Montanans at Work Statewide Tour Rolls Out to Montana Communities

• September 17 2025

Helena, Mont. - The Montana Department of Labor & Industry (DLI) announced today its Montanans at Work statewide tour, offering a unique opportunity for local employers, workforce professionals, and community members to connect with DLI experts and resources as part of Governor Greg Gianforte’s 406 JOBS initiative.

“Through 406 JOBS, the State of Montana is working across public and private sectors to strengthen our workforce and prepare the next generation for success,” Gov. Gianforte said. “The ‘Montanans at Work’ Tour will be a great opportunity for businesses, workers, and community members to engage with DLI as it begins implementing 406 JOBS. I encourage Montanans to attend and provide their thoughts as we shape the future of Montana’s workforce.”

The Montanans at Work tour will bring DLI staff and professionals to 15 communities across the state, where they’ll engage with local businesses, educators, workforce partners, and stakeholders to showcase the department’s latest programs and initiatives.

“These events are an exciting opportunity to connect directly with Montanans and share valuable insights, discuss new initiatives,” DLI Commissioner Sarah Swanson said. “We want to hear from business owners, workers, educators and workforce partners as we implement a number of exciting new changes at the Department of Labor & Industry”

The tour will highlight the 406 JOBS initiative — a comprehensive workforce development framework aimed at modernizing Montana’s workforce system and ensuring every Montanan has a pathway to a career and a plan to achieve it. 406 JOBS focuses on Four Pathways to Work, Zero Barriers to Employment, and Six High-Demand Sectors. During the tour, stakeholders will provide input into specific components of 406 JOBS, ensuring the initiative is community-driven and industry-led.

In addition to showcasing 406 JOBS, the tour will also provide an overview variety of DLI services, including occupational licensing changes, new registered apprenticeship pathways, state building code updates, STARS Act implementation with respect to funding for students to earn industry recognized credentials while in high school, the newly established Office of Reentry Programs, and changes to workers compensation provisions and unemployment insurance programs.

The first three tour dates and locations are as follows:

Montanans at Work First Three Dates

Date	Venue	City
September 22-23	DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Missoula – Edgewater	Missoula
September 24-25	Kleffner Ranch	Helena
September 25-26	Front Street Station	Butte

Each day-and-a-half event begins at 9 a.m. and is free and open to the public. Details and agenda are available at dli.mt.gov. Attendees are encouraged to register on-line in advance. For more information, or to register for the event, visit the Montanans at Work tour website.

Montanans at Work Statewide Tour Details

Dates: Sept. 22 – Oct. 31
Time: 1.5 days at each location. Day 1 – Registration opens at 8:30 a.m., program begins at 9 a.m. Day 2 – Registration begins at 8:30 a.m., program begins at 9 a.m. and concludes at – 11:30 a.m.
Registration: Free to attend. Registration encouraged.

Montanans at Work Statewide Tour Dates

City	Date	Venue
Missoula	Sept. 22-23	DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Missoula - Edgewater
Helena	Sept. 24-25	Kleffner Ranch
Butte	Sept. 25-26	Front Street Station
Polson	Sept. 30-Oct. 1	Red Lion Ridgewater Inn & Suites
Libby	Oct. 1-2	location TBD
Kalispell	Oct. 2-3	Flathead Valley Community College
Billings	Oct. 7-8	Billings Hotel & Convention Center
Lewistown	Oct. 15-16	location TBD
Miles City	Oct. 16-17	Miles City Town & Country Club
Bozeman	Oct. 21-22	AC Hotel Bozeman Downtown
Great Falls	Oct. 23-24	Great Falls College MSU – Heritage Hall
Glendive	Oct. 27-28	location TBD
Wolf Point	Oct. 28-29	location TBD
Havre	Oct. 29-30	location TBD
Cutbank/Shelby	Oct. 30-31	location TBD