SLATE Increases Support for Local Businesses

ST. LOUIS AGENCY ON TRAINING AND EMPLOYMENT (SLATE) MISSOURI CAREER CENTER demonstrated its commitment to help St. Louis businesses grow and succeed in today's challenging economy by announcing a new partnership with the St. Louis County Department of Human Services' Business Development Department. The goal of the partnership is to eliminate redundancies and enhance services available to businesses in St. Louis City and the St. Louis County, such as screening and assessments to help hire skilled workers, on-the-job training of new employees and assistance with obtaining tax credits for hiring individuals with barriers to employment.

SLATE's Executive Director, Michael K. Holmes and the St. Louis County WIB Executive Director, Gene Gorden, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) announcing the partnership yesterday, April 26, 2011, in front of a group comprised of Business Development staff from both SLATE and the St. Louis County at City Hall West. 

Highlighting the importance of today's event, Gene Gorden said that the new partnership will help both agencies "develop better connections with local business" and will help position the Missouri Career Centers as valuable players in the regional Workforce Development arena. He also said that the job seekers will benefit from joint and coordinated work of all St. Louis area Missouri Career Centers which soon will be perceived as "places of opportunities," not just "unemployment offices."

Addressing recent budget cuts across the country, Michael Holmes said that "it makes sense for us to work together. St. Louis City, St. Louis County, and the Missouri Department of Workforce Development should be one team."