CareerEdge Outperformed Workforce Predictions

CareerEdge Funders, a southwest Florida workforce collaborative that helps local businesses find and train skilled employees, leveraged a total of $550,000 in grants from the Gulf Coast Community Foundation into more jobs, more training and more employee promotions than expected during 2011.  

“Even in an economic downturn, we have proven that when funders and businesses collaborate and work together, we can accomplish amazing things,” said Mireya Eavey, executive director of CareerEdge.

“We are grateful for generous funders like the Gulf Coast Community Foundation, because with these grants, we have helped local businesses develop and promote the skilled workers they need. In addition, we’ve aided employees who previously had no growth opportunities move up the career ladder.”  

An innovative workforce development initiative, CareerEdge outperformed its own workforce predictions for 2011. Year-end results show that CareerEdge and employer-funded programs collaborated to train 1,100 incumbent workers and 357 job seekers, helped individuals earn more than 3,300 educational or industry credentials, assisted 342 previously unemployed workers find employment and saved 177 area jobs.  

CareerEdge is unique in that it works with other funders, regional economic development councils and businesses to pinpoint skilled worker gaps that need to be filled to maintain a robust regional economy that attracts and retains the best employers. For example, this year the Gulf Coast Community Foundation, in collaboration with CareerEdge, is leading a workforce public policy study that will further benefit the community by examining ways to enhance the area’s economic viability.  

“Gulf Coast Community Foundation invests in other nonprofits that we think will provide our community with the greatest impact,” said Teri Hansen, Gulf Coast Community Foundation’s president and CEO. “And revitalizing the regional economy is one of our highest priorities. CareerEdge’s vision and proven successes align with our goal to provide funds to organizations that can show quantifiable results.”  

About CareerEdge CareerEdge is an innovative partnership of business, civic, and philanthropic organizations that leverage public and private dollars to provide opportunities for better jobs and wages in Manatee and Sarasota counties.

The first regional collaborative of workforce investors in the southeastern United States to be designated as a site of the National Fund for Workforce Solutions, CareerEdge was created with funding from John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, City of Bradenton Central Community Redevelopment Agency, Gulf Coast Community Foundation, Bank of America, Bradenton 14th Street Community Redevelopment Agency, Bradenton Downtown Development Authority, and Manatee Community Action Agency.

It is also supported by contributions from Microsoft, City of Sarasota Newtown CRA, Sarasota County Government, Jane’s Trust, and Suncoast Workforce. For more information about CareerEdge and its partners, please visit www.careeredgefunders.org or call 941.744.2661.