging (8/13)

Understanding Anxiety (8/20)

Women’s Special MH Issues (8/20

LEAN-STL: Breaking the Stigma

COMET: Rural MH Training (9/23)

Healthcare Apprenticeships (10/14)

Suicide Prevention Guide for Schools

NOTE: The links provided above are for informational purposes only. None of these serve as a substitute for medical advice one should obtain from his/her own primary care physician and/or mental health professional. Please contact jgaal@moworks.org with related questions or comments.

August 4, 2025/by Dr. John Gaal

Missouri Apprentice Ready Program, News, Success Stories

Jacolby’s Story: Missouri Works Initiative

Jacolby Lewis was in a difficult place, both in his work and his personal life. He was unhappy at his current book factory job, “…it wasn’t the best, but it was good for just graduating high school…it was kind of like a dark cloud when you walked through those doors.” Jacolby had also suffered a recent tragedy with the passing of his two-week-old son. “It was like everything went downhill from there; it felt like everything was just crumbling down, and I wasn’t satisfied with life. I just gave up, I lost a lot of motivation and the drive to do anything.”

Seeking a new start, Jacolby kept seeing the Missouri Works Initiative on his social media, “I was seeing it as a sign to give it a try.” After a conversation with Mid-Missouri Construction Coordinator Russ Unger, Jacolby was sold on the program, ”I signed up because the way he explained the program, it seemed almost perfect. I could get a great career, I’d always be learning something new, and I could pass it on.”

Jacolby appreciated the hands-on nature of his classes, “I liked the program because it wasn’t just sitting in a classroom listening to an instructor the whole time, it was a lot of hands-on and going on job sites. When we did sit in the class, it was very informative and we did a lot of group work.”

As Jacolby progressed through the Apprenticeship Ready Construction Program, he learned real-life, hands-on skills like, “bricklaying, some heavy equipment operations, mudding walls, I also built a toolbox with the Sheet Metal Workers, and a lot more.” Beyond on-the-job skills, Jacolby learned soft skills and life lessons that would help him land a great career: “never have a fixed mindset, always be willing to learn, and if you’re on time, you’re late!”

After completing the program and graduating with a new set of skills and a renewed motivation, Jacolby Lewis found a sustainable career as a Laborer with LiUNA Local 662 doing heavy highway construction for contractor Millstone Weber. His new career has been more than a source of income, it’s been a new start and a motivator to continue to succeed. “My life has changed in a good way since I’ve started. I’m more motivated to get up and get to it instead of dreading my days away.”

We are so proud of Jacolby and the progress he has made in both his career and his personal life, and he expressed his gratitude to the Missouri Works Initiative team that helped him find a new path, “I’d like to shoutout everybody that in the Missouri Works Initiative program who took the time out to be able to make this happen for me and others.”

Jacolby’s advice to others out there who are struggling with hardship and need a new start? “Life has its ups and downs, but nobody’s holding you back. It’s really you vs you so get up and get to it!”

Start your journey here.

August 1, 2025/by Missouri Works Initiative

Worker Wellness News

Wellness & Well-being Highlights July 28th

Wellness & Well-being Highlights

for the

Week of July 28, 2025

This week’s edition of our Worker Wellness & Well-being blog looks at numerous cities across the USA that under a heat alert—to the negative impact of working alone—to the concept of ‘quiet cracking.’ This week I would like to take a closer look at burnout.

Barnes says, “Burnout is workload and environment-related stress, resulting from unhappy or overworked employees.[1] Meanwhile, the

…World Health Organization (WHO) defines employee burnout as a syndrome from workplace stress that employers don’t successfully manage, rather than a medical condition. Whether clinically diagnosable or not, burnout is a serious concern that — if unmanaged — could profoundly impact employee health and workplace safety.[1]

This article presents itself as a timely piece. Why? Because, once again, Aetna, along with CFSTL and the Missouri Works Initiative have teamed up to bring the Summer Construction Mental Health Series to the Greater St. Louis region. In fact, it kicks off on Tuesday this week (7/29) at the Sheet Metal Workers (Local 36) Hall at 7:30a. The first segment in this 3-part series focuses on the following related topics:

*Psychological Safety

*Psychological First Aid

*Culture of Care

*Working Wounded

The second segment will focus on Suicide Postvention in the Construction Industry. It will be held on 8/21 at the Local 562 Plumbers & Pipefitters Training School (seating is limited). The third and final segment will be offered on 9/18 at IBEW (Local 1) Hall. The topic that day will be Gambling Addiction in the Construction Industry.

These events are FREE but require registration. For more info visit:

https://constructforstl.org/upcoming-events/mental-health-in-the-public-labor-industry/

Last summer’s Construction Mental Health Series generated positive momentum in the industry. How? It was the basis for St. Louis University‘s CEET program director to jointly develop a 5-part follow-up series that ran from November 2024 to March 2025. Wherein, a rep from a major STL union electrical contractor connected with fellow invested participants. As a result, just last week, the St. Louis Building Trades Wellness Coalition was launched. Stay tuned for more details!

Please check out the rest of this week’s blog: https://moworksinitiative.org/category/worker-wellness-news/

Source: [1] https://www.thesafetymag.com/ca/topics/safety-and-ppe/the-effects-of-burnout-on-safety-compliance/543563?utm_medium=email&utm_source=rasa_io&utm_campaign=newsletter

Cities Under Heat Alert

Teens / Screens / MH

Teens & Caffeine Pouches

Lone Workers & Psychosocial Risks

Burnout & Safety

Sick Days & Lies

PA / Construction / Opioids

Your Kids & Cannabis

Youth MH

Grandmas Redefined

Food Recipes for Hard Times

Black Youth & Suicide

Suicide Prevention / Bridges / Netting

Aerial Lift / Mental Lapse / Death

Tips for Jet Lag

Magnesium & Sleep

Cortisol Cocktail?

Wellness & Well-being Highlights July 21st

Wellness & Well-being Highlights

for the

Week of July 21, 2025

This week’s edition of our Worker Wellness & Well-being blog looks at how changes at OSHA will negatively impact workers—to the importance of proper-fitting PPE for women—to numerous garbage strikes across the USA. This week I would like to take a closer look at the NYT article on Meth and paying users to quit.

This past week, I spent time with James Pursell and Aaron Walsh at the annual LAP (Labor Assistance Professionals) conference in Nevada. As many of you may know, these 2 guys are Peer Supporters with the LEAN-STL program sponsored by the Health & Welfare3 Fund of Laborers Locals 42 & 110…and both are superstars in my book! Our typical days went like this: 2 presentations in the morning and 2 presentations in the afternoon. All topics were related to helping our union sisters and brothers (and their family members) deal with anything from substance use disorders to a variety of mental health issues.

So, what does this have to do with the aforementioned NYT article? Well, the one thing that was mentioned several times last week is that no two paths to sobriety are exactly the same…What worked for you may not for me! Accordingly, the following excerpt by NYT’s Hoffman caught my attention:

Overcoming meth addiction has become one of the biggest challenges of the national drug crisis. Fentanyl deaths have been dropping, in part because of medications that can reverse overdoses and curb the urge to use opioids. But no such prescriptions exist for meth, which works differently on the brain.[1]

I recall reading a book a few years back that predicted the toll that today’s meth would eventually have on our society. That author proclaimed that the ‘shake and bake’ meth from decades ago produced a much safer product. Whereas, today’s product is mostly made on the industrial scale by Mexican drug cartels using industrial chemicals. This results in have devasting effects on one’s organs upon initial use. And, as noted above, we have no reversal drug for meth! Therefore, as the old saying goes, “Desperate times call for desperate measures.”

While some readers may disagree with paying people to get and stay sober, the other alternative is eventual death with the potential of collateral destruction along that journey. Please look around your town: Destruction takes on many forms…Who is that holding the sign at street corner? To this end, we need to consider factors well below the surface. Issues like adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and social determinates of health (SDoH) must be taken into account when considering solutions. To be sure, no 2 brains are alike.

Please check out the rest of this week’s blog: https://moworksinitiative.org/category/worker-wellness-news/

Source: [1]https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/16/health/meth-addiction-treatment-contingency-management.html?smid=em-share

Use of Drugs @ Work

Meth: Paying Users to Quit?

Mexico / USA / Fentanyl Flow

OSHA / New Rules / Devalued Workers

SeaWorld / OSHA / Impact on Construction

AZ: Construction Suicides

TN: Rural Suicide Belt

UK Dads & Suicide Prevention

Suicide Prevention: Roles of HR & Mkt

Trump / 988 / LGBTQ+

Ghost Benefits Gap

Trans in Military

Travel / Elderly / Health Insurance

DO vs MD?

PPE for Women

Youth / Women / Homelessness

Wellness & Well-being Highlights July 14th

Wellness & Well-being Highlights

for the

Week of July 14, 2025

This week’s edition of our Worker Wellness & Well-being blog looks at advice on the dangers of working in summer heat—to a breakthrough regarding non-opioid acute painkillers—to the UK Construction Industry’s effort to address sexual harassment. This week I would like to take a closer look at Trump’s attempt to expand apprenticeships by 1 million.[1]

xa

In an era where High School students are weighing the costs and benefits of attending college vs going to work, one must strike while the iron is hot. While the article linked below gives credit to the Obama Administration for priming the ‘apprenticeship’ pump, this effort was in the works long before 2009. As I said before in this blog, the greatest thing that ever happened to apprenticeship in the US is that Harvard’s School of Education studied the concept of earn while you learn. In 2011, Professor Bob Schwartz and his team published a groundbreaking report called, “Pathways to Prosperity.” Countless educators and politicians from the US went on study tours of Switzerland and Germany. In the interest of full disclosure, I participated in two of these events: 2006 and 2019. A major take-away was that both of these nations focus apprenticeships on what we consider the High School years. In fact, nearly, 70% of all High Schoolers there lean towards the apprenticeship track. The upside is that when students graduate, they are journey-level workers across +300 occupations. And, have options to complete related college degrees.

While setting a goal of 1 million is admirable, it probably is not realistic. Why? 1) Because for the past 40 years, parents—along with educators—have channeled the vast majority of our High Schoolers towards college. 2) There are not enough apprenticeship slots available. With respect to #1, Gen Zers are pushing back against the “college for all” model…so if this trend remains steady there is hope to reach the aforementioned goal. However, #2 remains the sticky wicket. Unless and until, the US adopts and adapts to the Youth Apprenticeship model (similar to Switzerland and Germany), the current version of post-secondary apprenticeship will remain the soup du jour. This will require a major mindset change for businesses. Currently, there are ~600k apprentices registered with the US-DOL. A good percentage of those are affiliated with the building trades. Again, to come close to nearly doubling the current pool, we need to cast a wider net so that more occupations are ready and willing to recruit and mentor apprentices.

My final words on this topic are clear and concise. We must not allow one group to take control of the Registered Apprenticeship Program (RAP) model…which I refer to as the gold standard. A main reason the St. Louis region is the envy of other major cities across the US when it comes to RAPs is the joint partnership between labor and management. For the past ~70 years, their goal has been and still remains to make sound decisions in the best interest of the apprentices!

Please check out the rest of this week’s blog: https://moworksinitiative.org/category/worker-wellness-news/

Source: [1] https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2025/07/06/trump-apprenticeship-high-school-students-college-alternative/

WARNING: Workplace MH at Risk

US Measles Cases @ 33-Year High

US Kids’ Health: Downturn

IMPORTANT: Heat Advisory Info

Summer Ticks

MH Stigma – Time Off to Heal

THC Levels Increased

Trauma Therapist’s Tips: Anxiety

Non-opioid Acute Painkiller?

MAHA / Psychedelics / Wall Street

Gut Health

US Aid Down / Congo HIV Up

UK Construction: ~1200% Rise in Harassment Training

CoMo / Workers / Unions

AL Auto Plant & UAW

EU’s AI Code of Practice

Opera / AI / Disabled

DC / Data / Gestapo?

SCOTUS Allows Mass Fed Layoffs

Addressing “Sandwich Gens” Needs

TikTok / Youth / Construction Trades

Build UK & Construction Shortage

Trump & Apprenticeships

Overwork is the New Norm

HR / Tailored Communication / Stress

School Board / Post-COVID / Threats

More College Students Online

Court Blocks Unsubscribing Rule

China / India / Dali Lama

Upcoming webinars, etc.:

CPWR Summer Heat (7/29)

Multi-lingual Stigma Awareness

FREE Diapers

FREE Food

NOTE: The links provided above are for informational purposes only. None of these serve as a substitute for medical advice one should obtain from his/her own primary care physician and/or mental health professional. Please contact jgaal@moworks.org with related questions or comments.

July 14, 2025/by Missouri Works Initiative

Missouri Apprentice Ready Program, News, Success Stories

Candy’s Story: Missouri Works Initiative

Training, Manufacturing, and the Benefits of a Career, Not a Job.

Life was good before Candy Harrison found out about the Missouri Works Initiative, but earning enough to support her family and afford reliable transportation were challenges that made her day-to-day life difficult. “I couldn’t afford reliable cars. Now I have two,” Harrison stated. After talking with Maggie Farrell, Director of the Apprenticeship Ready Program in Manufacturing, Candy learned that a career in the manufacturing industry could provide the pay, benefits, and opportunities that would allow her to support her family and live the life she wanted to live.

The Apprenticeship Ready Program in Manufacturing program, provides career and life skills, professional mentorship, educational visits to manufacturing sites, and many more resources to give people in need of good jobs a jump start into preparing for and finding a great career in manufacturing. Candy’s group, the first class to go through the six-week program, came from all walks of life to learn the skills that would place them in a great career. The group “came together like a family,” she stated, as the class went on, and they learned and grew their professional skills together.

Learning on-the-job skills is a huge part of the program and helps students jump straight into their career confidently. One skill that sparked for Candy was identifying different gauges of wire, and learning why and how each is used to manufacture different products. Candy’s class also learned how to read and interpret blueprints, received industry-standard first aid/CPR and OSHA certifications, and learned math skills that manufacturing workers use every day on the job.

The manufacturing industry is one of the biggest in the world, and countless jobs utilize the skills learned in the Apprenticeship Ready Manufacturing Program. Candy and her class got to visit job sites like Southside Machine Works and Weis Offsite to get a look at the day-to-day operations of a manufacturing facility. They were able to take the lessons they had been learning and apply them to a real manufacturing line. This gives students a look at different industries is an important part of the process. “It’s ok to try different things until you find a good fit for yourself,” Candy said enthusiastically.

After Candy graduated from the Apprenticeship Ready in Manufacturing Program, she found a great job as an electrical assembly technician at Darwin Chambers Company, which manufactures top-of-the-line cold storage rooms and units for research and medical care. “I’ll shout out everyone at the program, y’all have helped me in a major way,” said Candy, “I have a job that is great for my health, it has full benefits, and I can afford to support my family.” We are proud to have been a part of Candy’s journey to a great career and a better life!

Start your journey here.

July 11, 2025/by Missouri Works Initiative

Worker Wellness News

Wellness & Well-being Highlights July 7th

Wellness & Well-being Highlights

for the

Week of July 7, 2025

This week’s edition of our Worker Wellness & Well-being blog looks at NY proposing a bill that requires Narcan on jobsites—how your meditation practice not only improves your well-being but those around you—to how ICE raids are impacting the US construction sector. This week I would like to take a closer look at the difference between lifespan and healthspan in aging societies.

It is no secret that, in general, people are living longer in the USA. While that might sound good on the surface, we must take the good with the bad. In essence, longer lifespans are creating a need to address the aging brain’s cognitive decline. To this end, a recent study “found that brain function and cognition significantly improved in patients who made lifestyle changes.”[1]

The research comes as the gap widens between lifespan and healthspan—the number of years spent in good health. Americans are living longer on average, leaving more time to develop age-related diseases including dementia. New cases of dementia will double by 2060 to roughly one million annually….[1]

Researchers found that one’s lifestyle plays a big role in one’s healthspan. To this end, in time-based testing of brain cognition, over 70% of the participants who made lifestyle changes showed improvement or no decline vs 0% improvement in the control group including 68% whose results revealed declines. In fact, the earlier you intervene, the less intensive the lifestyle changes that are likely needed to prevent it.

So, what do these lifestyle changes look like?[1]

Diet: A whole-foods, minimally processed vegan diet, low in harmful fats, refined carbs and sweeteners…
Exercise: At least 30 minutes daily of moderate aerobic exercise and mild strength training at least three times a week…
Stress management: One hour a day of techniques, including meditation, stretching and breathing exercises… Adequate sleep was encouraged.
Support: Participants and their partners or spouses attended one-hour support-group sessions three times a week, focusing on emotional support…

As the old saying goes: Forewarned is forearmed!

Please check out the rest of this week’s blog: https://moworksinitiative.org/category/worker-wellness-news/

Source: [1]https://www.wsj.com/health/wellness/brain-age-health-lifestyle-012262b3?st=9C97Xt&reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink

How Your Meditation Supports Others

NY Bill: Narcan on Jobsites

How US-AID Cuts = Death

Cuts = 14m More Deaths

Spain: Worker Deaths

Greece: Scaffolding Injury

Loneliness: How to Find Friends

Lifespan & Dementia

Long COVID & Your Brain

Putting Off Check-ups & Screenings?

Seed Oils: Good or Bad?

Optimal Napping

Running v Walking

Risk-free Betting?

Lessons Learned from Youth

W Churchill & Painting

TX / Flash Flood / Missing

ATC / France / Strike

Harvard Appeals Bargaining Unit 2x

CO / Safeway / UFCW

Impact of Trump’s Bill

Trump / Bishops / Immigration

Trump’s ‘Unwritten’ Rule

Opening Old Wounds: Renaming Renamed Army Bases

Employers / Workers / Culture

ICE & Construction Workers

Impact: ICE Raids on Construction?

Downturn in National Pride

Medicine’s Impact on Employment

Japan: Hiring Quitters

AI Career Coach

Youth Redefining Workplace Success

US Researchers: Europe is Hiring

Upcoming webinars, etc.:

FREE Youth MHFA (7/11)

FREE Resilience Training (7/24)

Aetna Summer Worker Safety Series (7/29)

Aetna Summer Worker Safety Series (8/21)

Aetna Summer Worker Safety Series (9/18)

Intergenerational Trauma

NOTE: The links provided above are for informational purposes only. None of these serve as a substitute for medical advice one should obtain from his/her own primary care physician and/or mental health professional. Please contact jgaal@moworks.org with related questions or comments.

July 7, 2025/by Dr. John Gaal

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