Amazon officials told leaders here that the lack of a "blueprint for talent" was one of the reasons the e-commerce giant didn't choose St. Louis region for its second headquarters, according to an economic development official.
St. Louis Economic Development Partnership CEO Sheila Sweeney's comments came Wednesday at an event in Belleville, the Belleville News-Democrat reports.
Sweeney said if the region wants to compete for such projects, it will have to develop a stronger base of workers ready to take on the kind of jobs required for major tech companies, according to the newspaper.
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Amazon passed St. Louis by in January when it narrowed its search to 20 cities. It has yet to announce a winner for the so-called HQ2, with its promise of a $5 billion investment and 50,000 jobs.
The Business Journal reported in September that a tech talent shortage would be St. Louis' biggest obstacle in the competition.
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