$100,000 investment puts 18 students through construction trades training

With the help of a $100,000 investment, 18 individuals were able to graduate from a tuition-free construction trades training program. 

The training was provided by Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce’s workforce development initiative CareerEdge, through its Bridges to Careers program. The majority received job offers before graduation, according to a press release. 

Selby Gardens, a bayfront botanical gardens in Sarasota, supported two training programs, the most recent graduating 10 students with a focus on electrical trades. That program concluded in December, with each graduate earning a Level 1 Electrical Apprenticeship. One graduate in particular, Oliver McNeal, is now a full time facilities coordinator for Selby Gardens, the release states,