JA Trades on Tour, powered by Ameren, will reach students across 144 counties in Missouri, Illinois and Indiana
ST. LOUIS (Oct. 20, 2025) – Ameren Corporation and Junior Achievement of Greater St. Louis today announced a five-year, $1 million partnership launching JA Trades on Tour, an educational initiative to introduce middle and high school students to high-demand, well-paying trade careers. William Woods University in Fulton, Missouri, will serve as the first host site for the program’s mobile unit.
"In addition to raising awareness, the mobile unit brings to life what it means to work in the skilled trades," said Gwen Mizell, senior vice president and chief sustainability officer at Ameren. "The program is designed to inspire and educate students by immersing them in hands-on experiences that showcase these high-demand careers."
“As the demand continues to rise for professionals in hands-on technical careers, programs like JA Trades are vital for introducing and preparing the next generation of workers for the skilled trades,” said Shawn Schukar, chairman and president of Ameren Transmission. “We’ve been longtime supporters of Junior Achievement and are proud to partner on this new initiative to show students the opportunities available in skilled trades careers that are essential to Ameren and our communities.”
The JA Trades on Tour mobile unit features virtual reality and simulators that give students the opportunity to experience work as a utility lineworker, welder and heavy equipment operator. Students can use a computer-aided design program to explore how building information modeling guides the work of plumbers, electricians and HVAC technicians. They will also learn about the 15,000 jobs involved in bringing pizza from the farm to the table, and get hands-on practice with tools used by carpenters, and so much more.
“More than 40,000 students participated in the early phase of our JA Trades program, and we’re already seeing an incredible impact,” said Lori Jacob, president and CEO of Junior Achievement of Greater St. Louis. “Students reported a 250% increase in interest in trades jobs and had a clearer understanding of the skills they could work on now, such as math, to be successful. We’re grateful for Ameren’s support, so we can expand the JA Trades reach and introduce many more students to what’s possible in the skilled trades.”
JA Trades’ three mobile units, combined with a permanent location in St. Louis, will be able to accommodate more than 45,000 students annually. While the first stop is Fulton, Missouri, the program will eventually serve students in over 144 counties in Missouri, Illinois and Indiana.
“William Woods is honored to host the first stop of JA Trades on Tour,” said Romaine Seguin, president of William Woods University. “This program aligns with our mission to prepare students for meaningful lives and careers, and we look forward to welcoming middle and high school students to our campus as they explore new possibilities for their futures.”
To operate JA Trades on Tour in Fulton, JA is seeking additional investors. For more information, contact ljacob@jastl.org. If you are a school interested in participating or learning more about the JA Trades program, please contact mdennehy@jastl.org.
Community leaders are invited to attend the JA Trades on Tour ribbon-cutting ceremony at William Woods University on Tuesday, Oct. 21. For details, contact Kaelen Carrier at kcarrier@jastl.org.
The Ameren Corporation Charitable Trust was established in 1944 to serve as a principal source of the company’s philanthropic investments in community projects and programs. Allocations from the Trust come entirely from corporate earnings and are not charged to customers as a business expense.
About Junior Achievement of Greater St. Louis
Junior Achievement of Greater St. Louis (JA) is a nonprofit that inspires and prepares young people for success by providing financial literacy, work readiness, and entrepreneurship programs starting at Pre-K through 25-year-old young adults. JA learning experiences are provided by corporate and community volunteers and deliver relevant hands-on experiences to students to over 177,000 students annually. www.jastl.org
About Ameren Corporation
St. Louis-based Ameren Corporation powers the quality of life for 2.5 million electric customers and more than 900,000 natural gas customers in a 64,000-square-mile area through its Ameren Missouri and Ameren Illinois rate-regulated utility subsidiaries. Ameren Illinois provides electric transmission and distribution service and natural gas distribution service. Ameren Missouri provides electric generation, transmission and distribution services, as well as natural gas distribution service. Ameren Transmission Company of Illinois develops, owns and operates rate-regulated regional electric transmission projects in the Midcontinent Independent System Operator, Inc. For more information, visit Ameren.com, or follow us at @AmerenCorp, Facebook.com/AmerenCorp, or LinkedIn.com/company/Ameren.