Manufacturing Partnership

CareerEdge partners with a range of stakeholders to offer training opportunities to prepare skilled workers to compete and excel in manufacturing and production roles. CareerEdge recently commissioned Kempton Research to conduct an updated 2016 manufacturing skills gap study. This qualitative analysis represents a follow up to a 2012 study, which led to the development of the Precision Machining program at Suncoast Technical College, a manufacturing Community-Wide Plan, and other programs which have raised awareness about the manufacturing sector in the region. Since August 2013, CareerEdge has provided over $320,000 in manufacturing grants to seven regional manufacturers. These funding grants are aimed at creating, as well as saving, jobs and helping to fuel the local economy.

Health Care Partnership

While the shortage of skilled health care workers in the region reaches critical levels, CareerEdge has developed a partnership with local health care employers to assist them in addressing the challenges they are experiencing in hiring, retaining, and advancing their workforce. CareerEdge facilitates collaboration between employers and educational and training providers, as well as with community partners to address employers’ workforce needs. To date, CareerEdge has directly invested over $910,000 to prepare health care professionals to compete in the evolving industry. Employer contributions in these efforts have exceeded $3.8 million, and local and state workforce grants have surpassed $400,000. Combined, over $5.1 million dollars has been invested to keep the region’s workforce competitive with the demands of the industry.

Transportation, Distribution, and Logistics Partnership

CareerEdge is growing its Transportation, Distribution, and Logistics Partnership by seeking out local businesses focused on transportation infrastructure planning and management, logistics, automotive and transportation services. With recent support from Jobs for the Future, CareerEdge has helped train 300 individuals in a range of TDL roles and continues to work with employer partners to develop program curricula, offer incumbent workers upskilling programs, and hire newly trained workers in high demand TDL jobs.

Construction Partnership

The construction industry in Florida has a critical shortage of workers in the skilled trades.  Therefore, CareerEdge has begun an employer partnership with industry associations, like the Gulf Coast Builders Exchange, as well as with local employers in Plumbing, Electrical, and Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) trades to discover ways to better recruit, train and retain talent in this high demand sector that offers sustainable family wages.  CareerEdge is also linking this effort to its Young Adult strategy to help 18-25 year olds earn an industry-recognized credential in a career laddering occupation.