Reps from National Fund for Workforce Solution to Visit Aug. 4

Representatives from the National Fund for Workforce Solution will visit the two-county region of their latest branch in Manatee and Sarasota counties on Aug. 4, a final step for the Manatee Sarasota Workforce Funders Collaborative gaining a national designation.

The National Fund for Workforce Solutions is dedicated to preparing jobseekers and employees for a career, not just a job. It brings together local and regional leaders from the private, public, and nonprofit sectors to spark and drive innovation and works hand-in-hand to create practices and systems that can help employers and employees succeed in a post-recession economy.

“It is an honor to be invited to apply for the prestigious National Fund designation,” said Sherod Halliburton, Executive Director of the Bradenton Central Community Redevelopment Agency and co-chairman of the Manatee Sarasota Workforce Funders Collaborative. “This visit is the culmination of almost two years worth of fundraising, organizing, and planning.”

Representatives will tour the State College of Florida’s Medical Technology & Simulation Center in Lakewood Ranch, a two-story, 40,000-square-foot building where nursing and other healthcare students will train in a state-of-the-art simulated hospital setting. The center will feature sophisticated adult and infant simulation technology in intensive care units, a birthing room, nursing assessment lab and science laboratories and classrooms.

The new building will be SCF’s first “green” building with LEED certification when it opens this year. With support from local legislators, the state provided $8.9 million for planning and construction. The Foundation for SCF provided almost $2 million in a combination of fundraising and matched funds by the state. The property was donated by Schroeder-Manatee Ranch.

Continuing education credits and other certifications and specializations needed to meet the continuing education needs of physicians, nurses and emergency care personnel also will be available at the MTS Center. Early childhood education and Educator Preparation Institute classrooms also are included in the building.