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Site Selection: Show Me the Skills

  • September 24, 2018

To get a glimpse of the Show Me State’s resourceful nature, just look at its people. Missouri’s workforce boasts a work ethic and high level of skill that can only be found in the American Midwest, according to a new article by the Site Selection team.

Home to more than 3 million workers, the state’s talent pool runs deep and draws from a network of 13 public four-year universities, 14 public two-year colleges, 24 independent colleges, 11 specialized and technical colleges, 17 theological institutions and more than 150 proprietary and private career schools.

In an effort to streamline the state’s workforce development efforts, Missouri launched several new initiatives in 2017. The approach included reducing red tape, improving training opportunities for the state’s workers and encouraging small businesses to open shop.

Rob Dixon, director of Missouri Department of Economic Development, says the state’s previous workforce development efforts were spread out across several agencies, making it difficult for companies to navigate. “So, we developed an approach that puts our customers and end users first and foremost and brought together all of our workforce development efforts under one umbrella that we call Skilled Workforce Missouri.”

Through Skilled Workforce Missouri, companies find a streamlined approach to accessing training that helps employees get up to speed as companies introduce new product lines, upgrade technology, make quality and productivity improvements, or expand in a new location. Leggett and Platt and 3M were the first companies to enroll in the program.

Check out the full article by the Site Selection team here.

For more information on Missouri’s highly skilled talent check out our webpage, or contact Steve Johnson, CEO of Missouri Partnership, at 314.725.2688, or via our contact form, with any questions you might have, and to learn how Missouri Partnership can help with your business expansion and investment needs.

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