One of the key markers for long-term success within an area is ensuring a network of future workers. The St. Louis region has over 55 colleges and universities including 16 discrete degree opportunities in the manufacturing and transportation/logistics fields offered by 6 regional universities.
Fontbonne University
- Supply Chain Management (Certificate)
- Supply Chain Management (Masters of Science)
- Transportation (Undergraduate Minor)
Lindenwood University
- Supply Chain Management (MBA)
Maryville University
- Supply Chain Management/Logistics Concentration (MBA)
St. Louis University
- Integrated Supply Chain Management (Certificate)
- Supply Chain Management (MBA)
University of Missouri St. Louis
- Transportation Studies (Undergraduate Minor)
- Logistics and Operations Management (Bachelor’s of Science Business Administration)
- Logistics and Supply Chain Management (Graduate Certificate)
- Logistics and Supply Chain (MBA)
- Operations Management (MBA)
Washington University
- Operations and Supply Chain Management (Undergraduate Minor)
- Operations and Supply Chain Management (Bachelor’s of Science Business Administration)
- Operations and Supply Chain Management (MBA)
- Supply Chain Management (Masters of Science)
Training Centers
The St. Louis area has a robust training infrastructure geared toward improving skills of existing manufacturing/distribution workers, with quick and effective adaptation of non-industry workers interested in entering new fields.
Employee Training Investment Program (ETIP) is eligible to pre-qualified Illinois businesses applying for training funds as part of an Economic Development Incentive Project. Companies located in Illinois who are expanding, relocating, or are in jeopardy of closing may be eligible for pre-qualification in the program. Participation requires companies to meet certain capital investment and job creation/retention goals and provide a dollar for dollar match of the grant award.
Missouri Works Training customers get leading edge training that is customized for their companies. Missouri Works Training lets the customer decide who will deliver the training. Missouri Works Training can provide funding assistance when companies need to upgrade worker skills due to new technologies, new products or processes, relocation, expansion, or competition driving quality or productivity.
Centers of Excellence
Training Providers and Centers of Excellence for manufacturing and distribution related workers in the St. Louis area are plentiful. The area is rich in local community colleges, technical schools, and centers of excellence that are well equipped to partner with private industry for the purposes of upskilling a manufacturing or logistics workforce. Some of the region’s players include:
Center for Workforce Innovation and Labor at St. Louis Community College is located in a 32,000 square foot building adjacent to the Florissant Valley campus. This new facility serves more than 500 students annually through the creation and expansion of innovative workforce programs. CWI houses six aerospace labs, a large equipment lab, three technical training labs (Programmable Logic Controllers, Industrial Maintenance Training, and Green Technologies and Sustainable Construction), three all-purpose classrooms, a computer lab, conference room, student lounge and lobby.
Emerson Center for Engineering and Advanced Manufacturing at St. Louis Community College is committed to developing a skilled work force for the St. Louis region and providing technical support to the region’s manufacturing industry. The Emerson Center provides associates degrees, certificate programs and customized training programs to the local manufacturing and engineering workforce. The center’s outreach efforts include enhancing the skills of current employees, helping companies develop a qualified pool of job candidates and supporting opportunities for K-12 students to learn about careers in engineering, engineering technology and manufacturing. The center works closely with the Engineering and Technology Department to serve the needs of the region’s manufacturing and engineering-related industries. Its services range from a series of custom credit classes leading to an academic certificate to simply assisting companies with enrolling employees into regularly scheduled classes that meet the company’s workforce training needs.
Selsius Industrial Skills Solutions at Southwestern Illinois College at Granite City provides industrial training in its state-of-the-art labs in Granite City, Belleville and East St. Louis. Core industrial services include welding, PLC (basic and advanced), industrial maintenance mechanics, and precision machining. Southwestern Illinois College recently received $1.9 million in grants to purchase new automated welding, CNC equipment and advanced PLC systems. The Industrial Technology Center (ITC) now provides expanded training opportunities in the field of manufacturing technology to benefit SWIC students and Selsius™ clients.
Other training competencies at SWIC include:
- Advanced Manufacturing Equipment
- Electrical Systems
- Electronics
- Forklift Operation
- Hydraulics
- Mechanical Systems
- Pipefitting
- Pneumatics
- Process Instrumentation
- Rigging/Equipment Installation
- Robotics
- Welding