Persistence & Completion

Building Rural Learning Systems

FutureMakers Coalition was been chosen by CivicLab as one of five rural partnerships across the U.S. to participate in a two-year initiative to improve higher education and workforce systems. Supported by Ascendium Education Group, FutureMakers Coalition received training, technical assistance, and direct financial support valued at $150,000 to develop and implement system-level strategies that create pathways to prosperity for low-income learners in Hendry County, resulting in the development of a rural guiding team. The rural guiding is working together to address challenges that are unique to rural communities in SWFL. The team is now working to expand beyond just Hendry County to include other rural places in the region, including Glades County and Immokalee.

Nursing Mentorship Microbadge

Nurses are predominantly leaving in the first 2 years of work due to burnout. The goal is to transition retiring aged nurses into mentors to help the incoming workforce. The pilot project would fund the curriculum development andstipends for 20 mentor nurses going through the training.

Equitable Jobs Pipeline

Florida Gulf Coast University, together with FutureMakers Coalition at Collaboratory, developed the Southwest Florida Equitable Jobs Pipeline to upskill the regional workforce and build an even stronger economy throughout Southwest Florida and beyond.

Southwest Florida Equitable Jobs Pipeline | FGCU

Manufacturing System Alignment Team

The manufacturing team brings together employers in the manufacturing sector across all five counties to discuss openings in their organizations, barriers employers and job seekers are facing. Education partners, non-profits and CareerSource are invited to the table to help work together to make an impact on the workforce by bridging gaps in the system.

Logistics System Alignment Team

The logistics team brings together employers in the logistics sector across all five counties to discuss openings in their organizations, barriers employers and job seekers are facing. Education partners, non-profits and CareerSource are invited to the table to help work together to make an impact on the workforce by bridging gaps in the system.

Workforce with Unique Abilities

This team is currently focused on conducting baseline data assessment. The objective is to bring awareness about the benefits of hiring workers with unique abilities, ranging from intellectual disabilities to physical disabilities such as blindness or deafness.

SWFL Talent Through Training

The training providers across the 5 counties to discuss and bridge barriers for adult learners to completing post-secondary training.

Healthcare System Alignment Team

The healthcare team brings together employers in the healthcare sector across all five counties to discuss openings in their organizations, barriers employers and job seekers are facing. Education partners, non-profits and CareerSource are invited to the table to help work together to make an impact on the workforce by bridging gaps in the system.

Immokalee Adult Education Project

The Immokalee project bridges the language gaps and ensures a strong community connection through English proficiency for adults. The project addresses barriers Haitian adult learners who complete the program to help them seek a good job, enter higher education, or become successful entrepreneurs. The goal of the project is for 75% of Immokalee adult learner students actively participating in the program for 2 semesters will be English proficient in grammar, written and verbal communication to be prepared for a good job.

Employee Retention Team

Healthcare employers and education partners working together to address ways to help retention rates in high demand positions.