Downtown Jacksonville update: Apartments, townhomes under construction
Construction is underway at the Four Seasons Hotel & Residences Jacksonville and One Riverside developments in downtown Jacksonville, Florida.
Goodwill Industries of North Florida recently launched the GoodTrades Center to provide skilled workers for the construction and trades industry, which has an ongoing labor shortage.
Located at Goodwill‘s corporate campus on Jacksonville’s Westside, the new center is sponsored by the city of Jacksonville, which provided $700,000 in seed funding. The center also receives educational support from Florida State College at Jacksonville and the Home Builders Institute.
After participants complete a construction basics training course, they advance to residential carpentry or plumbing training classes at the center or head to FSCJ for other trade courses.
“There’s a significant labor shortage in the construction and trades industry and employers are actively looking for skilled candidates to fill their open positions,” said David Rey, North Florida Goodwill president and CEO.
The free GoodTrades program is “designed to prepare individuals for successful careers in these booming fields,” he said. “These courses provide hands-on experience and industry-recognized certifications to help learners launch their careers and increase their marketability to potential employers.”
One of the center’s graduates is Darla Reyes, 45, of Fleming Island, who landed a construction wirewoman job at Miller Electric and plans to become a journeywoman electrician.
“I was looking for a new career in the electrical field, and GoodTrades offered both training and networking opportunities that could help me make that transition,” she said. “It allowed me to connect with people in the industry and gave me valuable insight into my future career path.”
Her inspiration was reading about Benjamin Franklin, whose experiments confirmed that lightning in a form of electricity.
“That sparked my interest in electrical science, so I began researching more about it. I also earned my ham radio license as a technician,” she said.
Reyes applied to the Electrical Training Alliance of Jacksonville and in January will take the entrance exam for its four-year apprenticeship program. Meanwhile, she relishes her job at Miller Electric.
“It means everything. This is where I see myself building a long-term career,” she said. “My goal is to retire with Miller Electric while continuing to contribute to the industry along the way.”
Her advice to anyone considering the trades? “Get up, go to work and it will all fall into place. Don’t give up,” she said.
North Florida Goodwill offers job training, employment placement services and other programs and last year provided about 79,470 services to the community and placed 4,557 people in jobs. The nonprofit has 20 retail stores and 25 donation centers and employs 1,042 people in retail, warehouse, e-commerce, landscaping, support and food service, including The Corner at Debs Store.
The GoodTrades center is part of the nonprofit’s adult education initiative, A-STEP, which provides working adults access to higher education to build their earning potential and job security.
For more information, go to goodwillnorthfl.org/goodtrades.
bcravey@jacksonville.com, (904) 359-4109