SLATE To Help Dislocated Hostess Workers

SLATE Missouri Career Centers, a service provided by the St. Louis Agency on Training and Employment (SLATE) announces over $1.2 million immediately available to assist workers throughout Missouri affected by the closure of Hostess Brands, Inc.

In March, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) awarded a National Emergency Grant (NEG) to the Missouri Division of Workforce Development to supplement funds available under the Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) program. Jobseekers formerly employed by Hostess Brands are now eligible for training reimbursement and supportive services such as transportation assistance and emergency aid in addition to the career guidance, workshops and other Missouri Career Center services available at no cost.

Eligible individuals can contact SLATE’s Downtown location at (314) 589-8000 or the Central West End location at (314) 877-0916 for more information. City of St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay states, “SLATE has the staff and resources to help anyone formerly employed with Hostess. I encourage them to take advantage of this opportunity.”

DOL approved a total NEG amount of $2,183,749 depending on the state’s continued need for assistance. These funds will help serve workers at 39 sites in Missouri and Missouri residents who were employed at worksites in Kansas and Oklahoma. The St. Louis area (St. Louis City, St. Louis County, and Franklin/Jefferson counties) is home to an estimated 435 workers eligible for assistance from both the TAA and the NEG.

The closing of Hostess Brands laid off an estimated 18,000 workers from 864 company locations in 48 states. Federal, state and local agencies nationwide are acting to ensure those affected are able to reskill and rapidly find new employment.