Funds to be used for training programs and reimbursements to companies providing internships
CareerEdge, the workforce development initiative led by the Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce, has received a $125,000 grant from the Gulf Coast Community Foundation to help CareerEdge in its efforts to provide “an exceptional labor force to growing industries,” the Chamber has announced.
“This generous grant, supported by the esteemed A. Hamilton and Edith T. Gardner Fund, further solidifies the longstanding partnership between CareerEdge and Gulf Coast Community Foundation,” a Chamber news release says. “As one of CareerEdge’s founding funders,” Gulf Coast has played an active role in advancing CareerEdge’s mission, the release adds.
CareerEdge Funders Collaborative will use the grant “to implement demand-driven strategies, including Fast-Track training programs, on-the-job training [and] internship reimbursement programs,” the release points out.
“CareerEdge is honored and grateful to continue the longstanding funding partnership with Gulf Coast Community Foundation,” said Dan Sidler, vice president of CareerEdge & Economic Development, in the release. “This investment is critical in supporting our team’s efforts in closing skills gaps to support employers, while also allowing individuals in our community to jump-start a career and enhance their long-term earnings potential,” he added in the release.
Since its inception in 2010, the release points out, CareerEdge and its employer partners have invested $15.7 million in providing training for 7,194 workers, which has resulted in 1,548 promotions, 4,775 raises and $38.2 million in workers’ aggregate annual earnings. In 2022 alone, CareerEdge invested $1.1 million in workforce development, training 501 workers, creating 93 new jobs, providing 170 new employment opportunities, and enabling individuals to earn 671 new certifications, the release says.
For more information about CareerEdge and its partners, visit www.careeredgefunders.org or call 941-556-4045.