GO! Network Competes in Monsanto Contest to Win Development Award

Oct. 3, 2011 - PRLog -- (St. Louis) –  GO! Network, a non-profit organization that assists unemployed St. Louis professionals transition into new careers, is competing for an award from Monsanto’s Grow St. Louis contest.  An award would enable the all-volunteer group to enhance its services to members seeking employment.


GO! Network is one of more than 300 not-for-profit groups competing for contest grants of $15,000, $10,000 and $5,000.   The contest runs from Friday, September 30 to Sunday, October 16 and the winners will be chosen by total votes received.  Supporters can vote as often as they wish, up to 100 times a day, and can vote for GO! Network by going to: www.stlgrown.com.


Winning one of the Monsanto awards would allow GO! Network to implement the latest technological tools to bolster job search efforts by its members, according to David Greenwalt, President and COO of the organization.  “We could enhance offerings to our members by expanding our existing digital career training video library.  We will also develop a very valuable applicant tracking system that would match our members with specific job opportunities based on their fields of expertise and interest,” he said.  In addition, he pointed out,  the grant would permit the organization to better track and codify data, a capability vital to the organization’s to sustain and grow the group’s services.


Roni Chambers, Executive Director of the organization commented, “We appreciate Monsanto’s willingness to develop this project in support the St. Louis Community.  As a St. Louis grown initiative we are excited to participate in the contest.”


GO! Network was founded in 2009 to assist unemployed professionals affected by the economic downturn that has dislocated approximately 86,000 St. Louis-area business workers.  Originally meant to be a temporary group, the organization has transitioned from a short-term response to a long-term solution as the economic crisis continues and the area’s jobless rate remains around 9 percent.  About 3,700 unemployed professionals who have attended one or more of the Network’s regular workshops have been assisted.  Of that number, over 60 percent have found new positions.


To date, the organization has conducted more than 130 Tuesday morning workshops on topics from the basic skills of resume building and job interviewing to entrepreneurship, the use of  social media in the job search process, particularly LinkedIn, and how to remain positive and inspired while seeking fulfilling careers.  Essential to the organization’s approach to the job search is its emphasis on the necessity of networking with members and others in the community-at-large.  The services of GO! Network are offered free-of-charge to attendees. More information is available at www.gonetworkstl.com.

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