As students in Job Point’s YouthBuild program work toward earning their high school equivalency and learning a skilled trade, staff take great care in providing them with the chance to learn about and explore a wide variety of career paths. The organization aims to expose students, ages 16-24, to opportunities they would not have otherwise had access to or known existed.
Recently, Job Point partnered with Ameren Missouri to provide students in their YouthBuild and Skills Training programs a brand-new opportunity for career exploration. Ameren Missouri’s team at their natural gas operations and training facilities in Columbia, MO, opened their doors for a comprehensive tour that allowed students to witness firsthand what it takes to be successful in the utilities field.
“We are so thankful for the opportunity to share this experience with our students. Many of them have no idea how their utilities work or where it all comes from,” Carrie Brown, Manager of the Job Point’s YouthBuild, said. “Going into it, we weren’t sure how engaged the students would be with something so different, but they asked questions the whole way through and walked away feeling good about the day. Some even started thinking about how this experience could play into their career objectives down the road. Ryan, our tour guide, did an amazing job. He made everything relatable and easy to understand and was very patient explaining in detail when students asked specific questions. It was also nice that he talked about taking care of your body and staying healthy to be able to do this type of work.”
Ameren Missouri graciously shared their extensive knowledge throughout the tour and let students ask questions in every room they entered. For many students, this was their first exposure to all of the factors at play behind their monthly natural gas bill.
“Our partnership with Job Point extends back many years so we were excited to give them a first-hand look at the complex tasks our natural gas crews perform,” said Pam Harrison, senior director of gas operations for Ameren Missouri. “We put great emphasis on safety in our demonstrations, from how we respond to natural gas leaks to lighting natural gas appliances and other aspects of the job.”
Students walked away with a better understanding of how their utilities function behind the scenes (and under the ground) and what career paths exist within the field. For some, it was also an important lesson on how several basic appliances in their homes tie into the utility system.
“Following the tour, several students shared that before this visit, they did not understand just how critical and serious this job was to the welfare and safety of our community,” Brown said. “They did not realize all the things that went into keeping our homes warm in the winter nor what it took to prepare food on a natural gas stove as well as have hot water in their homes.”
Additionally, in 2023, Ameren Missouri donated $15,000 to Job Point through the AmerenCares Community Impact Grant program. That funding was directed to Job Point’s Affordable Housing program, in which their students work alongside industry professionals to build affordable homes in Ward 1. Those homes will eventually be made available for purchase by income-eligible families with the opportunity for down-payment assistance.
About Job Point
Job Point is Missouri’s premier employment center and Community Development Corporation. Since 1965, we have been linking people and jobs by providing career planning and job placement assistance. We specialize in preparing individuals to enter the workforce, while meeting a critical need of the business community. The organization is headquartered in Columbia, Missouri, with services extending to Moberly, Boonville and the surrounding communities. Job Point’s Trade Skills program offers certification courses in Office Technology, Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC), Certified Nursing Assistant, Highway Heavy Construction, Warehouse and Carpentry. Students work through intensive in-classroom and hands-on coursework before completing internships in order to earn their certifications.
