Susan Powers used to spend half a day traveling to and from the CareerSource North Central Florida location.
CareerSource NCFL relocated Monday to 10 NW Sixth St. from 4800 SW 13th St.
Powers is a graduate from Startup Quest, which is one of the programs CareerSource offers. She said she thinks the new location is going to be more accessible and easier to travel to.
Powers was working as a photographer for more than two decades when she decided to pursue a different career path in 2013.
Startup Quest is a 10-week entrepreneurship-training program where groups of people develop fictional business plans and pitch the plans to professionals in the business world, similar to the hit television show Shark Tank.
“You meet a whole lot of people [and] you get training into the world of start-ups, which has always been fascinating to me,” she said.
For someone who has pursued a job for a while, CareerSource can really help with all aspects of a job search, Powers said.
Now working as a business development coordinator at TAO Connect, Inc., she said Startup Quest teaches you all the fundamentals of starting a business.
Powers did a 180 degree turn-around in two years. Originally, she was on the side of looking for new employment during the Startup Quest program. Now, the company she works for is in the process of posting job opportunities on the CareerSource NCFL website.
CareerSource NCFL helps job-seeking residents write resumes and practice interviewing skills. It also offers workshops and assessments to enhance participants' skill sets and provides other services to help people in their job searches.
The executive director of CareerSource NCFL, Kim Tesch-Vaught, said that the old location was right at the edge of the Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park and only one bus took you there.
“This puts us right in the middle of downtown,” Tesch-Vaught said.
She explained that the new location also places the career center by key training, entrepreneurial and business resources such as the Santa Fe College Center for Innovation and Economic Development.
"We're a business-driven system led by a diverse board of business, government, community and higher education leaders," she said. "Because of this, we're able to help a wide range of individuals train for the skill sets the market is demanding, meaning they're more competitive in the job search, and help enhance our region's economic prosperity.”
Frank Avery, a spokesman for the center, said they have programs that can help youth, adults, and veterans of all ages and experience levels.
In regards to businesses, they help local entrepreneurs and small businesses along with major corporations that are looking to relocate, expand, train or hire, Avery said.
“We also have programs that help individuals looking to start their own business get the training and resources they need to become self-employed,” he said. “Our region’s workforce is a key asset for recruiting and retaining well-paying, competitive companies in our region."
We help businesses with job listings, and we help individuals create pathways to prosperity through world-class programs from GED to Ph.D, Avery said.
To look for workshops and orientations, visit www.careersourcencfl.com. Avery recommends checking out www.employflorida.com to see what jobs are available in the area.