You can get your hands on just about anything with a library card, including a job in the trades. That’s the purpose of St. Louis County Library’s SkillMill, which offers online training courses in numerous trades, including electric, HVAC, solar, and more.
In October 2022, the library introduced 13 training programs by Interplay Learning that any student or adult with a library card can register for and complete virtually within 60 days.
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“You just sign up and go through the process,” says Kristen Sorth, SLCL director and CEO.
The library’s motivation behind SkillMill comes down to two main things: showing students in school what working in the trades is really like and offering new job opportunities for adults.
For participating schools, SLCL provides students with virtual headsets for an experiential learning experience that takes them through real-life work processes and scenarios in different trade jobs. But young students aren’t the only ones who can enroll in these courses. Adults interested in learning a new skill or even starting a new business can access these resources as well.
“We have a driver at the library who used this program as a patron and got certified in HVAC. Now he has a side hustle fixing people’s HVAC,” Sorth says. “So you can use it to get certified in a trade by going through the process, or you can use it to like figure out how to fix your sink.”
SLCL also provides seats and virtual reality headsets for residents in the Transition Center of St. Louis.
“We thought this would be a great way for them to learn a trade before they’re back in the community,” says Sorth, noting that 10 residents are currently enrolled.
SkillMill’s current capacity of 200 seats is already three-quarters full with just about 50 seats still open. Once an occupant finishes a program, however, a new seat automatically opens on a rolling basis.
SkillMill is one of several avenues to work supported by the library system. There’s also the Teen Startup Entrepreneurship—a six week program that begins April 8 in which high school students learn about entrepreneurial skills at the Clark Family Branch Creative Lab. There, students have access to 3-D printers and laser cutters to develop their own creations.
“There are so many kids that like to design earrings and bracelets,” says Sorth. “It’s really fun.”
At the end of the program, there will be a public market where inventors have the chance to sell their product, as well.
“We had a public market last year with our adult program, and many people completely sold out of their products,” says Sorth. “We’re hoping that’s the same experience that the teens will have.”
The recently-opened Small Business Center is also located at the Clark Family Branch and features extensive collaborative space and accessible technology for those needing work space. The Small Business Center offers a Zoom Room, laptop bar, and other options to help local entrepreneurs who may be just starting out.
In the future, Sorth hopes to expand the number of seats available through SkillMill as well as to continue growing the library and all its opportunities for starting a small business.
“If you are starting a business, the library is a great place to start,” she says.
