Focus on Manatee: Here’s why education and workforce development go hand in hand

School is in session. As for many students, whether in high school or college, the conversation around the future is daunting.

Remember being asked, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” I assure you my response wasn’t workforce development.

However, as students anticipate their careers, what are we doing to help prepare them for success?

I’m a firm believer in allowing students to explore and learn what’s available to them before making career decisions. Students will have four or five different careers over their lifetime, so providing students with an understanding of what it takes to be successful is the approach we emphasize at CareerSource Suncoast.

This year, we’re focusing on three opportunities to teach students about what to expect in their careers.

First, we’re excited to host our fifth annual State of Jobs Conference on Oct. 30 at Robarts Arena in Sarasota. This year we’re expecting 1,200 high school students from Manatee, Sarasota, DeSoto, and Hardee counties. This includes students from our public school system, charter and private schools, as well as home school students.

In addition to serving the high school students in our community through this event, we’ve partnered with BIG (Bright Ideas on the Gulf Coast) for their annual Mind the Gap event. This event will serve nearly 300 college students the evening of the State of Jobs Conference.

We believe by serving the nearly 1,500 students attending these two events, we’ll be able to impact students both in their career decisions and interest in staying local.

Second, we’re making it a priority to be more involved in our individual schools. As the lead for education and community investment with CareerSource Suncoast, I’ve been visiting schools for the past couple years to better understand their needs and how we can support them.

Our career coaches will also be visiting high schools to lead conversations about the options available following graduation.

Finally, we’ll be implementing some changes to our summer experience. The Academy at CareerSource Suncoast will welcome high school students for a three-week experience focused on post-secondary education and career success.

The three weeks are broken into three parts — personal development, industry exploration and internship. This holistic approach to career exploration will provide students with the information to make wise decisions about their future.

The old saying “it takes a village” has never been truer. Partnering with our incredible school districts, community partners and local businesses has never been more important.

Whether it’s through our own programmatic experiences or support for community-wide initiatives like our local college access networks, CareerSource Suncoast is excited about serving students this year.

Learn more about what we’re doing at www.careersourcesuncoast.com/education.

Chris Laney is the Director of Education and Community Investment for CareerSource Suncoast. His focus is bringing together local educators, students, business leaders and community partners to enhance opportunities for young adults in Manatee and Sarasota counties.