HELENA — Gov. Greg Gianforte’s administration says Montana needs to do more to make sure its workforce development programs are all working together. On Monday, Gianforte announced he had signed an executive order, launching a new initiative to restructure those programs.
“Historically, there hasn't been coordination across these programs, even though all these disparate programs are serving the same people,” he said. “That's part of what this executive order does.”
(Watch the video for more on the new “406 Jobs” initiative.)
The order launches “406 Jobs,” a statewide framework that Gianforte said would unify the state’s workforce efforts. In addition to referring to Montana’s area code, the name symbolizes “four pathways to work,” including career and apprenticeships, college, entrepreneurship and the military; “zero barriers to employment,” centering on efforts to get people who’ve left the workforce to return; and “six high demand industries” the initiative will focus on, including health care, construction trades, hospitality and recreation, advanced manufacturing and computing, education and child care and financial and professional services.
Leaders said 406 Jobs would help minimize duplication in state workforce programs across multiple agencies, as well as putting a greater emphasis on public-private partnerships.
Gianforte made the announcement at Boeing’s Helena facility, which manufactures metal parts for the company’s large commercial aircraft. He said, for advanced manufacturing like what Boeing does, one of the biggest challenges is finding workers who are prepared for these jobs.
Kevin Poulin, director of Boeing’s Helena unit, echoed that, saying the company has already been working on partnerships with schools and other organizations to help develop those needed skills.
“These skills connect to real-world advanced manufacturing careers,” he said. “The industry needs these highly skilled tradespeople, and Boeing is no exception.”
Commissioner of Labor and Industry Sarah Swanson said about 100,000 Montanans of working age are no longer in the workforce. She said, in some cases, that’s a person’s choice, but in others, they’re struggling with issues like lack of child care, illness or disability, a criminal history or a transition from the military to civilian life.
“We need to build some bridges back to work, especially in these high-demand sectors,” she said.
Montana leaders said the new framework aligns with recent federal executive actions from the Trump administration, emphasizing training in high-growth industries and offering grants to state workforce agencies. However, Swanson said the state has been working on reshaping these programs for about two years – starting well before Trump returned to office.
MTN asked Gianforte if eliminating overlap in workforce programs meant the state would be reducing the resources it’s putting toward them.
“When these programs existed separately, they're not always pulling in the same direction,” he said. “So the goal is really focused on increased labor participation and expanded opportunities for Montanans. That's more important than any streamlining that might come out of this.”
Swanson told MTN the Montana Department of Labor and Industry is planning events around the state to get more input on this workforce plan, from stakeholders like businesses, workers, educators and community organizations. She said the events are likely to start in September.
Gianforte’s order gave 90 days for a state board to put together an initial report on planning the first year of 406 Jobs.
Read Gianforte's full executive order:
