Bank of America awards CareerEdge $25,000 for Sarasota-Manatee workforce development
CareerEdge, the Sarasota Chamber of Commerce workforce development program, has received a $25,000 grant from Bank of America to expand the organization’s Bridges to Careers training programs and on-the-job training. The bank has partnered with CareerEdge for 12 years to strengthen workforce opportunities.
“What CareerEdge does very well is we take the time to listen to what employers need and help fill the gap,” said Kristi Hoskinson, vice president of CareerEdge. “Our Bridges to Careers training model helps the underserved, under-employed, or unemployed by offering free training and opening a door to a new career.”
Participants in CareerEdge averaged an increased hourly wage of $3.79 per hour post-training. Participants also receive financial education training from Bank of America’s Better Money Habits sessions as part of the Bridges to Careers experience.
Bank of America’s funding will support CareerEdge’s on-the-job training wage reimbursement program to help reduce the expense of upskilling employees through salary reimbursement during the training period. Employees earn a paycheck while learning in the actual environment where the work is performed, while employers are reimbursed a portion of the employee’s salary.
“Bank of America is working with CareerEdge to connect employers with a talented workforce,” said Mike McCoy, president of Bank of America Sarasota-Manatee.
CareerEdge Funders Collaborative is a partnership of business, government, and philanthropic organizations, leveraging public and private dollars to provide opportunities for better jobs and wages in Manatee and Sarasota counties. Visit careeredgefunders.org or call 941.556.4045.
Submitted by Alyssa Barnsley
This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: CareerEdge gains $25,000 for Sarasota-Manatee workforce development
