By 2025, more than 60 percent of Florida jobs will require a postsecondary degree or high-quality certificate.
There are an ever-increasing amount of area partners collaborating with Broward UP™ to bring learning out into the local community.
689 Broward UP™ participants completed courses leading to certificates and industry certifications in 2019.
As part of President Haile’s vision to support and transform the lives of residents in our community, Broward UP™ was launched to solve challenges, improve lives, and build partnerships to help every person realize their Unlimited Potential (UP). Broward UP™ has already begun transforming lives and uniting the county’s municipalities, nonprofit organizations, and industry leaders. A series of collaborations, customized to the specific needs of each community, has been established, and outreach efforts have been implemented to overcome misconceptions about educational access and to align retention and support services.
This program focuses on six ZIP codes in Broward County with disproportionately high unemployment rates, low education attainment, and low household income levels, helping people get the courses and certifications they need to start and advance their careers. There are three main goals for the Broward UP™ communities: 1) Increase college access and attendance, 2) Improve degree and certificate attainment, and 3) Holistically raise social and economic mobility.
Sylvia, a 65-year-old woman who was forced out of her long-term career in nursing due to bad knees spent over 10 years taking care of her husband who was struggling with cancer at the time. Recently, when she attempted to return to the workforce and applied for a job at her local Walmart, she was informed she could not be hired because she needed to know Microsoft Excel for the position. Sylvia did not give up and found her way to our Broward UP™ partner location at Lauderhill Aquatic Center (John Mullin Park). She completed her Excel training on Oct 24, 2019 so that she could reapply to Walmart for the job she wanted.
A single mother of a one-year old girl, Janelle came across the Broward UP™ banner while passing by the YMCA Lee location. She went inside to inquire about the free BC class and decided to enroll in our Supply Chain Customer Service course and earned her SCM industry certificate. She had been working in a global forwarding company corporate setting making $13/hour. Her future options were limited because she lacked the supply chain credential and could not be considered for a full-time position with them. She left to work in her father’s business, but her options are limited there as well. With her supply chain certificate, she will be able to re-apply to her former company and is now eligible for a position that starts at $18/hour. What she appreciated most was that she was able to take a short class that was industry specific to her needs that could give her a quick return for her time investment