<p>Missouri Department of Transportation is also celebrating the graduation of several individual craftsmen who have become journeymen on<br /><a href="http://www.thenewi64.org">the I-64 project</a>.&nbsp; To date five individuals working on the I-64 project have worked enough hours and mastered the skills to graduate from apprentice to journeyman in their respective union trades.<br /><br />With the I-64 project, MoDOT has worked with Gateway Constructors and the community to develop pre-apprentice training programs and on-the-job<br />training programs for socially and economically disadvantaged individuals to increase the project's workforce diversity.&nbsp; The ultimate goal is to help<br />these individuals acquire journeyman status in the trades for a long-term career. <br /><br />Over the last two years, more than 70 on-the-job trainees have worked on I-64 and five of them have achieved journeyman status to date with many more eligible by next year.&nbsp; The total workforce diversity on the I-64 project is exceeding the federal minority goal of 14.7 percent with the I-64 workforce having more than 19 percent minority workers.<br /><br />I-64 Laborer Tressa Bell graduated from the Construction Craft Laborers' Apprenticeship Program this month.&nbsp; With almost 3,000 hours worked on the I-64 project over the past 16 months, she has reached journey status as a laborer. "I didn't think I could do it.&nbsp; I have worked for almost four years toward this goal and working on I-64 gave me the experience to reach my<br />goal," said Tressa Bell.&nbsp; "Now I know I can accomplish anything."<br /><br />Other recent graduates include two carpenters, a cement mason and another laborer.&nbsp; By 2010, it is anticipated that more than a dozen additional<br />workers from I-64 will graduate to journey status.<br /><br />"The I-64 project with its vast amount of work presented an opportunity for MoDOT to make a difference in the lives of people looking for a chance at a<br />career in construction," said Lesley Hoffarth,&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; I-64 project director.&nbsp; "We are proud to have helped these individuals achieve their goals and get<br />to journey status in the construction industry."</p>