Innovative hiring events

Workforce Development launched a series of major hiring events that targeted talent recruitment for key industries that give the region a competitive edge including construction, healthcare, transportation and logistics, and information technology. More than 75 people attended the first Construction Career Expo and 41 employers supported the event.

The goal of these expos was to support the economic growth and development of the St. Louis region by creating a consistent pipeline of skilled and diverse workers for living wage career opportunities for key industries that give the region a competitive edge.

“To have a healthy economy, we need to also make it easier for employers in St. Louis to recruit job seekers who have the skills, talents, and passions for available jobs,” said Greg Laposa, Director of Workforce Development for St. Louis County.

In 2022, just over 30,000 visitors utilized the Job Center services at Northwest Crossings. Workforce Development offered over 200 hiring event opportunities across a variety of key industries, including healthcare, logistics, construction, warehouse and distribution, and others. Many of the available jobs offer wages between $15-$20 an hour. Some of the employer partners who worked with St. Louis County to provide job opportunities included the following: United Parcel Service (UPS), Charter Spectrum, Mercy Health, Barnes Jewish Hospital, and Transportation Security Administration (TSA).

St. Louis County’s Workforce Development was among six regional workforce agencies to receive a $5.8 million U.S. Department of Labor grant to fund bioscience, health care and education apprenticeships. As part of that grant, our region will enroll over 700 new apprentices over several years in “work and learn” programs that will allow people to earn and learn.