SLATE Ready to Serve Local Returning Veterans

Mayor Slay and the St. Louis Agency on Training and Employment (SLATE) are proud to present SLATE’s first Military Workforce Information Session from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. on January 17, 2012, at SLATE’s Central West End location (4811 Delmar). Veterans can attend the information session by registering with any of the Missouri Career Centers. Thousands of U.S. military personnel are completing their service to our country in Iraq and Afghanistan and will soon be returning home and looking for work. The St. Louis Agency on Training and Employment (SLATE) wants to make sure that the returning veterans have access to the services to which they are entitled.
 
This event is sponsored by the Veterans Business Resource Center (Vetbiz), which will oversee SLATE’s delivery of services to those in the military and help ensure that returning veterans are fully aware of all the benefits they can receive.
 
The two-hour Military Workforce Information Sessions will be held on every third Tuesday of the month. SLATE staff and Missouri Veterans’ representatives will address issues of employment and training for veterans, many of whom have a high degree of skill but who may need advice and assistance in adjusting those skills to meet the demands of local civilian employers. “We want to make sure there is a smooth transition between job require-ments and what the veterans have to offer,” said SLATE Executive Director Michael Holmes.

SLATE will use federal funding, where available, to send eligible veterans to a college or training program of their choice. In addition, SLATE offers a number of workshops that will help veterans to prepare resumes and cover letters that fully reflect their technical expertise and service record. SLATE’s interview preparation workshops will address difficult questions and will allow the veterans to be at their best.

“Our veterans have excellent leadership abilities: they are team players and can follow directions; they are trained to achieve results; they are loyal. These qualities make them highly attractive to any employer,” notes Martin Payne, Local Veterans Employment Representative at SLATE. “We can help military service members market themselves to local businesses.”

“Our country’s veterans have sacrificed so much for our safety,” said Mayor Slay. “I’m glad that SLATE and Vetbiz are coordinating to provide chance for us to help veterans experience a smooth transition back to civilian life.”

Companies hiring veterans can be eligible for On-the-Job Training (OJT) that can partially reimburse companies that hire veterans for up to the first 26 weeks of full-time employment. Companies hiring veterans may also be eligible for the Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC). Businesses interested in learning more about OJT and WOTC should contact Bonnie Mireles, SLATE’s Business Development Manager, at bmireles@stlworks.com.