What are the key to engage employers in education and workforce development?

Education Advocacy 

From informing our members about the latest legislation impacting education to identifying and sharing best practices in business engagement, we help our business community strategically engage in public education reform.

Promotion of STEM 

Skills in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) , are key to Northeast Florida and the nation's future and competitiveness—so important that80 percent of jobs in the future will be STEM-related. Yet the number of students pursuing degrees in STEM fields is stagnant; even while job vacancies in these fields rise.  Through collaboration with area employers, colleges and universities via our STEM Task Force and outreach to high school students, college students and their parents, we seek to increase the number of people skilled in STEM fields.

Employer Assistance

Both incoming and existing employers rely on access to a skilled workforce.   When they come to us, we connect them with  the people, services and tools to help them source candidates and develop partnerships with area colleges and universities.  Our region’s workforce board, CareerSource Northeast Florida, is a leading provider of innovative and responsive services designed to exceed employer needs. CareerSource Northeast Florida offers candidate sourcing, screening and training services and access to tax incentives. 

Engagement with Career Academies

This high school model produces students who are both college and career ready and is a proven, highly successful workforce development initiative.  We provide leadership and guidance on aligning academies with the region’s targeted industries, encourage pursuit of national standards of practice by academies, and promote the importance of employer engagement through provision of internships, guest speakers and advisory board members.

Job Seeker Assistance

While the economy has stabilized, reducing unemployment is a continuing priority.  The New Path  started in2010 and is designed to give mid-career job seekers an advantage.  By providing a snapshot of the region’s shifting job market along with a personalized occupational skills analysis, job seekers are better able to identify their transferable skills, target their job search efforts  and better communicate those skills.