Nine local companies win CareerEdge grants

Nine local companies have received a combined $205,000 in grant funding to assist in upskilling, promoting and increasing wages of their employees from CareerEdge Funders Collaborative and its Upskilling Workers Grant Program. CareerEdge and the Funders Collaborative are workforce development initiatives of the Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce.

Through the grant program, CareerEdge partners with recipients to create pathways to sustainable employment, enhance career mobility and cultivate a resilient workforce capable of adapting to evolving industry needs. The grants assist employers in accelerating promotions and offering wage increases to their current employees.

“CareerEdge is proud to support these nine outstanding businesses to upskill and advance their workforce,” said Dan Sidler, the Chamber’s vice president of CareerEdge and economic development in a news release. “The investment our employer partners are making will provide their team members with greater upward trajectory and enhanced career-laddering opportunities.”

The companies receiving grants include:

• Adams Group
• Air Products & Chemicals
• Bartelt Packaging
• Boyd Insurance & Investment Services
• Chris-Craft Corp.
• Lakewood Ranch Medical Center
• Sarasota Memorial Health Care System
• Teakdecking Systems
• Tropitone Furniture

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.