How Northeast Florida nonprofits are addressing workforce development

How Northeast Florida nonprofits are addressing workforce development

2022-11-01T11:35:39-04:00November 1st, 2022|Economy, Jacksonville|

Writer: Liz Palmer

2 min read November 2022 — Northeast Florida’s nonprofit organizations are tasked with advocating for and serving the community, and as the region continues working through any growing pains, workforce development is being used as a tool both for economic mobility as well as sustaining the healthy business environment forecasted for Jacksonville. 

LIFT JAX is an example. The local nonprofit is dedicated to the economic mobility of underserved Jacksonville residents. It has teamed up with the NFL’s Jacksonville Jaguars, who have a new practice facility on the way and a stadium that is undergoing renovations. The Jaguars have decided to use these expansions as an opportunity to collaborate with LIFT JAX and provide an option through the Construction Ready program for those who need access to training and experience in the sector. 

“We are excited about our partnership with the Jacksonville Jaguars,” LIFT JAX President David Garfunkel said in an interview with Invest:. “They have significant construction projects coming online near the stadium, all of which require people to work on them. Construction Ready is a 20-day program that trains people to work on-site immediately upon finishing the program. The program has had success in Atlanta and we are excited to expand the work in Jacksonville, thanks in part to the Jaguars and the United Way of Northeast Florida. We have already seen it positively impacting our community, as its past graduates have all accepted jobs at local construction organizations.” 

LIFT JAX’s Construction Ready program is one of the recent recipients of United Way of Northeast Florida’s $9 million economic mobility grant. In a LinkedIn post, LIFT JAX announced the donation will be used to “expand the construction training program that Construction Ready and the Jacksonville Jaguars brought to the city, and create meaningful job pathways for residents Out East and beyond.”

At the St. Johns County Chamber of Commerce, Director of Economic Development Scott Maynard has allocated his energy toward workforce development through community collaboration. “We’re looking at new organizations and companies moving in and working closely with existing industries wanting to expand,” he told Invest:. “We’re partnering with our local K-12 schools, CTE programs, community and technical colleges and four-year institutions.” The Chamber’s focus isn’t strictly at the institutional level, though. “The goal is to promote career pathways that are available within our region to students, while also working to promote them to parents. Parents are very influential in students’ decisions and we want to make sure that the parents of our local students are aware of the opportunities that exist here within our economic ecosystem.” 

As local school districts started off the school year with staffing shortages, City Year Jacksonville was continuing to enhance its career pathways program. “This workforce development initiative is designed to help AmeriCorps members advance in three different tracks; educator pathway, the college and career readiness pathway and the AmeriCorps member pathway,” said Allishia Bauman, executive director and senior vice president, in an interview with Invest:. “The city of Jacksonville needs experienced young leaders entering the workforce, and we are providing our members with curriculum, training and experience to equip them with the skills and resources necessary to advance their careers.” 

She also noted the organization’s role in the Jacksonville Public Education Fund’s (JPEF) mission to build out more of a teaching pipeline with a goal to bring 1,000 men of color to the profession by 2025. “It rallies partners to create a pathway for men of color to enter into the education system as teachers. We’re excited to be in partnership with JPEF through our Workforce Development Initiative offering one of the career pathways focused on teaching. Representation in the classroom is important for our students,” she said. 

Other efforts include Florida State College at Jacksonville’s goals to expand offerings in autonomous vehicle, nursing and CDL programs, as well as the implementation of short-term and technical certifications and stackable credentials for those who want to join the workforce as soon as possible.

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