CareerEdge Program Director, Deborah Chapman, was highlighted in the SRQ Magazine daily newsletter for her work in Washington DC for the National Skills Coalition. Read the full article on the CareerEdge Push for Pell Expansion at: srqmagazine.com-CareerEdge Leaders Push for Pell Expansion
Mireya Eavey, the Executive Director of CareerEdge and the Sarasota Area President of United Way Suncoast was acknowledged by SRQ Magazine as 2016’s Philanthropic Newsmaker of the Year!
Congratulations Mireya!
Executive Director of CareerEdge Funders Collaborative and United Way Suncoast Sarasota Area President Mireya Eavey was featured in SRQ magazine. She discussed the importance of long term and creative solutions to complex social problems, the importance of a thought out approach to giving, and taking a risk when it comes to funding new programs.
To read the few article, click here.
CareerEdge Case Study featured in “Chutes and Ladders: The New Rules of the Game for Upscaling Workers”, prepared by the International Economic Development Council.
Click the picture above to be taken to the full article.
2016 Manufacturing Skills Gap Study
CareerEdge recently commissioned Kempton Research to conduct an updated 2016 Manufacturing Skills Gap Study. This qualitative analysis represents a follow up to a 2012 study, which led to the development of the Precision Machining program at Suncoast Technical College, the manufacturing Community-Wide Plan and other programs which have raised awareness about the manufacturing sector in the Sarasota/Manatee region.
Researcher Stephanie Kempton, who conducted in-depth interviews with 20 local employers, updated the reports results in order to capture current workforce needs of this industry. Key findings of the study include the following skills gaps identified by local manufacturing organizations:
Foundational Skills, such as:
• Basic math and understanding of business concepts
• Reading tape measures, blueprints, etc.
• Use of tools
• Financial Literacy
Soft Skills, such as:
• Communication
• Time Management
• Resume Writing
• Interviewing
• Work Ethic
Technical Skills, such as:
• CNC/Machining specialties in areas like brake press and wood
• Fabricating (solid, metal, wood)
• Welding – especially aluminum
• Industrial Maintenance
Employers offered suggestions on how to close these skills gaps, and a team of community partners will be assembled to develop a plan of action for addressing these recommendations.
Free Plumbing Classes Launching to fill Worker Needs
To help meet the construction industry’s demand for skilled workers and to help young people find good-paying jobs, CareerEdge Funders Collaborative and Suncoast Technical College will offer a tuition-free plumbing technology certification program beginning in September.
The eight-month class will include classroom and on-the-job training.
Graduates will be able to enter apprenticeships with local employers, likely leading to full-time jobs, given the shortage of workers in this trade, organizers said.
The college is using a mass mailing to target high school graduates from the last six years who have not entered a traditional college program.
“Our goal is to increase the number of 18- to 25-year-olds receiving an industryrecognized college credential in high-demand occupations within our region in order to meet employer workforce needs and close skills gaps,” said Mireya Eavey, executive director of Career Edge, a private workforce-development nonprofit.
While the focus is on young adults, the program is open to older students.
Plumbing jobs have average wages of $54,000 per year, according to the National Association of Home Builders, and demand is expected to increase.
“The specialty trades, such as plumbing, will experience the biggest shortfalls due to specialized training needs and required schooling,” said Jaime DiDomenico, president of Cool Today, Plumbing Today and Energy Today. “While the needs are keen in the construction side of the business, the service side will steadily show double-digit percentage increases due to more homeowner occupancy.”
CareerEdge will fund the internships for program graduates through its Internship Reimbursement Program, which provides employers with up to $1,500.
Suncoast Technical College is scheduled to hold a job fair from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Aug. 8 in the main atrium of its Sarasota campus, 4748 S. Beneva Road. Employers and college representatives will be available to speak with prospective students about the Plumbing Technology program and other construction trade offerings at the school.
The course will begin Sept. 8 and will be held Monday through Friday, 7:45 a.m. to 2:15 p.m.
Prospective students and employers interested in participating in the job fair should contact Chuck Drake at Suncoast Technical College: 941-924-1365, extension 62429.
For more information about CareerEdge and its partners, go to careeredgefunders. org or call 328-6985.
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