CareerEdge Awards $42,500 to Upskill Workers at Manatee Memorial Hospital

Sarasota-Bradenton, Fla. (October 28, 2021) – CareerEdge Funders Collaborative, The Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce 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 is investing in their workforce.

CEOs across the country are now viewing our nation’s worker shortage as the biggest external disrupter to their business, coming out ahead of the pandemic (future COVID variants), according to Fortune. One strategic way to retain employees and increase job satisfaction is to focus on employee skill development. Manatee Memorial is doing just that – they have developed a training plan to upskill 25 employees, ranging from entry-to mid-level employees. They will use grant funding, from CareerEdge, to help offset the $207,000 investment in this segment of their workforce.

This is not a new strategy for Manatee Memorial. They have been developing their workforce for decades, seeking financial assistance from CareerEdge for over ten years.

“Manatee Memorial Hospital’s partnership with CareerEdge goes back to 2010. Their funding has contributed to the training and advancement of countless Manatee Memorial employees,” says Tom McDougal, CEO at Manatee Memorial Hospital. “The longstanding partnership between CareerEdge and our hospital has increased the earning potential for our employees in a variety of areas: nursing and direct patient care, laboratory services, respiratory therapy, billing and coding, hospital administration and leadership, case management, surgical services, outpatient services, diagnostic imaging, and more. CareerEdge’s upskilling workers grant program has impacted close to 200 employees who have been able to advance in their careers, favorably impacting their lives as well as their families.”

Upskilling workers grant funding is a signature initiative of CareerEdge. Once a year, CareerEdge accepts grant applications from manufacturing, healthcare, insurance, and skilled trades sector employers who can make a compelling case that CareerEdge’s “Employer Partnership Model” will help them accelerate promotions for incumbent workers, while speeding job creation and improving their bottom line. This model helps employers close skills gaps and speed the advancement of incumbent and new workers.

CareerEdge Advances the Future of Local Workforce Development

Sarasota, Fla. (September 1, 2021) Despite the pandemic’s penalties on the economy and workers, CareerEdge has continued to play an important role in workforce development and retention through on-the-job training and internship opportunities.

Through partnerships with 117 local businesses, CareerEdge has funded 327 internships, since 2016, for students to apply their knowledge outside the classroom this year. Outcomes from the CareerEdge’s 2021 Annual Evaluation show 46% of interns are hired by the employer where they interned or were hired elsewhere, and 46% continue their education.  Last year, 6,161 workers were trained, and 1,579 new jobs were created through the initiative.

The effort has been fueled recently by a $150,000 grant from Charles & Margery Barancik Foundation for practical training, which includes on-the-job training and internship salary subsidies for local employers. The funds will also be used for Career Edge’s Fast-Track training programs.

Fast-Track training plays a role in retention, which is critical in a tight labor market, by allowing employers to offer career laddering opportunities to their employees. Supporting additional learning helps reduce turnover and increase employee satisfaction. The employee can earn a wage during the day while gaining additional knowledge and skills at night in the Fast-Track training.

On-the-job training provides a hands-on method of teaching workers the competencies needed to perform a specific job. Employees earn a paycheck while on the job, and businesses are reimbursed a portion of the employee’s salary. Internships provide an immersive learning experience, allowing the intern to add value to the employer while learning key aspects of an industry. It helps students obtain the necessary skills required to succeed in today’s work environment while also offering them supplemental income.

As one intern shared, “This internship most definitely prepared me for the workforce because it gave me great insight on how it truly is. This was my first experience working 40 hours a week in an office and that alone has made me feel much more comfortable about the idea of working in an office after school,” C. Corley, Appalachian Underwriters Intern.

Bank of America Awards CareerEdge $50,000 to Continue Its Workforce Development Efforts

Sarasota, Fla. (June 21, 2021) – Bank of America awards 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.   As a founding investor and 11-year participant on the CareerEdge Funders Council, this is the latest support the bank has provided in a longstanding partnership that seeks to strengthen the workforce opportunities available to the community.

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. Participants will also receive financial education training from Bank of America’s Better Money Habits sessions.

As part of the Fast-Track program, employers offer ongoing practical learning and hands-on training to further develop the graduates as well. Fast-Track training programs are available for a variety of occupations and industries, including healthcare, electrical, plumbing, construction, and HVAC.

Recently, Bank of America announced its newly expanded $1.25 billion, five-year commitment to help advance racial equality and economic opportunity. The bank’s support of CareerEdge’s resources is a direct result of this national commitment

“Connecting individuals with the skills they need to achieve economic mobility is critical to the success of our region, especially among historically underserved residents,” said Mike McCoy, President, Bank of America Sarasota-Manatee. “We look forward to seeing how our support of CareerEdge’s Fast-Track initiatives contributes to this mission, including bringing meaningful jobs training and resources to people of color in Sarasota-Manatee that have been disproportionately impacted by the pandemic.”

Bank of America has provided $210,000 in funding to four Sarasota-Manatee organizations, including CareerEdge, to help advance racial equity and economic opportunity in the region this quarter. As part of the bank’s broader efforts to support economic mobility, it has granted a total of $410,000 to 19 local nonprofits this year.

Since the Great Recession in 2008, CareerEdge has used its successful model to partner with employers and education providers to drive system change. Given the current workforce climate, CareerEdge is uniquely positioned to assist with helping people get back to work. As a nonprofit, CareerEdge could not conduct its innovative work without the support of its donors.

CareerEdge Hires Kempton Research and Planning to Launch Manufacturing Skills Gap Study

Sarasota, Fla. (June 7, 2021) – CareerEdge, the Sarasota Chamber of Commerce workforce initiative, has hired Kempton Research and Planning to perform a Manufacturing Skills Gap Study, similar to the study that was spearheaded by CareerEdge in 2012.  At that time, there were 800 manufacturing companies located in this region. Currently, sources show 900 companies or more. CareerEdge, working with its community partners, is seeking to understand and quantify the skill gap for manufacturing jobs in Sarasota and Manatee counties.

“Nine years ago, CareerEdge’s Manufacturing Skill Gap Study resulted in Suncoast Technical College establishing a CNC Machining program.  Just like our first study, we will rely on our local manufacturing companies to participate by responding to the survey and validating the data. This feedback is essential to the success of our study,” said Jennifer Behrens, CareerEdge manufacturing council chair and owner of Atlantic Mold.

CareerEdge wants to specifically identify the jobs and skills manufacturers are lacking as they seek to grow their companies. This data will then be compared to training resources currently available in the region to identify whether training exists and if not, what must be changed or added for training partners to help manufacturers fill the skill gap, hire employees, and grow their companies.

“With our region’s continued growth in the manufacturing sector and the ever-evolving workforce climate, launching this skill gap study is critical to evaluate how we can move forward with a plan that will support local manufacturing companies as well as our workforce,” said Kristi Hoskinson, Vice President, CareerEdge.

To participate in the upcoming manufacturing skill gap study or find out more email:  careeredgeinfo@sarasotachamber.com or www.CareerEdgeFunders.org

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla.– (April 16, 2019)— The Greater St. Petersburg Area Economic Development Corporation (EDC) released the 2.0 version of its digital workforce platform, Workforce Resource Map with significant enhancements to better meet the needs of growing businesses in St. Petersburg. The platform, created in partnership with CareerEdge in December 2018, showcases a comprehensive listing of workforce-related resources and programs available to employers in the greater St. Petersburg area.
“We wanted to create a place where local employers could quickly and easily navigate through the many resources available to them that will ultimately grow jobs in our community,” J.P. DuBuque, President of the Greater St. Petersburg Area EDC said. “It remains a top priority for the EDC to not only bring new businesses to the area, but to also ensure we are supporting the growth and success of the companies already here.”

The EDC convened an extensive review session of the site with community members and human resource professionals who provided feedback for site improvements, that have since been incorporated in the Workforce Resource Map 2.0. New features include:
– Improved navigation
– Search functionality
– Filterable skill set options
– Case studies and testimonials from local employers
– Additional programs and resources