April 4, 2016
Contact: Colene McEntee, Communications Manager, 636-949-1864, cmcentee@sccmo.org
St. Charles County, Missouri - There is a critical need for more high-tech workers was the resounding message on March 31 to St. Charles County Executive Steve Ehlmann when he met with over 20 business and community leaders at the Information Technology Leader’s Luncheon hosted by the Missouri Job Center of St. Charles County, the second in an ongoing series of high-level business sector gatherings.
Other key topics business owners brought up included the need for computer programming and coding to become part of the PreK-12th grade curriculum, expanding the number of IT degrees offered at local colleges and universities, using more online and non-traditional methods for training information workers, and fostering new development and public transportation to meet the demands of the millennial workers.
“Thanks to growing companies like Citi, Enterprise, NISC, ESRI, Curas, BoardPaq and many others, St. Charles County is a strong part of the ‘Silicon Prairie’ in metro St. Louis and the Midwest,” said St. Charles County Executive Steve Ehlmann. “There are tremendous opportunities right now and for the foreseeable future for our residents to pursue lucrative careers in information technology or to pursue an entrepreneurial dream in IT.”
The Progressive Policy Institute ranked St. Charles County “one of America’s the top 25 tech counties” in a 2015 report on high-tech job growth. “It is vital for our community to work together to solve the challenges IT companies large and small are facing when it comes to a trained and fulfilled workforce,” Ehlmann said.
Businesses who participated in the information technology roundtable included BoardPaq, Citi, Client Services, Curas, Enterprise Holdings, ESRI, First State Bank, jWeb Media, NISC, Red 8 Interactive and Serco.
Along with County Executive Ehlmann, other attendees came from the County’s Departments of Workforce & Business Development and Information Systems, the St. Charles County Workforce Development Board, St. Charles Community College and the City of O’Fallon.
“This was the beginning in a much-needed dialogue with IT leaders that will soon include other leaders from business, education, and government,” Ehlmann said. “I look forward to St. Charles County Government playing an important role in growth and success of the Silicon Prairie in our community, region and state.”
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