VISION
CareerEdge will be known as the region’s distinguished workforce development organization that promotes economic prosperity through strong employer-labor and community partnerships.
MISSION
Our mission is to provide an exceptional labor force to the region’s growing industries by leveraging community assets and forming high-performing workforce partnerships.
QUICK FACTS
• Offers unique qualifications as the first collaborative designated as a National Fund for Workforce Solutions site in the Southeastern US.
• Encourages accountability by rigorously measuring program outcomes, communicating results and applying lessons learned to foster future success.
• Works as a tireless advocate to improve public workforce systems by demonstrating best practices and fostering public-private partnerships.
• Builds a skilled workforce in the region with a focus on fast-growing sectors.
DESCRIPTION
CareerEdge offers a leading-edge employer-led approach to workforce development. CareerEdge Funders Collaborative, a national-award-winning workforce and employer-led innovative initiative, is making waves by turning the traditional model for workforce investment in Florida on its head. CareerEdge partners directly with employers in fast-growing sectors in the regional economy, to help them fill skills gaps and meet their employment needs, while at the same time assisting individuals in entering the workforce and moving up career ladders. CareerEdge is a cutting-edge initiative and is transforming the way stakeholders and policy makers in the region and around the state look at career training.
CareerEdge Funders Collaborative Focuses on:
• Innovative Employer Partnerships: CareerEdge is providing a tailored support package never before available from workforce intermediaries in the region. That package includes grants which invest in customized worker training and support programs, combined with hands-on technical support by CareerEdge staff, all designed to help employers advance their incumbent workers into higher-skill/wage positions and expedite the creation of entry-level jobs.
• Educational Bridge Building: CareerEdge partners with other workforce intermediaries and educational institutions to bridge gaps in training programs in order to be more tightly attuned to the needs of the region’s employers.
• Increasing Investments: CareerEdge is working to increase the amount of philanthropic resources invested into workforce development, particularly for underserved segments of the labor force, and to leverage those investments to increase the sums invested by public agencies and private employers. As of December 2021, CareerEdge has invested $14.5 million in workforce development.
• Policy Advocacy & Public Discourse: CareerEdge is influencing policy decisions regarding both workforce programming and funding commitments by reframing the public discourse, inspiring data-driven decisions, and by educating leading advocacy groups and philanthropists on innovations and new directions in workforce development.
SERVICES/PROGRAMS
WORKFORCE PARTNERS
Automotive: FREE Auto Fast-Track Training! CareerEdge is partnering with Suncoast Technical College (STC) and local dealerships to recruit automotive technician trainees for a fast-track program.
HealthCare:  CareerEdge has developed a partnership with the healthcare employers to assist them in addressing the challenges they are experiencing in hiring, retaining and advancing their workforce.
Insurance: The Insurance Workforce Partnership is an employer-led collaboration among FAIA, Educators, Employers, Industry Experts, and Community Organizations, created to address the critical skill gaps and workforce challenges employers are facing in this industry.
Manufacturing: CareerEdge partners with a range of stakeholders to offer training opportunities to prepare skilled workers to complete and excel in manufacturing and production roles.
Skilled Trade: CareerEdge has begun an employer partnership in this sector working 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).
BRIDGES TO CAREERS
Bridges to Careers is a program, facilitated by CareerEdge, to enhance the skills and earning capacity of our community members by providing them with an opportunity to obtain the necessary training and credentialing so that they can enter the workforce successfully. Often this training takes place using a “Fast-Track” approach, upskilling the participants in a compressed timeframe while effectively preparing them to meet the skills employers need in today’s job market.
INTERNSHIP WAGE REIMBURSEMENT
CareerEdge offers a generous internship employer wage reimbursement program: up to $1500 per intern; two interns per calendar year. Internships helps individuals obtain the necessary skills required to succeed in today’s work environment, and for students especially, it offers supplemental income while they are enrolled in higher education institutions or if they have recently graduated. Our wage reimbursement program provides financial incentives for local employers to utilize interns in order to meet their workforce needs.
ON THE JOB TRAINING
On-the-job training (OJT) is a hands-on method of teaching employees the knowledge and skills needed to perform a specific job. It allows employees to gain experience working in situations very similar to those they’ll encounter on a daily basis guided by an experienced trainer and/or subject matter expert. Employees earn a paycheck while learning in the actual environment where the work is performed.
UNLOCKING LEADERSHIP: FIND YOUR KEYS TO LEAD
We are excited to announce our upcoming 2025 CareerEdge Leadership Series Manufacturing OR HealthCare Cohort.  These interactive training opportunities will help grow individuals to empower their mindset, elevate their skills, and engage their team. The complete series will include a Kick-Off session and 3 training sessions – for a total of 12 hours of leadership focused professional development. Find more information here.
