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A Sweet Spot for Hiring Top Talent
Northeast Florida provides a younger demographic for prospective employers, with training opportunities throughout the region.
Fastest-Growing Industries in NE Florida | |
PROJECTED GROWTH RATE 2016 - 2024 |
|
Ambulatory Health Care Services | 29% |
Building Construction | 22% |
Educational Services | 20% |
Securities/Investments | 18% |
Professional, Scientific, Technical | 17% |
Specialty Trade Contracts | 17% |
ISPs, Data Processing | 16% |
Health and Personal Care Stores | 15% |
While local corporations are partnering with colleges to train their future workforce, some are taking the training directly to younger students.
The SPARK (Science Program for the Advancement of Research Knowledge) pilot program lets high school students conduct research with Mayo Clinic.
One of the goals of the program is to help students submit a competitive science fair project, but it goes beyond that. Students are getting a unique hands-on experience, focusing on things like cancer and stem cell research.
“We’re providing them that platform that they need to take it to the next level,” says Sharon Collins, research program coordinator at Mayo.
“Hopefully these students will go on to medical school and come back to Mayo in our area as future researchers and scientists that can help cure and treat some of the diseases that we’re faced with.”
187+ Schools in Northeast Florida
have a proven track record of superior performance, earning “A” and “B” grades.
50+ Schools Offer 30+ Magnet Programs
ranging from culinary arts and Montessori to computer science and medical professions.
130+ Career Academies
regionwide
Jacksonville-based VyStar Credit Union started a high school branch program a decade ago that allows student interns to run a bank branch right in their school.
The credit union had branches in 13 schools in six Northeast Florida counties last year, with 156 student interns in training to operate the branches.
Not only does the program train students for possible future employment in the credit union after graduation, the program also teaches students the ins and outs of personal finance to help them manage their money better as they move into adulthood.
Financial services is one of JAXUSA’s targeted industries, which also include advanced manufacturing, logistics and health care. CareerSource’s Moody says those are logical businesses to target because Northeast Florida’s educational and business institutions are providing the necessary training to staff them as they grow.
“We know we’ve got a strong workforce for all of those industries,” she says.