CONNECTSTL × CLAYCO

Q · 2026

St. Louis skyline

CONNECTSTL × CLAYCO

ST. LOUIS · QUARTERLY CONVENING

Coalition Quarterly Meeting

Building the Workforce
of Tomorrow.

An employer immersion on technology, innovation, and workforce development — hosted by Clayco.

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CONNECTSTL × CLAYCO

01 · Context

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Why This Matters

Today's workforce is evolving
faster than ever.

Technology, artificial intelligence, and digital transformation are reshaping every industry.

To prepare residents for tomorrow's careers, workforce organizations must first understand what employers need today. This event creates that opportunity.

AI network

Building the Workforce of Tomorrow

Q · 2026

CONNECTSTL × CLAYCO

02 · Objectives

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Event Objectives

Six outcomes we're here to achieve.

01

Hear.

Directly from industry leaders

02

Understand.

Future workforce needs

03

Explore.

Technology and AI trends

04

Strengthen.

Employer relationships

05

Build.

Regional partnerships

06

Create.

Action across the coalition

Building the Workforce of Tomorrow

Q · 2026

CONNECTSTL × CLAYCO

03 · Coalition

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Who's in the Room

One region.
Ten sectors.

ConnectSTL convenes the full breadth of St. Louis's workforce ecosystem — in one room, with one intent.

Building the Workforce of Tomorrow

Q · 2026

CONNECTSTL × CLAYCO

03.5 · Speakers

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Featured Voices

The people
in the room.

CONVENER & HOST

Tanjii Cole

Tanjii Cole

Digital Equity Manager · SLDC

CLAYCO SPEAKERS

Branyea Jones

Branyea Jones

Training & Development Manager

Jesse Sanders

Jesse Sanders

IT Director, Operational Excellence

Darrell Thomas

Darrell Thomas

Information Security Portfolio Manager

Malik Sediqzad

Malik Sediqzad

Data Scientist · Human Agency

Mark Da Gama Rose

Mark Da Gama Rose

Senior VDC Director

Kelly Brown

Kelly Brown

Application Portfolio Owner

COALITION FACILITATORS

Tydrell Stevens

Tydrell Stevens

Save Our Sons · Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis

Shannon Johnson

Shannon Johnson

Director, Strategic Partnerships & Initiatives · SLATE

Building the Workforce of Tomorrow

Q · 2026

CONNECTSTL × CLAYCO

04 · Program

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Agenda

A day in three acts.

Morning — Learn from Industry.
Afternoon — Build Together.

8:45

Breakfast & Networking

9:10

Welcome from Clayco

9:20

Interactive IT + AI Session

10:40

Break

10:50

Day in the Life · VDC

11:20

Day in the Life · Application Portfolio

11:40

What Employers Need

12:00

Lunch & Networking

12:45

Clayco Office Tour

1:00

Coalition Breakout Roundtables

2:00

Coalition Closing & Reception

MORNING

Employer immersion

MIDDAY

Tour & connection

AFTERNOON

Coalition action

Building the Workforce of Tomorrow

Q · 2026

05 · Morning

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8:45 · Welcome, Breakfast & Networking

Breakfast &
Networking.

Welcomed by Branyea Jones, Training & Development Manager — connecting the ConnectSTL Coalition with Clayco leaders before the day's learning begins.

CONNECTSTL × CLAYCO

06 · 9:10 AM

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Welcome from Clayco

A conversation
with our host.

PRESENTED BY

Branyea Jones · Training & Development Manager, Clayco

01

Who we are

02

Why Clayco

03

Why workforce partnerships matter

04

Why technology matters

05

Why we partnered with ConnectSTL

Modern architectural office

Building the Workforce of Tomorrow

Q · 2026

CONNECTSTL × CLAYCO

07 · 9:20 AM

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Interactive IT Session

Operational excellence.
Applied intelligence.

Jesse Sanders

PRESENTER

Jesse Sanders

IT Director, Operational Excellence

Darrell Thomas

PRESENTER

Darrell Thomas

Information Security Portfolio Manager

Malik Sediqzad

PRESENTER

Malik Sediqzad

Data Scientist · Human Agency

SIX TOPICS

01Operational Excellence

02Information Security

03Artificial Intelligence

04Emerging Technology

05Digital Transformation

06Innovation

Building the Workforce of Tomorrow

Q · 2026

CONNECTSTL × CLAYCO

08 · Framing

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Woven Through Every Session

Eight questions.
One thread.

Presenters weave employer perspective throughout — so the coalition hears not just what's changing, but how to prepare people for it.

01What technology is changing your business?

02What skills are becoming more valuable?

03What certifications matter?

04What soft skills matter?

05What hiring trends are emerging?

06What advice for workforce organizations?

07What advice for educators?

08What advice for job seekers?

Building the Workforce of Tomorrow

Q · 2026

CONNECTSTL × CLAYCO

09 · 10:50 AM

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Day in the Life

Virtual Design &
Construction.

PRESENTED BY

Mark Da Gama Rose · Senior VDC Director, Clayco

Where structural steel meets digital twins — real projects, real technology, real career pathways.

Career pathway

BIM

Digital twins

Drone technology

Future opportunities

How to enter the field

Building the Workforce of Tomorrow

Q · 2026

CONNECTSTL × CLAYCO

10 · 11:20 AM

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Skyscraper facade

Day in the Life

Application
Portfolio Owner.

PRESENTED BY

Kelly Brown · Application Portfolio Owner, Clayco

How enterprise technology runs a modern construction firm — and what it takes to lead it.

Technology leadership

Business operations

Enterprise applications

Career progression

Professional growth

Leadership

Building the Workforce of Tomorrow

Q · 2026

CONNECTSTL × CLAYCO

11 · 11:40 AM

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The Conversation of the Day

What Employers Need.

LED BY

Branyea Jones
Training & Development Manager, Clayco

Q · 01

What are employers hiring for?

Q · 02

What skills are missing?

Q · 03

What technical skills matter most?

Q · 04

What professional skills matter?

Q · 05

How is AI changing hiring?

Q · 06

What certifications are valuable?

Q · 07

How can workforce orgs better prepare talent?

Q · 08

How can employers become stronger partners?

Building the Workforce of Tomorrow

Q · 2026

12 · Midday

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12:00 · Midday

Lunch &
Conversation.

Networking. Relationship building. Ideas exchanged over the table.

13 · Tour

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12:45 · Office Tour

Innovation.
In practice.

A walk through the technology, culture and workplace behind Clayco.

CONNECTSTL × CLAYCO

14 · Pivot

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MORNING

Learn from
Industry.

AFTERNOON

Build
Together.

Building the Workforce of Tomorrow

Q · 2026

CONNECTSTL × CLAYCO

15 · 1:00 PM

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Coalition Breakouts

Two rooms.
One shared agenda.

ROOM 1

Employer Roundtable

Urban League · Save Our Sons

Moderator · Tydrell Stevens

Employer collaboration, hiring trends, talent pipelines.

ROOM 2

Workforce & Community

Moderated by SLATE

Moderator · Shannon Johnson

Aligning programs, referrals, digital skills, resident pathways.

Participants choose one conversation.

Building the Workforce of Tomorrow

Q · 2026

CONNECTSTL × CLAYCO

16 · Room 1

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Room 1

Employer
Roundtable.

HOSTED BY

Urban League · Save Our Sons

MODERATED BY

Tydrell Stevens

Tydrell Stevens

Save Our Sons · Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis

AUDIENCE

Employers · HR · Hiring Managers · Economic Development

DISCUSSION

01What workforce trends are you seeing?

02What skills will matter over the next five years?

03How can employers engage earlier?

04How can ConnectSTL support employers?

05What partnerships should we build?

DELIVERABLE

Employer recommendations

DELIVERABLE

Employer commitments

DELIVERABLE

Partnership opportunities

Building the Workforce of Tomorrow

Q · 2026

CONNECTSTL × CLAYCO

17 · Room 2

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DISCUSSION

01How do we respond to what we heard?

02How do we better prepare residents?

03Where can we collaborate?

04What partnerships should be built?

05What should ConnectSTL prioritize?

DELIVERABLE

Coalition recommendations

DELIVERABLE

Shared action items

Room 2

Community
Workforce.

MODERATED BY

SLATE

MODERATOR

Shannon Johnson

Shannon Johnson

Director, Strategic Partnerships & Initiatives · SLATE

AUDIENCE

Libraries · Community Orgs · Training Providers · Government · Education · Digital Navigators

Building the Workforce of Tomorrow

Q · 2026

CONNECTSTL × CLAYCO

18 · 2:00 PM

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Coalition Report Out

Each room shares
what they built.

01

Top insights

02

Partnership opportunities

03

Ideas

04

Recommendations

Building the Workforce of Tomorrow

Q · 2026

CONNECTSTL × CLAYCO

19 · Forward

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Looking Forward

ConnectSTL
next steps.

01

Upcoming initiatives

New programs across the region

02

Future employer engagements

The next employer immersion

03

Quarterly priorities

What the coalition commits to next

04

Calls to action

How every partner can move forward

Building the Workforce of Tomorrow

Q · 2026

CONNECTSTL × CLAYCO

20 · Gratitude

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With gratitude

Thank you.

01

Clayco

02

ConnectSTL

03

Urban League · Save Our Sons

04

SLATE

05

Coalition Partners

06

Community Organizations

Building the Workforce of Tomorrow

Q · 2026

21 · Close

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Networking Reception

To new
partnerships.

Group photos · drinks · refreshments · follow-up conversations that build the next chapter.

CONNECTSTL × CLAYCO

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Together We Build

More than careers.

Stronger partnerships.

Stronger communities.

Stronger pathways.

The workforce of tomorrow.

ConnectSTL × Clayco

St. Louis · 2026

CONNECTSTL × CLAYCO · Q · 2026

Thank you.