CareerSource Suncoast serves job seekers, employers

Last month, CareerSource Suncoast hosted its first annual State-of-Talent conference. More than 125 professionals from across Manatee and Sarasota counties met for a full day to hear from leading experts in a variety of hot topics for the workforce. Throughout the high-energy day, participants assisted each other to learn to better recruit, train and retain talent in our region.

Serving as the regional convener for all things workforce is at our core. This team is constantly out in the community, serving on various boards and working very closely with economic development organizations and chambers of commerce. Next to serving our primary client, employers, this is the critical role because there are very many community dots to connect!

How does one measure success? A few facts:

CareerSource Suncoast provides nearly 28,000 services to about 1,200 employers each year. For the first 11 months of this fiscal year, we hosted or participated in 70 hiring events and job fairs to connect individuals with job openings. More than 6,000 people landed jobs last year alone.

We work with existing businesses to upgrade skills of their current employees, too. This is critical for providing career pathways to achieve greater prosperity for the community. For the past 11 months, 98 employees’ skills were upgraded thanks to grants of $32,000. Another $325,000 went to expanding local employers to encourage new job creation. The result: 20 businesses sought on-the-job training assistance fueling more than 100 additional hires. Employers share in the cost, ensuring a good example of public-private partnerships.

What else does CareerSource Suncoast do? A few FAQ’s:

Who are we?

▪  We are a private, nonprofit 501(c)3, one of 23 CareerSource regions in Florida. We are the exclusive provider of direct federal, state and local funding to various workforce development programs in Manatee and Sarasota. How are we funded?

▪  Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) — Typically, CareerSource Suncoast provides about $1.5 million in scholarships to send folks with significant barriers to employment back to school to study fields that are in high-demand on the Suncoast.

▪  Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) — CareerSource Suncoast Career Coaches help to train recipients so that they can gain employability skills and ultimately find sustainable work.

▪  Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, Employment & Training (SNAP) — Our team assists SNAP clients to meet the requirements of the program (80 hours per month) of activities including taking employability skills training, conducting job searches and finding suitable employment, all aimed to end dependence on welfare.

▪  Reemployment Services and Eligibility Assessment (RESEA) — Participants work with CareerSource Suncoast to develop an Employability Development Plan with encompassing activities that lead to the ultimate goal of employment.

▪  Wagner-Peyser Employment Services (WP) — this funds the general job-seeker population who want to register in the Employ Florida system, take assessments and search for jobs.

▪  Veterans — We provide intensive services to disabled veterans. And for all veterans, we work directly with employers to help them realize the benefit of hiring veterans.

CareerSource Suncoast works collaboratively with all local organizations to prepare job seekers for the world of work. We enhance skills, connect employers with quality talent, and provide the best customer service experience whether it is an employer or job seeker. We are always open to connecting with more community organizations to leverage resources. Please let us know if we can assist you — or if you can assist us —with this community effort!

This story was originally published June 4, 2017 at 3:24 PM with the headline "CareerSource Suncoast serves job seekers, employers."