State labor commissioner visits Libby, touts job growth

Montana’s state labor commissioner, Pam Bucy, was in Libby last week as part of a statewide tour discussing the worker shortage the state is expecting during the next several years throughout the state.

The state’s overall unemployment rate, she said, is at four percent, but is expected to drop to two or even one percent within the next 10 years.  An estimated 130,000 people are expected to retire in the next 10 years, with just 123,000 potential workers in the state between the ages of 16 and 24. Additionally, she said, Montana is created 6,500 new jobs each year, leaving a large gap between the number of jobs and the workers available to perform them.

Even Lincoln County, with the state’s highest unemployment rate, improved during the past year. The county’s unemployment rate fell .4 percent to 8.7 percent. The state’s unemployment rate is just 3.7 percent and is expected to drop to two or even one percent during the coming decade.

Bucy said there are several programs available to help workers transition into new or different jobs, especially in areas like Lincoln County. 

One such program, she said, is an apprenticeship program which allows employers to hire and train workers at below-market rates while providing training. The workers gradually earn pay commiserate to their position by obtaining certifications and other specialized training.

Apprenticeship is generally associated with the skilled trades, but Montana’s registered apprenticeship program goes beyond the trades and into a variety of other occupations.

“Right now, there are about 1,900 registered apprentice occupations in Montana,” Bucy said. “They range from legal assistants and the skilled trades to computer programmers and network administrators. There are health-care occupations such as coding and billing as well as helping with nursing credentials, moving up from nursing assistants to licensed practical nurse and even registered nurses. I’m laser-focused on growing the registered apprenticeship program, it’s the oldest learning model there is.”

Along with the apprenticeship program, Bucy said the Department of Labor and Industry is working to build more collaborative relationships with public welfare agencies, colleges and the state’s business community. Those relationships, she said, will help strengthen Montana’s workforce and provide more employment opportunities.

One industry segment experiencing significant growth right now, she said, is the construction industry. Both construction and light manufacturing, she said, are growing by leaps and bounds in neighboring Flathead County and she sees the potential for that to spill over into Lincoln County.

“Lincoln County needs lower unemployment,” she said. “The training programs can help and then more manufacturing and construction can happen here. I do think some pretty incredible things are happening, things that can really help areas like Libby.”