CareerSource Florida CEO Meets with Aviation Leaders at Cecil Field
CareerSource Florida President and CEO Adrienne Johnston met with several aviation, business and education representatives during an August visit to Cecil Field.
As one of Northeast Florida’s clearest examples of a regional asset, the visit gave Johnston a first-hand look at the employer base and training pipeline growing together to sustain operations at Cecil Field.
“Her visit gave Adrienne a concentrated look at that alignment, and how business and education partnerships have been developed to help Cecil Field thrive,” said CareerSource NEFL President Cheryl Taylor.
During her visit, Johnston met with Taylor and other CareerSource NEFL staff, along with representatives from Duval County Public Schools (DCPS), Florida State College at Jacksonville (FSCJ), the City of Jacksonville and Grace Aerospace – followed by a facility tour at Stellar Energy.
DCPS representatives shared information on the aviation and aerospace career and technical education pathways available through the schools, with FSCJ representatives sharing their student programs that support the industry – while Grace Aerospace and Stellar Energy shared their insights on training pipelines from an employer’s perspective.
St. Johns Chamber Video Honors 40 Years of CareerSource NEFL Membership
In recognition of the organization’s 40-year membership in the St. Johns County Chamber of Commerce, CareerSource NEFL was featured in a recent video produced by the chamber for reaching that milestone.
CareerSource NEFL President Cheryl Taylor and Apprenticeship Manager Doreen Lund were joined by Ring Power Corporation Director for Training and Development Tony Pellegrino at the St. Johns County Career Center in July – and interviewed and videotaped by chamber tourism development and communications manager Chris Norman.
Taylor focused on CareerSource NEFL’s mission and the importance of being plugged in with business organizations around the region, and Lund shared the importance of networking opportunities provided through the chamber – while Pellegrino discussed the important partnerships forged with other people and businesses through chamber activities.
To watch the video, visit https://youtu.be/DExFWzI4xBc.
Military Spouse Summit Connects Families with Resources and Support
CareerSource NEFL recently hosted a resource event at a Small Business Administration location, bringing together military spouses, veterans and community partners to provide valuable assistance and support.
Nearly 50 attendees connected with organizations offering employment resources, benefits guidance and supportive services.
During the event, a representative assisted a military spouse with a unique and challenging situation involving her late husband’s Veterans Administration (VA) disability rating. The rating percentage directly determines the veteran’s tax-free monthly payment and helps determine the veteran’s ability to receive VA health care and specialized treatments.
“The veteran was initially rated at 10 percent, but one month before his passing in 1995, his rating was increased to 80 percent,” said Cecil Love, a military spouse family employment advocate for CareerSource NEFL. “After his death one month later, the VA rating was reduced back to 10 percent for reasons that remain unclear.”
Recognizing the importance of advocating for veterans and their families, the representative accepted the case and is now working on the spouse’s behalf to seek clarification and correction of the veteran’s rating and benefits.
“This situation highlights the important role CareerSource NEFL and its partners play in the community,” Love said. “Supporting veterans and military spouses is not always just about finding employment – it is also about connecting customers with resources, benefits, and services they may not know are available.”