TAMPA, Fla. – (March 24, 2022) – Three Future Fair hiring events in April will give Tampa-area employers the rare opportunity to grow their business by engaging with hundreds of young, qualified and enthusiastic job prospects eager to launch their careers.
The hiring fairs will be attended by students who are part of the Future Career Academy (FCA), an immersive program that prepares high school seniors for in-demand, entry-level jobs in their communities. Future Fairs will be held:
● April 13 at TPepin’s Hospitality Centre (East Tampa – Armwood, King and Middleton High Schools)
● April 20 at The Regent (South Hillsborough – Newsome, East Bay and Lennard High Schools)
● April 28 at HCC’s Trinkle Center (Plant City – Plant City, Durant and Strawberry Crest High Schools, and Simmons Career Acceleration Academy)
In addition to students, the fairs will be open each day from 12- 2pm for adult job-seekers as part of Best Florida Jobs, which will help round out the hiring needs of businesses and serve both students’ families and the community’s hiring needs.
“Workforce development is so important for our community, and each of our hiring events provides a golden opportunity for businesses to connect with promising job candidates when the competition for talent has never been tougher,” said Yvonne Fry, CEO of Workforce Development Partners, the Florida-based non-profit behind both FCA and Best Florida Jobs. “For students, it’s about helping them identify a long-term career, not just a job.”
Area employers are encouraged to staff tables at the events to take advantage of the chance to showcase their career opportunities and to share their cultures and missions with students and adult applicants. Businesses can register to participate in one or all three hiring events. A variety of sponsorship opportunities are also available.
Students first heard from business panels in November 2021, and more than 700 students participated in field trips to area businesses in January and February to meet owners and employees, learn about the industry, business operations, entry level jobs, and career growth opportunities. These hiring events are the next step in setting up students for success.
FCA is positioned to serve between 5,000-7,000 students in the 2021-2022 school year. Continued expansion plans to serve the whole county are underway for implementation in the next few years. The program creates a powerful link between the jobs that Tampa-area businesses offer and the multitude of committed, driven and energetic high school seniors who are ready to get to work but not on track to complete four-year college degrees. Many of the employers in the FCA program also pay for college and other training opportunities for these students, helping to ensure no debt and meaningful degrees that will enhance their future career paths.
Since its inception in 2015, the program has amassed an impressive record of matching young workers with full-time jobs that prepares them for long-term employment and also helps local companies grow.
As a sign of FCA’s impact, the Future Fairs will be followed by three Signing Days on May 10, 11 and 12 to celebrate the FCA students who have been hired by local companies or who are entering into training or apprenticeship programs.
FCA sponsors and partners include TECO, The Mosaic Company, Publix, Coca-Cola, BayCare, RIPA & Associates, Tri-City Electric, Stingray Chevrolet, Hillsborough County, Hillsborough County School District, City of Plant City, Star Distribution, Ace Hardware, Shumaker, Loop & Kendrick, LLP, 84 Lumber, CyraCom International, Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, Hillsborough Community College, National Aviation Academy, Service Works Commercial Roofing, Inc., Bausch & Lomb, Seminole Hard Rock Tampa and many others.
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The Future Career Academy’s mission is to prepare and connect graduating seniors with the great jobs and training opportunities in their community. The program began as a partnership between Hillsborough County Public Schools and the business community in 2015 to disrupt the cycle of dead-end or low-paying jobs for non-college bound students and to put them on the path to in-demand, living wage entry-level jobs in their communities with long-term career growth and sustained employment. Both FCA and Best Florida Jobs are signature programs of the Florida-based nonprofit Workforce Development Partners Corp.