Job Training Funds Approved for Missouri Businesses
JEFFERSON CITY, (SLFP.com), July 3, 2005 - Gov. Matt Blunt has announced that the Missouri Department of Economic Development and its Division of Workforce Development have approved nearly $2.4 million in state assistance to help companies offset costs associated with training and upgrading the skills of thousands of Missouri workers.
Funds through the Customized Training Program will be used to facilitate classroom training for more than 6,700 new or existing employees at 81 Missouri companies. The funds are the first round of training grants to be released in the state's current fiscal year that began today. Companies will use the funds to pay for training programs customized to their particular industry and local needs.
Funds for training were appropriated by the General Assembly to the Missouri Job Development Fund and are administered through the state's Customized Training Program. The Missouri Job Development Fund provides assistance to new or expanding businesses in their efforts to train employees in newly created jobs and to retrain or upgrade skills of existing employees. The purpose of the program is to increase and improve the quality of the state's workforce through training initiatives so that Missouri companies can be more competitive.
"The Customized Training Program is a pro-jobs approach to improving the education and skill levels of our work force in Missouri," Blunt said in an announcement. "Missouri already has a strong, well-educated workforce and this investment in the future will help enhance productivity and allow us to be more competitive in the global economy."
The program is offered through DED's Division of Workforce Development in cooperation with the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. Community colleges and area career & technical schools will administer the program locally.
St. Louis area companies include:
PM Resources, Inc. Bridgeton $46,000
Sunnen Products Company Maplewood $39,100
Energizer Battery Manufacturing Maryville $34,500
Kawasaki Motors Manufacturing Corporation Maryville $57,500
Trinity Products, Inc. O'Fallon $23,000
Cutting Edge Optronics, Inc. St. Charles $28,750
King Innovation St. Charles $11,500
Nike IHM, Inc. St. Charles $40,250
The Newberry Group St. Charles $23,000
Marquette Tool & Die Company St. Louis $10,350
Midcoast Aviation, Inc. St. Louis $16,100
Paulo Products Company St. Louis $17,250
PepsiAmericas, Inc. St. Louis $40,250
Sigma-Aldrich Corporation St. Louis $46,000
TransChemical, Inc. St. Louis $11,500
United States Tape & Label Corporation St. Louis $34,500
Vi-Jon Laboratories, Inc. St. Louis $23,000
Watlow Electric Manufacturing Company St. Louis $28,750
MEMC Electronic Materials, Inc. St. Peters $57,500
Reckitt Benckiser St. Peters $51,750
Universal Galvanizing, Inc. St. Peters $11,500
Wainwright Industries, Inc. St. Peters $40,250
Accountability Questioned in Credit Card Security Breach
ST. LOUIS, (SLFP.com), July 3, 2005 - Attorney General Jay Nixon has joined attorneys general from across the nation in calling upon CardSystems Solutions - the target of a security breach that compromised the personal financial information of millions of credit card holders - to give an accounting of the extent of the information that was stolen, and how the company will prevent similar breaches in the future.
The letter, coming in the wake of news reports of the security breach, was sent to Linda P. Ford, senior vice president and legal counsel for CardSystems in Tucson, Ariz. The letter states: "...your company may have violated provisions of the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard, a set of security requirements for merchants and payment processors that includes implementing strong access control measures, regularly monitoring and testing networks, and maintaining an information security policy. This is unacceptable."
Estimates indicate that as many as 22 million Visa card holders and 14 million MasterCard holders may have been exposed to the security breach, which occurred in late May.
"In this information age - where the exposure of an individual's personal financial information could have dire consequences - a company using less than the most secure means to safeguard that data is irresponsible," Nixon said. "These customers deserve an immediate accounting, and deserve assurances that it will not happen again."
Specifically, CardSystems is being called on to:
- Report the total number of consumers impacted in each state.
- Provide an explanation of how the breach occurred and the steps the company will take to mitigate the consumer injury, including efforts to notify affected consumers.
- Provide an outline of a plan to prevent a reoccurrence, and a timeline for implementation.
St. Louis Area Youth Programs Receive Tax Credits
ST. LOUIS, (SLFP.com), July 3, 2005 - More than $510,000 in state tax credits to generate contributions that will support various programs for at-risk youth in the St. Louis area.
The tax credits will be issued through the Youth Opportunities Program, administered by the Department of Economic Development's Community Development Division. The program is designed to broaden and strengthen opportunities for positive development in community life for youth and to discourage such persons from engaging in criminal and violent behavior.
The Family Resource Center received approval for $103,210 in YOP tax credits, which is expected to leverage at least $206,420 in donations. Funds raised will help provide pre-employment training and positive after-school activities, such as job placement with an on-site job mentors for nearly 200 at-risk youth through the organization's. The program also includes a teen parenting component.
Herbert Hoover Boys & Girls Club received approval for $250,000 in YOP tax credits, which is expected to leverage at least $500,000 in donations. The funds will support programs for six- to 18-year-olds, including after-school tutoring and homework assistance, pregnancy and substance abuse prevention, leadership development and youth employment opportunities.
The Housing Authority of St. Louis County received approval for $156,840 in YOP tax credits, which is expected to leverage at least $313,680 in donations. The funds will support the organization's Operation Excel: YouthBuild Program, which provides 40 at-risk youth the opportunity to learn basic construction skills in the classroom and on-site. Participants actually build, rehabilitate and repair housing units while receiving counseling, life and leadership skills training, GED preparation assistance, case management assistance and job placement services.
Through the YOP program, contributors approved projects can receive up to a 50 percent partial state tax credit for their donation that allows donors to redirect their tax dollars to support local efforts. Approval of these tax credits is contingent upon completion of contracts set forth by the program.
Dry Conditions Experienced in Many Missouri Counties
JEFFERSON CITY, (SLFP.com), July 3, 2005 - Dry conditions in many Missouri counties are being monitored closely to determine whether a drought alert should be declared. Counties in southeast, south-central and northeast Missouri are experiencing a prolonged shortage of precipitation, low stream levels and low soil moisture.
"Rains predicted for parts of the state this weekend may not be enough to ease the current dry conditions," Gov. Blunt said. "We are watching the situation closely. I am prepared to take action to protect our communities and farms by activating the Missouri Drought Assessment Committee if necessary."
The Missouri Drought Assessment Committee is responsible for assessing drought conditions across the state and recommending actions to ease the drought's adverse effects. If a drought alert is declared, the committee will begin immediate assessments of the affected areas under the Missouri Drought Response Plan. Agencies represented on the committee include the state departments of Natural Resources, Agriculture, Public Safety, Health and Senior Services, Conservation and Economic Development; the U.S. departments of Commerce, Agriculture and Interior; the U.S. Army; the University of Missouri-Columbia; the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency; and the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
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