$42,500 Grant Used To Upskill Workers At Manatee Memorial

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$42,500 Grant Used To Upskill Workers At Manatee Memorial

The CareerEdge Funders Collaborative through the Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce gave a $42,500 grant to Manatee Memorial Hospital.

SARASOTA, FL — The CareerEdge Funders Collaborative, the Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce’s workforce initiative, awarded $42,500 to upskill workers at Manatee Memorial Hospital.

At a time when retaining and growing talent has been extremely challenging, Manatee Memorial Hospital’s leaders have decided to invest in its workforce, the chamber said in a news release. These grant funds will assist the hospital with this initiative.  To read the full article, click here.

$357M Foundation Presents Grant Money to Workforce Development Initiative

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$357M Foundation Presents Grant Money to Workforce Development Initiative

The $125,000 grant extends the Gulf Coast Community Foundation’s partnership with CareerEdge.

The Gulf Coast Community Foundation, Venice, recently presented $125,000 in grant money to CareerEdge to continue its workforce efforts.

CareerEdge is the workforce development initiative of the Sarasota Chamber of Commerce. This grant extends the 11-year partnership between CareerEdge and the foundation, which was a founding investor in CareerEdge.

The grant money will be used for on-the-job training, internships, salary subsidies for local employers and for CareerEdge’s Fast-Track training programs. This program provides a way for employers to quickly fill in-demand job openings while offering rapid credentialing and certifications critical within the industry. To read the full article, click here.

CareerEdge Fast-Track Trainings Add Ready-to-Work Employees to Local Industries

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CareerEdge Fast-Track Trainings Add Ready-to-Work Employees to Local Industries

CareerEdge, State College of Florida (SCF) and Suncoast Technical College (STC) collaboratively partnered to help 44 local individuals graduate from the certified nursing assistant (CNA), automotive lube, electrical and marine outboard fast-track training programs. The first-ever evening CNA training was held at SCF, while automotive lube, electrical and marine outboard trainings were held at STC.

The results show that 95 percent of participants received job offers at graduation or received a wage increase if they were already employed. Graduates are now working with local businesses such as Chris-Craft, Sunset Automotive Group, Wilde Honda and Sarasota Memorial Hospital.  To read the full article, click here.

Gulf Coast Community Foundation Awards CareerEdge $125,000

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Gulf Coast Community Foundation Awards CareerEdge $125,000

CareerEdge, the workforce development initiative of the Sarasota Chamber of Commerce, recently received a $125,000 grant from Gulf Coast Community Foundation.  The grant extends the 11-year partnership between CareerEdge and Gulf Coast, which was a founding investor in CareerEdge.  To read the full article, click here.

Bank of America Grants $50,000 to CareerEdge

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Bank of America Grants $50,000 to CareerEdge

Bank of America recently awarded CareerEdge, the Sarasota Chamber of Commerce’s workforce initiative, $50,000 to continue its efforts in workforce development, specifically with its Fast-Track training programs. CareerEdge will use the funding to expand its Bridges to Careers Fast-Track programs to provide foundational training with industry-recognized credentials for 75 participants, as well as life and career skills training.  To read the full article, click here.

Chamber Hires Vice President to Take Charge of CareerEdge Initiative

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Chamber Hires Vice President to Take Charge of CareerEdge Initiative

Kristi Hoskinson has been selected to lead the CareerEdge initiative of the Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce as vice president.

The mission of CareerEdge is to provide an exceptional labor force to a region’s growing industries by leveraging community assets and forming high-performing workforce partnerships. To read the full article, click here.

Electrical Graduate Thankful for Opportunity to Participate in Tiny House Project

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Electrical Graduate Thankful for Opportunity to Participate in Tiny House Project

In November 2020, CareerEdge launched a training to assist Suncoast Technical College Students gain hands-on experience in building an eco-friendly tiny home. Students from several of STC’s Industrial Technologies Programs, including Construction, Drafting, Electrician, HVAC, and Plumbing have been participating in a first-of-its-kind project that is now coming close to completion. Of the many students involved, Davidson Jean-Baptiste graduated from the Electrician Program shortly after the tiny house project began.  To read the full article, click here.

Study: Wages Increase 12 Percent Within First Year for ‘Bridges to Careers’ Participants

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Study: Wages Increase 12 Percent Within First Year for ‘Bridges to Careers’ Participants

Additionally, in 2020 CareerEdge trained 184 workers and assisted 523 workers in earning raises.

CareerEdge’s annual independent, third-party evaluation found that its “Bridges to Careers” participants saw an average wage gain of 12 percent after the first year of training. A comparison between the 2019 and 2020 evaluations shows that Fast Track participants’ average ending hourly wages have increased from $16.48 to $17.42 in just one year. For the increase in wages to take place during the Covid-19 pandemic demonstrates the impact CareerEdge’s conversations have had with employers around the importance of offering career laddering opportunities.  Read More

CareerEdge Updates Its “Where are the Jobs?” Guide

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CareerEdge Updates Its “Where are the Jobs?” Guide

CareerEdge Funders Collaborative has updated its “Where are the Jobs Guide?” to assist our region’s students and young adults with exploring possible career options.  Through colorful graphics, the guide features a listing of the highest demand jobs in the area, along with their average wages, and educational pathways to obtaining a credential for each.  A generous sponsorship from Bank of America Sarasota/Manatee is funding the printing of the guide which will be distributed to schools and community-based organizations through a bi-county region. Read More

 

Tiny home becomes training ground for students in five trade programs

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Students at Suncoast Technical College in Sarasota are getting hands-on experience through the project.
by: Business Observer Staff

You’ve heard the saying — the best gifts come in small packages. Sometimes the best gifts come in downright tiny packages.

Like the gift of opportunity CareerEdge and retired area developer Walt Eppard have given students at Sarasota’s Suncoast Technical College: the chance to build a tiny home. Read More