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March 1, 2008

The Regional Industrial Training Group (RITG)has placed its "membership package" information on the web. In an effort to reach more companies in the Illinois and Missouri regions that make up St Louis , the RITG has placed all the information and forms on this website. Please take the time to review the information and sign up. The only way this can be company driven is if comapnies take the leadership role and participate.

February 1, 2008

The Regional Industrial Training Group (RITG) has successfully completed the series of employer focus groups and published the Focus Group Summary Report. A presentation was made on January 14th at the Regional Center for Education and Work (RCEW) on the campus of the University of Missouri-St. Louis to discuss the RITG.

The focus groups engaged industrial employers to define current and future training needs and employee requirements. Many (a total of 24 companies) were able to participate. We now better understand manufactures needs and can better build the case that manufacturing is not only alive and well in the St. Louis region but that it offers current and future workers with the skills needed in today's industry great jobs and outstanding career advancement opportunities.

For others who were not able to attend, we hope you will review the Focus Group Summary Report (a tab on this web site) highlighting the group deliberations and consider joining us as we move the RITG from planning to action. The Report discusses and defines St. Louis area industrial training needs for future hires and incumbent workers. The groups stressed the need to provide responsible leadership and guidance to area educational and training organizations to deliver needed training.

Several industry leaders have guided this effort and identified the next steps to move from planning to action. It is an exciting time for those of us committed to building the skills and productivity of our regional workforce. We hope that you will be able to join us to make this effort a success.

October 29, 2007

ST. LOUIS RITG FOCUS GROUPS

Twenty-four St. Louis area employers from Illinois and Missouri participated in September focus groups to discuss the training needs of both incumbent and future manufacturing employees. These company representatives shared their thoughts and insights and expressed a willingness to explore the creation of an organization that could collectively address the St. Louis region manufacturing sector’s training needs like other similar groups in the region.
For more information go to the "Focus Group Results" tab above.



Wednesday, March 29, 2007
UMSL's Public Policy Research Center Manufacturing Employer Survey Follow Up

Manufacturing is very much alive and growing in the St Louis Region.
This is just one of the conclusions from our Public Policy Research Center survey of the industry that was conducted late 2006. Our thanks were offered to the 200 manufacturing employers in the St. Louis Metropolitan area who participated in the study. Their candid responses to our interviewers has helped inform the community of the challenges they face and is helping those of us in the education and training community to better serve their needs now and in the future.
The University of Missouri - St. Louis's Regional Center for Education and Work in collaboration with the Public Policy Research Center is now taking the next step. Companies were brought together at a luncheon meeting on Thursday March 29 here on the UMSL campus for a lively discussion. This event featured presentations on the survey's results and how manufacturing employers in the Southeast Missouri communities are coming together to address their training needs. It was followed by a discussion on ways we here at the University may be able to facilitate a coalition of local educational institutions. We addressed the provision of cost effective advanced training for current and future workers that will provide them with the advanced technical skills they need to meet these challenges.
Please read the executive summary of the study conducted by the University of Missouri's Public Policy Research Center through a grant from the St Louis Agency on Training and Employment.




St. Louis Regional Industrial Training Group (STL-RITG)

The STL-RITG is an industry driven effort to involve regional business leaders in defining workforce skill training needs and to work with area colleges and career and technology centers to design and deliver training that will increase productivity and performance for incumbent workers and guide the preparation of the next generation of industry workers.

This effort is coordinated through the University of Missouri's Regional Center for Education and Work (RCEW).

For additional information on the STL-RITG, please contact either:

Jim Duane,(Current Newsletter Editor)
Director, Workforce Development
Regional Center for Education and Work
University of Missouri-St. Louis
One University Blvd, St. Louis, MO 63121,
(email) jduane@umsl.edu,
(voice) 314.516.7211

OR

Jim Moriarty
Business Development Representative
Regional Center for Education and Work
314-520-7579
jimfred@sbcglobal.net