COMPANY INTERESTED IN COMING TO CAPE

A leading telecommunications service company has expressed an interest in locating a center in Cape Girardeau if workers can be found to fill more than 250 positions.

"The company's primary concern is the labor force," said Mitch Robinson, executive director of the Cape Girardeau Area Industrial Recruitment Association. "This is a concern of many companies. Unemployment rates across the country are at 25-year lows. And in Cape Girardeau County the unemployment rate has been around 3.2 percent the past few months."

But there are still workers out there, said Robinson. "We have workers to fill the type of jobs offered by the teleservice company.

Robinson and the recruitment association are taking on a new job over the next two weeks: conducting a jobs-opportunities survey in the Cape Girardeau area.

Robinson explained that the company offered full- and part-time employment with flexible hours for days and evenings.

"These jobs are in the $7-an-hour range," said Robinson, "They're ideal for students, and, or as second jobs for families."

The company, which requested anonymity at this point, would provide from 200 to 250 jobs.

The company provides benefits that include insurance, retirement plans and vacations to full-time workers.

Robinson announced Wednesday that the teleservice company, which represents many of America's large corporations, is interested in locating here.

"If Cape Girardeau is selected, pre-employment training for a variety of positions will be offered," possibly as early as this summer," said Robinson.

The company would utilize about 10,000 square feet of space, with state-of-the-art equipment. "But first it is necessary to prove we have the availability of a labor supply for the company," said Robinson.

Therefore, the recruitment association is conducting an "interest-finder, jobs-opportunities" survey, he said.

The company's broad flexibility for scheduling individual work hours should be of particular interest to college students, said Robinson.

On hand for the Wednesday announcement was Dr. Dale Nitzschke, president of Southeast Missouri State University.

"A company like this can provide good jobs with good wages for students," said Nitzschke. "It provides good flexibility, good pay, good benefits. It could be a great recruiting tool for the university."

Also speaking at the Wednesday press conference were Melvin Gately representing the city and John Mehner, president and CEO of the Chamber of Commerce. Both praised the recruitment association for conducting the jobs-opportunities survey.

Advertising calling attention to the survey will be running in the Southeast Missourian and the Cash-Book Journal Sunday and March 7.

Four job application survey centers are located in Cape Girardeau, said Robinson.

-- Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce, 1267 N. Mount Auburn Rd.

-- Missouri Division of Employment Security, 760 S. Kingshighway, Suite K.

-- Southeast Missouri State University, Career Services, One University Plaza.

-- Cape Area Vo-Tech School, 301 N. Clark St.

"Jobs-opportunities application forms will be available at the four centers Monday through Friday," said Robinson. "It takes only a few minutes to fill out the forms."

All applications forms will be gathered by March 12, and the survey results will be submitted to the teleservice company.

Job applications surveys are important, said Robinson. "They're informative and they work. Many areas today are using them."