Workforce Development Is Our Strategy

This op-ed was originally posted on Feb. 27, 2026, in the Florida Times-Union. 

What happens to students after they turn the tassel can be even more important than getting them to the graduation stage. Communities In Schools® (CIS®) of Jacksonville is evolving to better serve our community with a new focus on preparing students for graduation, and what comes next: college, the military or the workforce.

Last fall, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce released results from a survey that show America’s workforce is facing an urgent test. According to the 2025 New Hire Readiness Report, four in five hiring managers believe most high school students are not prepared to enter the workforce.

The nature of how we work is changing faster than our systems are prepared to handle. Automation, artificial intelligence and digital platforms are reshaping nearly every industry, from manufacturing and healthcare to logistics and the creative economy. Yet employers say workforce development efforts remain reactive, fragmented or misaligned with real employer needs.

The result is a paradox we hear repeatedly: employers struggle to fill open positions while workers struggle to find stable, well-paying jobs. This gap is not caused by a lack of talent. It’s caused by a lack of coordination.

During 35 years of working with students in 37 local public schools, we’ve celebrated significant achievements in supporting more than 111,000 students through case management, literacy and afterschool programs. More recently, we realized that supporting students after graduation was an evolving need.

Our Hope = Success afterschool and summer program, now in six Duval County public schools, is designed to introduce, explore, educate and inspire students in critical areas essential for their future while they are still in high school. 

We’ve been able to add this program thanks to our generous funders like The Kids Hope Alliance, United Way of Northeast Florida, The Coach Foundation, Boeing Co and others. An anonymous donor also recently helped us add workforce transition specialists to this program who are trained to help students navigate post-graduation pathways. But we need more community support to make this initiative successful.

Hope = Success prepares students for the job market with the necessary skills and knowledge to succeed in their careers. Entrepreneurship is encouraged by fostering creativity and exposing students to entrepreneurial opportunities.

To enhance employability, we provide guidance on key attributes and skills that employers seek, including resume writing, mock interviews and other job-seeking essentials. Our program also supports students in college preparation, helping them search for scholarships and understand their options so they can make informed decisions about higher education.

We educate students on budgeting, banking, responsible financial management and financial independence. At our six program sites, we emphasize the importance of healthy relationships by nurturing academic and emotional intelligence while providing guidance on building and maintaining strong interpersonal connections. 

We’re excited about the early success of this program, but we need more community support. We need guest speakers who can share real-world experiences and insights on careers, college programs and life lessons. Our students need more hands-on learning opportunities, including mock interview sessions, job shadowing, exposure, and internship opportunities. These experiences create valuable real-world experience for students while also helping meet employers’ workforce needs.

If you share our passion for preparing the next generation for success and would like to get involved as a business partner, guest speaker or even host a field trip, we welcome your participation. Please reach out to Erin Mangan at [email protected] to explore how you can make a meaningful impact on the future workforce.

Leon Baxton
CEO, Communities In Schools of Jacksonville