Bridges to Careers Graduation in North Port

MANATEE/SARASOTA, FL (October 9, 2012) CareerEdge Funders Collaborative will graduate 14 local residents of North Port from their Bridges to Careers program this Friday, October 12th  at 11:00am

“I learned so much about myself and how to handle situations differently or to even look at them from a different perspective because of Bridges to Careers.” Pamela, a participant of the training said.

The efforts of CareerEdge are focused on diminishing skill gaps and helping employers locate and develop qualified and skilled workers through a sector-approach.

North Port has suffered greatly from high rates of chronic unemployment. “We chose to partner with Job Connection at Goodwill Industries in North Port because they’re doing great work and we wanted to leverage the efforts and great strides their Job Connection is already making in the community,” CareerEdge Executive Director Mireya Eavey said.

The goal of this project was to train individuals faced with disadvantaging situations to improve skills, retool their abilities and make them work ready. Microsoft Unlimited Potential and Bank of America granted CareerEdge with the funding that made Bridges to Careers possible.

As technology evolves employers seek individuals with advanced computer skills. Through digital literacy training, which is a key component of the program participants are able to obtain the skills needed to keep a competitive edge as they pursue employment opportunities.

“As funders collaborative our goal is to convene community organizations, employers, and educational institutions to avoid duplication of efforts and so everyone can contribute to the highest levels of success for those who participate in our programs” Eavey stated.