CareerEdge Funders Collaborative seeks opportunities that allow individuals to receive industry-recognized credentials in high-demand occupations in the region. By focusing on growth industries such as healthcare, manufacturing, construction trades and transportation, CareerEdge helps to close skill gaps for local employers and to provide pathways for people to earn livable wages.

One example of a CareerEdge-funded program is the Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) class at the Booker Middle School United Way Suncoast Resource Center. Wretta Bradley, a recent CNA graduate (pictured above), was looking for an opportunity to enter into the healthcare field after taking care of her grandmother for several years. The mother of nine children entered into the Booker Middle School CNA program and was eager to receive this chance to grow, learn and show her children the importance of working toward your goals. Bradley believes that this was the perfect path to a new career. “I hope to use my CNA certificate as a stepping stone and work my way up to being a Registered Nurse,” she explaines. Bradley plans to bring the love that she has for taking care of her family to the role of taking care of elderly patients with a local home health agency, Right at Home. With the support of CareerEdge, Bradley will now have the opportunity to maintain a stable income for her family and share her passion with the community.

The eight-week CNA course, delivered by the American Red Cross at Booker Middle School, included soft-skills training through the CareerEdge Bridges to Careers program, an employer career fair and financial empowerment training through United Way Suncoast. CareerEdge continues to collaborate with local employers to understand workforce needs and to provide programs that develop a pipeline of skilled workers in order to drive economic prosperity for our community. 

CareerEdge