Sarasota, FL. (December 5, 2017): Tidewell Hospice, the American Red Cross and CareerEdge are offering a free Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) training program with guaranteed employment for eligible participants interested in a healthcare career.

Thanks to an anonymous donor with Gulf Coast Community Foundation, the organizations are offering this opportunity for those who would like to work in healthcare but can’t afford CNA training. The costs of tuition and the state examination fee will be covered for those chosen for the program. Participants will only be responsible for their medical exam and the purchase of scrubs.

Upon successful completion of the training program, the CNA graduates will be guaranteed employment at Approved Home Health or Tidewell Hospice, with starting wages between $12 and $13 per hour.

The program will run Jan. 22, 2018, to March 31st 2018. Classes will be held from 5:00-9:30 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays (with two mandatory Saturday classes) at the American Red Cross office at 2001 Cantu Court, Sarasota. Applicants must pass a Level 2 background check per Florida healthcare regulations, submit to a motor vehicle record search and provide proof of auto insurance.

Prospective participants are invited to attend one of three information sessions. The sessions will be 5:30-7:30 p.m. Dec. 12 and Dec. 28 at Selby Library in Sarasota and 5:30-7:30 p.m. Jan. 4 at Tidewell, 3550 S. Tamiami Trail in Sarasota. Light refreshments will be served. Please RSVP for the information sessions at cnascholarships.eventbrite.com.

Sarasota FL. (September 29): CareerEdge Funders Collaborative, a southwest Florida workforce development non-profit, has arranged for Senator Marco Rubio’s staff to visit local Venice-based window manufacturer PGT Custom Windows + Doors, a subsidiary of PGT Innovations, on Wednesday October 4 in order to highlight the importance of supporting industry-led partnerships, apprenticeships and other work-based learning opportunities. The Senator’s staff will meet with PGT employees who have seen career advances through these on-the-job trainings, and learn more about how philanthropy, business, community-based organizations, and the public sector are collaborating to ensure people are getting the skills necessary to fill in-demand jobs.

Across the country, jobs are going unfilled because of a lack of skilled workers. According to the National Skills Coalition, approximately 55% of job openings in Florida are for middle-skill positions, jobs which require education beyond high school but not a four-year degree. However, only 46% of residents have the right training and education to get hired for those jobs.

Workforce intermediaries, like CareerEdge, offer employees a chance to develop key skills to enter high demand middle skill occupations. The non-profit has supported PGT by funding career-laddering opportunities within the organization. Through a business-led collaborative process, the two organizations have worked together to provide training to low-skilled workers who then earn industry-valued certifications and credentials.

“Career Edge is an indispensable partner for PGT Custom Windows + Doors. Their resources have provided funds for training programs that have directly contributed to our team members’ skills development and career advancement,” said Rod Hershberger, CEO and Chairman of the Board for PGT Innovations. “From the employer-side, having these training programs available allows PGT to attract potential candidates who may have the soft skills that align with our core values, but not the level of technical skills required for the needed position. It would’ve been difficult to create a skills training program as extensive as we have now without the assistance of CareerEdge and Mireya Eavey, specifically. Her unwavering dedication to the workforce creates paths of funding and training for career development that provides a win-win environment for all parties.”

Lawmakers are currently crafting workforce development policies to bridge the skills gap – those policies include sector partnerships and collaborations between businesses, schools, and workforce entities such as CareerEdge. The bipartisan proposed JOBS Act is also an example of legislation which could enhance educational access to workers seeking family-sustaining wages by expanding Pell grant eligibility for short-term training programs.
“If we want our economy to work, we need to make it easier for businesses and workers to get the skills they need. We are working hard in our region to make this happen, but there are some ways that federal policy could better support the collaborative, business-led efforts already underway in our community,” explains CareerEdge Executive Director Mireya Eavey.

The PGT tour will highlight the importance of supporting industry-led partnerships and showcase the innovative strategies the manufacturer employs in developing its employees. The visit will be held on Wednesday, October 4, 2017 at PGT Custom Windows + Doors, 1070 Technology Dr, North Venice, FL 34275.

About CareerEdge Funders Collaborative
CareerEdge is an innovative partnership of business, government, and philanthropic organizations that leverages public and private dollars to provide opportunities for better jobs and wages in Manatee and Sarasota counties. The first regional collaborative of workforce investors in the southeastern United States to be designated as a site of the National Fund for Workforce Solutions, CareerEdge was created with funding from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, City of Bradenton Central Community Redevelopment Agency, Gulf Coast Community Foundation, Bank of America, Bradenton 14th Street Community Redevelopment Agency, Bradenton Downtown Development Authority, and Manatee Community Action Agency. It is also supported by contributions from the Charles and Margery Barancik Foundation, Microsoft, Sarasota County Government, Jane’s Trust, JP Morgan Chase, Scheidel Foundation, Foundation for a Healthy St. Petersburg and United Way Suncoast . For more information about CareerEdge and its partners, please visit www.careeredgefunders.org or call 941.328.6985

About PGT Innovations
PGT Innovations, headquartered in North Venice, Florida, with over 2700 employees statewide, creates value through deep customer relationships, understanding the unstated needs of an industry, a drive to create the strongest, safest products on the market, and a commitment to always moving forward. The Company’s trusted brands include CGI®, PGT® Custom Windows + Doors, and WinDoor®. PGT Innovations is the nation’s largest manufacturer of impact-resistant windows and doors, holds the leadership position in its primary market, and is part of the S&P SmallCap 400 Index. For additional information, visit www.pgtinnovations.com.

(Bradenton, FL—June 9, 2017) Manatee Technical College in partnership with CareerEdge will offer Express Classes in Plumbing and Electrician that will be tuition free for 15 individuals in each program. The information session to learn more about this opportunity will be at MTC at 6:00 p.m. on June 15.

“The construction trades are experiencing a severe shortage in skilled workers which is only going to increase with anticipated retirements,” said Deborah Chapman, program director of the CareerEdge Funders Collaborative.

“Occupations such as Plumber and Electrician provide solid, family-sustaining wages,” she said. “CareerEdge is excited to be partnering with MTC to offer these express courses that will allow individuals the opportunity to fast track into these high demand jobs.”

According to Martha Meyers, business and industry services specialist with MTC, the Gulf Coast Builders Xchange has members ready to pay $12-14 per hour to the Express Class completers. She said the express class is needed because “projects are behind schedule because of the labor shortage.”

The three-month Express Classes will start at the beginning of August. The classes are limited to 15 students each. Students must be 18 years of age or older.

Participants will have the opportunity to earn a national certification in plumbing or electricity, OSHA 10-hour construction certification, and certifications in CPR and Forklift. They will also earn a certificate of completion for the first occupational completion point (OCP-A) in the plumbing or electrician program.

Prior to acceptance, participants will be required to complete a drug test and the Test of Adult Basic Education (TABE), fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), and go through an interview process.

Interested persons will need to bring their driver’s license or Florida ID to the information session on June 15.

For more information, visit http://manateetech.edu/express/ or call or send an email to Martha Meyers at 941.751.7900 x 1022 or meyersm@manateeschools.net. MTC is located at 6305 E. State Road 70 in Bradenton.

About Manatee Technical College
Manatee Technical College is a postsecondary career and technical education center with four campuses within the School District of Manatee County offering over 50 career preparation programs, continuing education, adult general education, and personal enrichment classes. Manatee Technical College is fully accredited by the Council on Occupational Education. The mission of MTC is to meet the ever-changing needs of our communities and the workforce by producing highly skilled individuals and resourceful leaders through collaborative education.
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Released: May 25, 2017

Sarasota FL.: The plumbing trade recently welcomed 12 new graduates of Suncoast Technical College’s Plumbing Technician program at a ceremony at the college on May 24th. The students participated in a special tuition-free, nine month certification class sponsored by CareerEdge Funders Collaborative. The program is part of CareerEdge’s effort to recruit for and support young adults in earning industry-recognized credentials in high demand, high wage occupations.

Graduation day activities included a job fair with 7 regional plumbing companies on hand to help students discover the many opportunities available in the field. One employer, Dan Bouldry, owner of Terry’s Plumbing & Service, Inc. shared his excitement for the new graduates: “All of these graduates are so committed to this field and I am eager to have them work with us in this industry, and to watch them continue to grow and learn.”
Many of the graduates shared that the course taught them more than just plumbing skills. Nicholas Ernst said, “This class has taught me life skills, the importance of customer service and professionalism and that people will always need plumbers.”

The students are very aware that the career as a plumber is boundless. Entry pay for the graduates is about $15/ hour, with mean wages in the $50,000 range. Many of the students will now return to school, completely funded by their new full-time employers, for a four year apprenticeship program to further advance them in the trade.
Alayna Chavez, the only female in the program, explained that she saw that there was a true career in plumbing. She decided to enroll in the course because she was tired of working minimum wage jobs with no opportunity to move up or enhance her skills. At the end of the class she was known as the class’s “welding queen” for her excellence in soldering. “This industry is always growing and changing and the class and the instructor gave me the confidence to build a career, one that I can continue to grow in,” says Alayna.

The students also participated in CareerEdge’s “Bridges to Careers” soft skills training with modules such as communication, professionalism, and teamwork. Many of the graduates explained that plumbing is more than just fixing or installing a bathroom, but you also need to be able to communicate and work with customers. Some of the students had never been introduced to these topics before, and many learned that these skills were just as important as the technical skills.

For one student, Devin Stunkard, the tuition-free class allowed him to fulfill an ambition of learning a trade. After 10 years of working two to three minimum wage jobs, he decided it was time for a change in his life. “I was looking for a career that could sustain my family. The support I got from my teacher, CareerEdge and Suncoast Technical gave me a chance to start a career and not have to work in a coffee shop for the rest of my life. I have such respect for this profession now and the hard working people that are in it.”

The graduates now embark on a new journey, choosing an employer from the several that are hiring. With excitement of graduation, the students can look forward to a bright and promising future in a respected and every growing field.

Suncoast Technical College will offer another Plumbing Technician program beginning August 2017. To enroll in the program or find out more information, please contact the college at 941-924-1365.

About CareerEdge Funders Collaborative
CareerEdge is an innovative partnership of business, government, and philanthropic organizations that leverages public and private dollars to provide opportunities for better jobs and wages in Manatee and Sarasota counties. The first regional collaborative of workforce investors in the southeastern United States to be designated as a site of the National Fund for Workforce Solutions, CareerEdge was created with funding from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, City of Bradenton Central Community Redevelopment Agency, Gulf Coast Community Foundation, Bank of America, Bradenton 14th Street Community Redevelopment Agency, Bradenton Downtown Development Authority, and Manatee Community Action Agency. It is also supported by contributions from the Charles and Margery Barancik Foundation, Microsoft, Sarasota County Government, Jane’s Trust, JP Morgan Chase, Scheidel Foundation and United Way Suncoast . For more information about CareerEdge and its partners, please visit www.careeredgefunders.org or call 941.328.6985