The School District of University City (SDUC) seeks to develop a Career Advancement Network Center (UCAN Center) to enhance the economic development of University City, as a whole, including but not limited to, area businesses, citizens and surrounding communities. The Center will bring together area businesses to assess the current skills gap within our region’s workforce and develop methods in which to fill the void with skilled workers right from University City and surrounding areas.
The School District of University City, along with area businesses, the City of University City, and training providers will partner to provide hands-on skills development training to University City residents and surrounding communities. Included in the U CAN Center will be a student-run retail store where University City High School Students in the business, marketing, graphic design and entrepreneurship pathways will work collaboratively on a business plan for operation of “Uniquely U City.” Uniquely University City will create an income opportunity for sustained costs of the center while providing students with hands-on, real world learning experiences that prepare them for future careers. As part of the district’s partnership with the Center for Advanced Professional Studies (CAPS), courses in business and entrepreneurship will also be housed at the center during the school day.
The development of the center would become part of a hands-on student Service Learning Project and Capstone Course where UCHS students will work alongside professionals, teachers and district officials to determine how to best execute the proposal, vetting out partnerships, creating operation protocols, determining renovation needs, IT installation needs, creating business plans to run the coffee/retail space, and in some cases working with contractors on renovation efforts.
The UCAN Center will align workforce training opportunities with business and corporate partner needs and market trends to ensure that the skills learned will meet in-demand careers. Participants will learn valuable technical and professional skills (including soft skills), and gain work experience during internship placements.
The SDUC will also utilize the center as the nucleus for Integrated Education and Training Programs (IETs) for career advancement of students, parents and others living in the community and surrounding areas. Several workforce initiatives will be cultivated to maximize training opportunities that increase economic growth of the city and support the “upskill” efforts of the region.
The IET Programs under consideration for possible partnership are the following:
· Partnering with construction industry for renovation of a building selected to house the U CAN Center. Using the project as an IET opportunity for SDUC students, their parents and others within the community and surrounding areas to be trained to work on the renovation with contracting company. This could be done as a collaborative project with a construction training program entity or private contractor. Students working on the project will gain valuable experience and gain a sense of pride for the building they worked on and what it represents in the community in which they live and do business on a daily basis.
· The City of University City’s SHED Housing Assist Program- SDUC will partner with the City of University City on the revitalization of the program that assist the elderly, disabled and veteran homeowners with small home repairs that they have been cited for or could potentially be cited for. SDUC, partnering with the City would find a construction trade training provider to partner with as well to train students, non-traditional adults within University City and surrounding area to put their training skill to work in repairing the residents’ home.
· Creating entrepreneurship opportunities through the development of business training collaborations with area business/industries within the University City area and beyond, thus creating a pathway to business ownership. One consideration being looked at is the creation of a Coffee House/Bakery IET Program to be run out of the UCAN Center-along with a retail space to sell University City Gear/Work wear; possible partners include Starbucks, Mers Goodwill, Dunkin’ Donuts; other UC based coffee shop, Smoothie King. Cintas, Athletic & Team Gear, Forever 21 Culinary partnerships to provide bakery and pastry items-possibly partners STLCC Culinary School, Russo’s, St. Louis Bread CO or locally owned UC business in the industry.
· Partnering with the City of University City’s Office of Economic Development to educate residents on small business loan, legal referrals, and other small training collaborations, compliancy information sessions, etc., thus leading center participates through the pathway to entrepreneurship; helping those utilizing the center training service to be eligible to run their UCAN endorsed business; i.e. running the UCAN Coffee Stand on wheels or UCAN retail Store Cart at events.
· Partnering with a Social Service Agency to create a UCAN Social Service Hub. The focus would be on removing barriers to employment, creating economic stability for families through assistance with social service agencies. The center would provide office quad spaces that would be used as monthly satellite sites for social service agencies to engage clients and provide other general public service information on how to maximize their opportunities through their assistance. for both serving UC community and surrounding areas, including St Louis County Career Center, AARP, OASIS, DFS, SNAP, mini medical referral clinic, etc.
· An IET technology training initiative would center around a partnership with a leading industry partner (Information Systems) that will produce a state of the art, technology-infused training center with the establishment of the UCAN Center, thus, providing an infused technology-based instructional framework in which students can learn programing, installation and ongoing maintenance, as well as, security of information system work installed at the center.
The aim of the U CAN Center is to bring together businesses and service industries with the workforce community of tomorrow, creating a stable environment where University City families can thrive. The design of the center, with retail, collaboration and conference space, will aid the community’s need for workforce development, develop a currently vacant space along the Olive Corridor, create 22 jobs for youth in our community, and provide students with real opportunities to practice their skills by operating a student-run business.