CareerEdge Receives $125,000 Grant from Gulf Coast Community Foundation to Enhance Local Workforce Development Effort

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CareerEdge Receives $125,000 Grant from Gulf Coast Community Foundation to Enhance Local Workforce Development Effort

Sarasota-Bradenton, Florida (July 12, 2023) – CareerEdge, the workforce development initiative led by the Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce, has been awarded a substantial $125,000 grant from Gulf Coast Community Foundation. This generous grant, supported by the esteemed A. Hamilton and Edith T. Gardner Fund, further solidifies the longstanding partnership between CareerEdge and Gulf Coast Community Foundation. As one of CareerEdge’s founding funders, Gulf Coast Community Foundation has continuously played an active role in advancing their mission.

The grant will support CareerEdge Funders Collaborative’s initiatives in providing an exceptional labor force to growing industries by leveraging community assets and forming high-performing workforce partnerships. CareerEdge will utilize the grant to implement demand-driven strategies, including Fast-Track training programs, on-the-job training, internship reimbursement programs, and employer funding to upskill employees.

“CareerEdge is honored and grateful to continue the longstanding funding partnership with Gulf Coast Community Foundation,” said Dan Sidler, Vice President of CareerEdge & Economic Development. “This investment is critical in supporting our team’s efforts in closing skills gaps to support employers, while also allowing individuals in our community to jump-start a career and enhance their long-term earnings potential.”

Since its inception in 2010, CareerEdge and its employer partners have invested $15.7 million, providing trainings for 7,194 workers, resulting in 1,548 promotions, 4,775 raises, and $38.2 million in workers’ aggregate annual earnings. In 2022 alone, CareerEdge has invested $1.1 million in workforce development, $3 million in added wages, trained 501 workers, created 93 new jobs, provided 170 new employment opportunities, and 671 new certifications were earned.