Missouri Works Initiative Partner Spotlight: Greg Burris

“Our role is to help with up front needs assessment and to assist students throughout their classroom experience by helping them overcome any barriers that would prevent their participation,” says Greg. “ We connect them with hotel rooms, transportation, or other resources in our community that they need. We want everyone who starts the program to finish the program because we think it’s a game changer.”

Missouri Apprentice Ready helps build community ownership by changing lives with sustainable career opportunities, which aligns with United Way’s upstream focus of helping individuals overcome the barriers to self sufficiency. “I have personally seen lives changed because of the Missouri Apprentice Ready program. Individuals go from living in cars or couch surfing to financial independence, and we think that is amazing,” says Greg. We help with housing, transportation, food insecurity, and whatever is necessary to keep them in class.” 

One of Greg’s favorite moments in the program is graduation. “That’s when you see it all come together. Friends and family come to the ceremony to celebrate students and what they’ve accomplished. The trades are there too–not only to celebrate, but to offer jobs. These are the goosebump moments because you have people who have gone through the program showing what they can do, and the labor trades are pitching them job offers. Sometimes graduates have multiple offers to choose from when a few weeks before, they had no stable job prospects,” says Greg. “They are quickly in a position to have a level of ownership in their community and help spread hope to others, coming full circle. Helping your neighbor weaves a tighter social fabric that benefits everyone.” 

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