SLO Partners Appoints Program Director to Meet Hiring Needs of SLO County Businesses

[San Luis Obispo, January 13 2019] SLO Partners, an initiative of the San Luis Obispo County Office of Education, today announced it has appointed Paula Mathias-Fryer as Program Director. Bringing nearly a decade of HR, apprenticeship and recruitment experience to SLO Partners, Mathias-Fryer will manage relationships with the local business community to meet their hiring needs.

“As we continue to expand and adapt our programs to meet local workforce needs, Paula’s expertise will be key in supporting our goal to become the number one talent resource for innovative companies on the Central Coast,” said Michael Specchierla, Executive Director, SLO Partners. “Paula’s experience and passion for connecting businesses with their ideal employees makes her a valuable addition to the SLO Partners team.”

Prior to SLO Partners, Mathias-Fryer was Talent Acquisition Specialist at Gaine, where she was responsible for recruiting, interviewing and hiring technology candidates. Paula is also a part time faculty member at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo where she teaches career readiness for the College of Business focusing on career development and preparation.

“My goal is for businesses to understand that SLO partners can help with their recruiting needs,” said Mathias-Fryer. “We can provide free access to vetted candidates who are mission driven, have strong technical aptitude and soft skills, and want to stay local. I’m excited to work with the team at SLO Partners to build a strong and diverse talent pool that will support the local tech industry and stimulate growth in our economy.”

Mathias-Fryer was drawn to the role at SLO Partners after experiencing the lack of diversity in the tech industry first hand. SLO Partners works directly to combat this by training people of all ages and backgrounds to create candidates with a variety of skills, passions and perspectives.

Mathias-Fryer has a bachelor’s degree in International Business from Whitworth University and is also a member of the SLO Chamber’s 2020 Economic Development Committee.

Businesses interested in hiring with SLO Partners can contact: [email protected].

About SLO Partners

SLO Partners was formed in 2014 as an initiative of the San Luis Obispo County Office of Education to address college and career readiness among the county’s student population. Its mission is to engage business partners and educators in aligning workforce needs with career and college pathways that provide work experience opportunities to ensure that students have the skills and knowledge necessary for success in the workplace and businesses have the skilled workers required for a sound growing economy.