Workforce Development
K-12 collaboration with higher education and technical colleges
The region’s collaborative approach to education and training scaffolds a powerfully effective skills acquisition process that begins at the K-12 level and extends through higher education pathways and custom training. Superior academics at local K-12 schools work hand-in-hand with career academies and dual enrollment to broaden opportunities and assure that students graduate both college- and career-ready. Through regional consortiums like North East Florida Education Consortium (NEFEC) and the Panhandle Area Education Consortium (PAEC), local school systems are supported by a depth of curricular and educational resources generally unavailable to rural schools.
Excellent state colleges and technical institutions
Another critical factor in workforce quality is proximity and access to leading universities, including two Carnegie-classified R1 institutions. And setting a superior baseline skill level are high-caliber state colleges and technical training institutes including:
Technical Institutions
State Colleges
- Florida Gateway College
- North Florida College
- St. Johns River State College
- College of Central Florida-Levy Campus
Working in concert with area industries, these educational institutions have implemented two- and four-year degree programs plus a wide range of certifications to produce performance-ready workers across sectors including manufacturing and advanced manufacturing, logistics and distribution, and healthcare-related fields.
Ease and coordination through a development hub.
Helping to coordinate all these programs and offering one-stop ease for employers, CareerSource Florida serves as a hub resource for workforce and workforce development needs. CareerSource works closely with educational institutions and with local industry, servicing the entire region with local offices including:
- CareerSource North Florida
- CareerSource North Central Florida
- CareerSource Northeast Florida
- CareerSource Capital Region
- CareerSource Citrus | Levy | Marian
CareerSource Florida connects workers and employers and supports productivity with expert end-to-end hiring services and more. From recruitment and screening to training and evaluation to upskilling existing workforce, CareerSource helps maintain skill levels that meet and exceed global and technological standards, through Quick Response Training (QRT) for relocating industry and Incumbent Worker Training (IWT) for expanding or upgrading businesses.