ARLINGTON, Va. & ST. LOUIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Accenture Federal Services (AFS) is launching an apprenticeship and apprenticeship-in-training (AIT) program to skill and upskill communities of talent throughout the Greater St. Louis region. The program will be headquartered at AFS’ St. Louis Advanced Technology Center, located at 520 Maryville Drive in St. Louis County. Since opening its doors in February 2021, the Center continues to expand and is on track to bring up to 1,400 tech jobs to the region by 2025.
“Missouri is a national leader in apprenticeships and we are happy to see Accenture Federal Services launching its very own apprenticeship program right here in the St. Louis area,” Governor Mike Parson said. “This will provide hundreds of Missourians with the opportunity to gain a new skill and a good-paying job in our growing technology industry. We look forward to AFS’s continued success in Missouri.”
“St. Louis is an established innovation hub that needs a strong pipeline of skilled talent to support our vibrant technology ecosystem,” said Lt. Governor, Mike Kehoe. “I’m thrilled about this next phase of Accenture Federal Services’ expansion of operations in our region and investment in the Show Me State.”
Specifically, AFS’ one-year, salaried apprenticeship program offers community college graduates, veterans, and other constituencies immersive on-the-job training, professional learning and development, and the opportunity of a full-time career at AFS. Through a partnership with St. Louis County and the Family and Workforce Centers of America, the 12-week AIT program offers a pathway into the apprenticeship program. Apprentices-in-training earn a wage while gaining collaborative, hands-on learning and valuable on-the-job workforce experience.
“Accenture Federal Services is proud to announce this next phase of our investment in St. Louis to train and hire exceptional talent and deliver mission-critical work at the heart of the country’s national priorities,” said AFS CEO, John Goodman. “With this ribbon-cutting to officially open the ATC Center and launch our St. Louis apprenticeship program, AFS is expanding access to digital economy jobs for diverse constituencies, including underserved communities, early career and second career people, veterans, and military spouses.”
The St. Louis Advanced Technology Center is part of a state-of-the-art, U.S.-based network of innovation and technology centers serving the specialized, mission-critical needs of federal agencies. The centers help clients deliver, scale, and run complex solutions while staying at the forefront of innovation with the latest digital, cloud, automation, artificial intelligence, and cyber technologies.
“We’re excited to welcome our first St. Louis cohort of apprentices and apprentices-in-training receiving skills and mentorship in high-demand technologies such as Python and Salesforce,” said Ali Bokhari, Managing Director and Advanced Technology Center Network Lead for Accenture Federal Services. “Our plan is to welcome 30 to 40 apprentices and apprentices-in-training each year. Thanks to a collective of innovative local partnerships, Accenture Federal Services’ apprenticeship program is designed to form the building blocks of a resilient Missouri workforce.”
“Bringing new jobs to St. Louis County is a top priority and this investment by Accenture Federal Services will help position our workforce for the future,” said St. Louis County Executive, Dr. Sam Page. “The apprenticeship and AIT program is a crucial piece, growing jobs into careers and bolstering our economy as we become one of the nation’s leading technology and innovation hubs.”
“Promoting inclusive growth is the centerpiece of our efforts to grow the St. Louis region. Accenture Federal Services is taking a leadership role in that effort by bringing 1,400 new jobs and launching this apprenticeship program to skill and upskill talent and power our technology sector,” said Jason Hall, CEO of Greater St. Louis, Inc. “Our thanks to Accenture Federal Services for investing and growing in St. Louis, helping to advance the goals of the STL 2030 Jobs Plan.”
AFS is a subsidiary of Accenture (NYSE: ACN).
About Accenture Federal Services
Accenture Federal Services, a wholly owned subsidiary of Accenture LLP, is a U.S. company headquartered in Arlington, Virginia. Accenture’s federal business serves every cabinet-level department and 30 of the largest federal organizations. Accenture Federal Services transforms bold ideas into breakthrough outcomes for clients at defense, intelligence, public safety, civilian and military health organizations. Learn more at www.accenturefederal.com.
About Accenture
Accenture is a global professional services company with leading capabilities in digital, cloud and security. Combining unmatched experience and specialized skills across more than 40 industries, we offer Strategy and Consulting, Interactive, Technology and Operations services — all powered by the world’s largest network of Advanced Technology and Intelligent Operations centers. Our 624,000 people deliver on the promise of technology and human ingenuity every day, serving clients in more than 120 countries. We embrace the power of change to create value and shared success for our clients, people, shareholders, partners, and communities. Visit us at http://www.accenture.com.