Now Hiring

“CareerSource was able to provide the funding and training for Dianna to change careers and come work full time for us. They made the process of hiring, which can be very labor intensive, as easy as possible for the employer.” — Faith Schwalback.

Dianna Corujo went from volunteer to employee at Beverly’s Angels, thanks to CareerSource Southwest Florida.

Corujo, who had been working as a bookkeeper, was between jobs around the holidays and wanted to keep busy. She reached out to Beverly’s Angels, which donates pajamas, underwear and socks to people in need. After three months, the growing nonprofit organization saw her potential.

“Dianna made herself invaluable to us,” says founder Faith Schwalback. “We had struggled getting the right person.”

Corujo now works as the fulfillment coordinator, joining Director of Development Marisa DeVicaris as another employee the organization was able to hire thanks to salaries initially paid by CareerSource.

“CareerSource was able to provide the funding and training for Dianna to change careers and come work full time for us,” Schwalback says of Corujo’s coursework in inventory management and salary paid while she learned the job. “They made the process of hiring, which can be very labor intensive, as easy as possible for the employer. The process is efficient, and they vet the employees through background checks and job testing, which could be a burden to a really small nonprofit like ours. They truly do care and want you to find the right employee.” CareerSource Florida is a statewide workforce policy and investment board that connects employers and employees. The organization receives federal funding from the U.S. Department of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Agriculture. The money is funneled through the Florida Department of Commerce to 21 regional offices, with Southwest Florida receiving between $12 to $18 million annually.

Dianna Corujo with Benny the Bear mascot stuffed toys.

CareerSource Southwest Florida covers Collier, Charlotte, Glades, Hendry, Lee and, as of July, Monroe counties.

In the past 12 months, CareerSource Southwest Florida has provided more than 3,600 services to employers and more than 13,000 services to individuals. All services are free.

SCHWALBACK

“We work with businesses to ensure they have the talent they need and job seekers and students, so they have the skills to earn a self-sufficient wage and reach their full potential,” says Career- Source Southwest Florida President and CEO Peg Elmore, who has been with the organization for almost 20 years.

Employers can post job openings in an online database, have jobs announced in Career- Source e-blasts, hold hiring events and interviews at Career- Source offices, and participate in larger CareerSource job fairs with multiple employers. Like Beverly’s Angels, they can also receive funds to pay 50 to 80 percent of a new employee’s wages as that individual receives on-the-job training.

“An employer often calls us and says they have a candidate and would like to do an on-the-job training grant,” says Ed Conrad, a business services account executive in the Naples office. “The funding helps a small employer or nonprofit with the cost of raising an employee’s skill level.”

ELMORE

Larger companies that don’t need CareerSource grant funds can utilize the recruitment services. For example, Lee Health System holds a weekly hiring event in CareerSource’s Fort Myers office.

Companies also have access to CareerSource’s local wage and labor market data.

Individuals can search for employment among all positions and a “hot jobs” list of occupations in high demand with a number of job openings.

CareerSource helps anyone looking for a job, with a special emphasis on veterans and people receiving Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits who are required to work.

“We have some staff dedicated to only serving vets,” Elmore explains. “There are unique skills you get in the military, and our staff are trained to translate that into civilian jobs.” Some veterans receive financial support to take computer classes to update their technology skills.

While CareerSource doesn’t provide training, it does fund training, which may include individuals receiving a micro-credential or other certificate from schools such as FGCU and even support for earning an associate’s or bachelor’s degree.

CONRAD

“Finding the right person is really difficult in this time of low unemployment,” Elmore says. “Employers will often hire someone knowing that they have some of the skills they need and they are willing to train them to develop the other skills, knowing that CareerSource will provide expense reimbursement.”

Thanks to CareerSource, The Healthy Earth Organization was able to hire and train Jenna Twait to become its community engagement and communications coordinator. By covering 75 percent of Twait’s salary for several months, the organization has expanded its capacity and the impact of its community gardens, beach and reef clean-ups, and early learning programs.

“Having this financial support means everything,” says co-founder and CEO Falon Tabares of the nonprofit that has only three employees. “When we apply for bigger grants, other funders want to make sure you can take on that responsibility and that you have people behind you.”

As CareerSource evaluates the local job market, Elmore says retail and hospital jobs have the most opportunities but that skilled trades related to construction are increasingly in demand. She says they are looking to expand apprenticeships in healthcare and construction jobs.

Not everyone is looking for an entry level job. Many people in management or other professional jobs have moved to Florida in the past few years and have difficulty finding a job that pays the salary they were making up north.

“The range of job seekers is from high school dropouts to Ph.D.s with every age group and every occupation,” Elmore says. “Though our target is low-income recipients with barriers to employment, we also want to concentrate on what businesses need.”

CareerSource has a summer youth program for 180 high school students from low-income families who can earn $15 an hour as they work at a job they are considering for a career. More businesses are needed for this program, Elmore says. “We want to expand our work-based training to provide an opportunity to earn while they learn.”

As more people move to Southwest Florida and employment opportunities expand, CareerSource continues to be a resource for the community.

“At the end of the day, the work we do here makes a difference,” Elmore says. “I leave work every day feeling I have impacted people’s lives for the better.” ¦

In the KNOW

CareerSource

· careersourcesouthwestflorida.com

· 3050 Horseshoe Drive N, Suite 110, Naples; 239-436-4301

· 750 South 5th St., Immokalee; 239-658-3300

· 6800 Shoppes at Plantation Drive, Suite 170, Fort Myers; 239- 931-8200

Upcoming Job Fair

· Thursday, July 11, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

· CareerSource Southwest Florida, 6800 Shoppes at Plantation Drive, Suite 170, Fort Myers

· Coca-Cola interviewing for positions including general laborer, field service installer, sales merchandiser, and order builder

The post Now Hiring first appeared on Bonita Springs Florida Weekly .