Donor-Funded Program Provides On-Ramp to Careers with Growth

Thanks to support from a Gulf Coast donor who believes in technical education, a new program in Sarasota County is providing an on-ramp to careers with upward mobility in the automotive industry.

Workforce development organization CareerEdge Funders Collaborative has partnered with a consortium of eight local automotive dealerships to provide a fast-track pathway to becoming an automotive technician. Given the shortage of mechanics in the region's labor pool, CareerEdge worked with Suncoast Technical College to create an “express program” in the evenings, so that entry-level employees can receive both on-the-job and in-classroom training.

The participating employers will hire individuals with no experience at $12 per hour for full- or part-time trainee positions. The new hires must then attend the mandatory, 11-week automotive training program, which is funded through Gulf Coast Community Foundation by donor Walt Eppard. The new class begins in late August.

“This is the third class of its kind that CareerEdge has developed, and we are thrilled to have eight dealerships on board to offer this rapid pathway to a career with strong wages and advancement opportunities,” says CareerEdge Executive Director Mireya Eavey. “The automotive industry has really come together to solve the labor shortage with their willingness to invest in entry-level workers.”

Once participants complete the 11-week class, they will be paid $13 per hour full-time, with benefits, and have the potential for additional industry certifications and growth at the dealerships. Average wages for mechanics are between $40,000 and $50,000, with some earning upward of six figures.

The training is a revised version of the college’s year-long program and includes CareerEdge’s "Bridges to Careers" soft-skills training as well as a financial education class.

Eppard generously invested in similar training programs for nursing assistants through Gulf Coast.

Learn more here about the "express" automotive tech training program.

Gulf Coast Community Foundation is a founding investor in CareerEdge and has played a key leadership, fiscal management, and funding role in the nonprofit initiative since its creation back in 2009.