October 6, 2022, Buchanan County, Missouri – Area manufacturers will soon have added resources at their disposal to help remedy the ongoing labor shortages as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Buchanan County officials announced a Request for Proposal on June 16, 2022, seeking bid proposals for “On-line and on-site training for local manufacturing employers to enhance technical skills and tools for employees.” Upon the close of the RFP on July 11, 2022, officials announced the award to St. Joseph-based, Valor Manufacturing Training. This agreement utilizes a portion of ARPA funds granted to the county to help area manufacturers close the pervasive skills training and talent development gap related to widespread understaffing within the area.
Buchanan County Presiding Commissioner, Lee Sawyer said, “We hear from organizations throughout the County that workforce and training is important to their future success. COVID created extra challenges for all employers. This training should help these organizations and their workers create opportunities for jobs and new skill sets. Large and small operations can utilize this program.”
The St. Joseph Chamber of Commerce is also a supporting partner of this program aiding with promotion and adoption within the manufacturing sector of Buchanan County. “The Chamber is excited to support the Valor training program. It will be a valuable tool for local employers to upskill incumbent workers”, said Kristie Arthur, St. Joseph Chamber of Commerce Director of Workforce Development.
“Training dollars and dedicated training administrators are barriers, particularly hard to overcome for many small to midsize companies, when seeking to launch a training program” said Valor co-founder, Lute Atieh. “The Valor Solution overcomes those barriers by allowing companies within our county access to state-of-the-art training and talent development tools.”
