Department Overview
The Kids Hope Alliance Workforce Development & Career College Readiness Department is dedicated to creating career pathways to economic mobilty and self-sufficiency for Jacksonville youth and adults. Through strategic partnerships with local businesses, educational institutions, and community organizations, we aim to empower residents to achieve educational and employment success. Our approach is centered on reducing youth disconnection, increasing post-secondary attainment rates, and addressing barriers to employment in Jacksonville's most distressed communities.
Our Mission and Vision
Mission: To promote equitable opportunities for youth and adults by fostering innovation, driving policy change, and advocating for initiatives and the expansion of programs that help them successfully transition into the workforce.
Our Strategic Goals
- Goal 1: Increase high school graduation rates for disadvantaged youth.
- Goal 2: Increase post-secondary attainment rates for disadvantaged youth and adults.
- Goal 3: Decrease the rate of disconnected youth (youth not working/not in school).
- Goal 4: Reduce the Prime Age Employment Gap (PAEG) in distressed communities.
Our Approach
The Workforce Development Department employs a multi-pronged strategy to achieve these goals, focusing on both youth and prime-age adults:
Youth and Young Adult Programs (Ages 16-24)
- Mayor’s Youth At Work Partnership (MYAWP): Provides high school students with paid work experiences, mentorship, and career exploration opportunities to build a strong foundation for their future careers. Apply Here or learn more about becoming a business partner here.
- ReConnection Supports: We are currently in the exploration and planning phase for the development of reconnection hubsin key areas of Jacksonvile with high populations of opportunity youth. These hubs are envisioned as community based centers that will eventually offer GED support, post-secondary guidance, entreprenuerial and job placement services.
- Career and College Readiness programs: Our Career and College Readiness programming is designed to equip youth and young adults with the skills knowledge and experiences to successfully navigate post-secondary pathways and enter the workforce. These programs empower young people to make informed decisions about their futures and provide critical resources for acheiving long-term economic mobilty.
Prime-Age Adult Programs (Ages 25-54)
- Jacksonville Upward Mobility Program (JUMP): Targets employment gaps in distressed communities by offering sector-specific training in logistics, healthcare, ship repair, and hospitality. Through wraparound services and partnerships with local employers, JUMP aims to support quailty work skills training programs designed to bolster the talent pipeline and reduce the Prime Age Employment Gap.
- Sector-Specific Training Programs: Customized training in high-demand fields such as construction, transportation, and logistics, aligned with Jacksonville’s economic development priorities.
- One-Stop Workforce Hubs: Centralized locations providing access to training, employment services, and supportive resources like childcare and transportation assistance.
Why Invest in Workforce Development?
Workforce development is more than a strategy—it’s a catalyst for community revitalization. Investing in skills development and career readiness creates long-term benefits for families and neighborhoods, boosting local businesses, increasing property values, and fostering community pride. Without intervention, our disconnected youth risk falling into cycles of unemployment and underemployment, while our prime-age adults face barriers that prevent them from contributing fully to Jacksonville’s economy.
Our Impact
Jacksonville is home to 16,900 disconnected youth and over 21,830 unemployed or underemployed prime-age adults. Our targeted interventions aim to reduce these numbers by 20% over the next five years through focused investments in education, training, and community partnerships.
Get Involved
The success of our initiatives depends on strong collaboration across sectors. If you are a business, educational institution, or community organization interested in partnering with us, please contact us at jeverett@coj.net.
Contact Us
For more information on our programs and strategic partnerships, please reach out to:
John Everett
Director of Workforce Development & Career College Readiness
jeverett@coj.net | 904.255.4472
Kids Hope Alliance
Jacksonville, FL