Students in SLPS are not being prepared for the jobs of tomorrow. Walk into most grocery stores and you see robots performing inventory. Cashiers are replaced by lanes of self-checkout. Likewise, fast-food restaurants will soon make customers order food with tablet applications. Increasingly, factory jobs are operated by highly efficient machines. The post pandemic labor shortages are forcing companies to find solutions in automation and artificial intelligence. There are only a few magnet schools that offer some computer programming. Therefore, the majority of students are not being prepared for high paying jobs in technology. The question is how can we prepare our youth. The answer is the Roy Clay Sr Computer Lab.

The grand opening took place on December 16th, 2021, 11:00am at 1410 S. Tucker, St. Louis, MO, 63104. The first event is an online virtual career fair. Guests will receive one on one help with writing resumes and cover letters. More importantly, the event will provide tips for applying to jobs online.

Roy Clay Sr.

The computer lab is dedicated to Roy Clay Sr. Born in Kinloch, Missouri he grew up in the St. Louis region. At the time, Kinloch was the oldest African American community incorporated in Missouri. Clay attended a segregated school and eventually received a scholarship to study mathematics at Saint Louis University. Above all, he was one of the first African-Americans to graduate from SLU with a bachelor’s degree in 1951. He taught himself to code which led to jobs at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Control Data Corporation, and Hewlett-Packard.

Clay helped to launch and lead Hewlett-Packard’s Computer Science division in 1965. He was director of the team who developed the HP 2116A, one of Hewlett-Packard’s first mini-computers. As a result, Clay became the highest-ranking African-American member of staff. At HP Clay developed several initiatives to improve the representation of African-Americans in Silicon Valley. He recognized the need to test electrical products for safety, and left HP in 1971 to start his own business. ROD-L Electronics.

Computer Lab Details

The Roy Clay Sr. Lab is free to the public and open to all ages. Also, The lab features both computers and laptops. The high-speed internet is courtesy of the St. Louis Public Library. In addition, the lab includes two 3D printers provided by Andrew Crowe of Elevate. MASTERcam donated the programming software. Patrons can use the printers to bring their inventions to life. The workshops offered include:

  • Computer coding
  • Robotics
  • Computer literacy
  • 3D computer design
  • Online job fairs
  • Resume building
  • Microsoft word/excel classes

Through the kind donations of our sponsors and our community partners we will help prepare the youth for the jobs of tomorrow. However, the lab also offers parents the tools to be competitive today. For more information visit Roy Clay Sr. Computer Lab or call (314) 589-6142. The hours of operation are 9:00am to 7:00pm on weekdays. The lab is located at 1410 S. Tucker, St. Louis, MO, 63104.

Sponsors

12th and Park Rec Center, Hon. Marty J. Murray Jr, Lafayette Park United Methodist Church, Chance Light, Elevate, Prosper Credit Consultants, Sharon Wilson, Andrea Huegatter, Larry Huegatter, Lucas Whiteaker, Andrew Crowe, Shaun Swearengen, Marc White, Michael Wilson, Tom Fisher, Cathy Fisher, and Mike Baldwin.

Marty Murray Jr
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