SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- During these hard times, the Missouri Career Center has been helping hundreds of people find work every month. Leaders say clients often encounter long wait times when needing to use resources or speak with career counselors. To meet the increased demand, the center is preparing to south to a much bigger spot.
Price Cutter said it will close the doors on its store in the Southern Hill Shopping Center on East Sunshine Street. The last day for operations will be this Sunday, Feb. 5. The company plans to consolidate its southeast Springfield operations into its remodeled store on East Battlefield Road. All employees will be transferred to other stores. Soon after the closure, the spot will be transformed from a place to find food to a place to find a job.
“I don’t think it will look anything like a supermarket; there won’t be any freezers,” joked Bill Dowling, director of the Missouri Career Center.”
Dowling said the larger facility will allow for more classroom space, and will offer more computers for clients to access job resources.
Ironically, the announcement comes as the nation and Ozarks are reporting brighter employment outlook.
Experts say, nationally, unemployment has fallen to 8.3 percent. In the Springfield metro area, that number is down to 6.8 percent.
With this larger space, the career center said it can expand its outreach by working to attract new employers.
“We really focus on the job growth area, than simply maintaining or getting people back to work, but bringing new people into the area. That is our hope,” Dowling said.
The facility is set to be completed this June, with a grand opening set for July 1.
