East and West St. Tammany Centers Consolidate

Covington location closes and staff transferred to Slidell Center

The First Planning District (FPD)Workforce Investment Board, which provides workforce development and training services to job seekers and businesses in Plaquemines, St. Bernard and St. Tammany Parishes, would like to inform you that we will be consolidating our East and West St. Tammany Business & Career Solutions Centers effective October 1st, 2008.  The Covington Center, located at 19376 North 3rd Street, Covington, will be closed and all staff transferred to our Slidell Center, 316 Howze Beach Lane, Slidell.
 
The primary reason for this consolidation is US Department of Labor rescissions which have resulted in:
 
- significant cuts to our operating budget for last fiscal year and deeper cuts to the current fiscal year resulted in approximately 53% reduction of our aggregate budget.
 
- shortage of staff in both St. Tammany Centers making it more difficult to serve customer base.  This shortage is due in part to being unable to replace WIA staff that has exited as well as those State funded positions that we are unable to replace (7 positions)
 
- significant cost in operating both centers. (approximately $175,000 per year)  As the number of State staff has reduced, it proportionately increases the First Planning District's direct costs.
 
We are working very diligently to make this transition as smooth as possible.  Our primary goal is to ensure that quality services to St. Tammany residents and businesses will continue to be provided.  Some important points worth mentioning in relation to this issue are as follows.
 
- The Covington area is located midway between two other Business and Career Solutions Centers, one in Slidell and one in Hammond.  Both are within approximately 20 minutes of the center being closed.
 
- By combining the staff from our two centers, we will be better equipped to provide services to our customers, both job seekers and businesses.  (Example:  more workshops will be offered, since we will have adequate staffing to cover various services within the center)
 
- Our Mobile Unit will be utilized in the Covington area one to two days a week to help in the transition and compensate for this local loss.  We will be choosing one central location and will advertise accordingly.
 
- St. Tammany Parish has recently become eligible for public transportation funds.  We are working very closely with the parish to ensure that our Slidell center will be made a part of public transportation routes.
 
A more functional solution will occur with the opening of the University Square in Lacombe.  With the support of St. Tammany Parish Government, we are included in that project, and will then have a more centrally located center.  We had hoped to maintain both of our existing centers until this new resource opened; however, the unanticipated federal level budget cuts have made this impossible.
 
I want to reiterate our commitment to providing St. Tammany Parish with the highest quality of workforce development and training services.
 
Please don't hesitate to contact me if you have any questions or wish to discuss further.
 
Respectfully,

Melissa B. Kirsch
Workforce Investment Board Director