Greater Fort Myers Chamber to host workforce development symposium on Feb. 4

FORT MYERS, Fla. - Feb. 1, 2022 - PRLog -- The Greater Fort Myers Chamber of Commerce will host a workforce development symposium for business leaders on Feb. 4 that will spotlight the current workforce landscape and developing short- and long-term workforce initiatives.

Featuring a breakfast buffet, insightful presentations and an educational trade show, the event will introduce businesses to the many workforce development programs and hiring resources available locally for business leaders looking to expand their workforce.

Henry Mack, chancellor of the Florida Department of Education, will present the keynote address. As chancellor, Mack leads the Division of Career, Technical and Adult Education, overseeing workforce education programs and economic development initiatives for the department. The division is responsible for all career and technical education programs across a system of 48 technical centers and colleges, 28 state community colleges and K-12 public schools, with a combined annual enrollment of more than 1 million students.

John Talmage, director of the Lee County Economic Development Office, will also provide a local perspective on the state of the region's workforce. Talmage brings insight from more than 30 years of experience working in local economic and community development for municipal governments and national research organizations.

Following the presentations, business leaders will have the opportunity to meet with representatives from a variety of local organizations who have a role in developing short- and long-term workforce initiatives and who serve as a conduit between job seekers and employers.

More than a dozen local organizations are confirmed to participate in the trade show format, including Better Together, Cape Coral Technical College, CareerSource Southwest Florida, Florida Gulf Coast University's offices of Internship & Career Development and Service-Learning & Civic Engagement, Florida SouthWestern State College, Fort Myers Technical College, FutureMakers Coalition, Goodwill Industries of Southwest Florida, the HIRE (How I Reach Employment) Program, Hodges University, Immokalee Foundation, Junior Achievement, LARC, The School District of Lee County's Adult, Career & Technical Education Department, South Fort Myers High School, and Tri-County Apprenticeship Academy.

The event will take place from 7:30 to 10:30 a.m. on Friday, Feb. 4 at Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre, located at 1380 Colonial Blvd. in Fort Myers. Admission is $25 in advance and $35 at the door and includes a breakfast buffet. To learn more about the event or to register, visit FortMyers.org (http://www.fortmyers.org/) or call 239-332-2930.

Sponsorship opportunities are still available. To learn more, contact Colleen DePasquale at colleen@fortmyers.org.