ABC Partners in $90 Million Bloomberg Initiative Connecting High School Students to Trade Careers

St. Louis, MO – July 9th, 2026 — ABC Heart of America, is excited to announce a new $90 million Bloomberg Philanthropies initiative to change how high school students prepare for and enter Registered Apprenticeships and high-wage, family-sustaining careers in the skilled trades. It is the first national program exclusively for high schoolers, giving them a more direct path to career-ready certification and careers, and will launch in nine geographies nationwide, including St. Louis, where local labor market data shows acute skilled trades shortages and long-term projections for career growth. The program will provide coursework and paid on-the-job training for 15,000 high schoolers, with 2,000 of them advancing into Registered Apprenticeships.

The new initiative responds to both growing student interest in skilled trades careers and rising demand for qualified workers in these fields across the St. Louis region. Skilled trades employers throughout the area continue to report significant unfilled positions, reflecting a broader national gap between available jobs and qualified workers. This creates strong opportunities for students seeking high-demand, well-paying careers close to home.

Bloomberg Philanthropies’ investment will support paid on-the-job training, transportation, stipends, required tools and equipment, technical coursework development, and facility upgrades.

“Millions of good-paying jobs are going unfilled, and too many students never get a chance to learn the skills necessary to get them. This new initiative will help change that,” said Michael R. Bloomberg, founder of Bloomberg LP and Bloomberg Philanthropies and three-term mayor of New York City.

Bloomberg Philanthropies has been committed to creating sustainable, long-term models of workforce development and economic mobility. Since 2016, Bloomberg Philanthropies has supported innovative Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs around the country, creating career opportunities in high-growth industries for over 300,000 students. Students have gained relevant experience and recognized credentials through internships, apprenticeships, academics, and work-based learning. In 2024, Bloomberg Philanthropies announced a related initiative pairing public education systems and hospitals to graduate students directly into high-demand healthcare jobs; that program is now in 13 communities.

About Bloomberg PhilanthropiesF

Bloomberg Philanthropies invests in 700 cities and 150 countries around the world to ensure better, longer lives for the greatest number of people. The organization focuses on creating lasting change in five key areas: the Arts, Education, Environment, Government Innovation, and Public Health. Bloomberg Philanthropies encompasses all of Michael R. Bloomberg’s giving, including his foundation, corporate, and personal philanthropy as well as Bloomberg Associates, a philanthropic consultancy that advises cities around the world. In 2025, Bloomberg Philanthropies distributed $4.3 billion. For more information, please visit bloomberg.org, sign up for our newsletter, or follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, Threads, Facebook, and X.