14 minute read
LOSING TO WIN
NEW WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS TO LINK HIGH SCHOOL STUDIES TO CONSTRUCTION, HEALTH CARE EMPLOYMENT
By Linda Chion
As the Greater Tampa Bay area market explodes, with scores of folks making their home in southeastern Hillsborough County, the need to ensure an able and steady workforce to fill high-demand jobs in health care and construction continues to swell as well.
Toward that end, Hillsborough County School District officials have announced plans to create two new high school programs and a technical college, all dedicated to their respective areas of workforce development.
Expected for a 2023-24 school year opening are a medical academy at D.W. Waters in Tampa and a construction academy at Bowers/Whitley in Tampa, both for students in grades 9-12. The phase three efort calls for post-graduation studies at the upcoming Brewster Medical Technical College in Tampa.
Courses of study at the upcoming medical academy, developed in partnership with medical organizations and businesses, are to include training and certification for home health aides, medical laboratory assisting, EKG aides/technicians and allied health assisting.
The 15 programs of study planned for the construction academy involve building construction, electricity, plumbing, augmented reality/visualization, electric vehicles, energy and environmental design, estimating, excavating, framing/ drywall, masonry, modeling, professionalism in the workplace, solar power, water infrastructure/treatment and AC refrigeration and heating technology (HVAC).
Photo courtesy of Hillsborough County Public Schools. A still shot from the March 28 “In-Depth with Dramatic job growth in the conDavis Workforce Development Programs” episode struction and medfeaturing Addison Davis, superintendent of Hills- ical fields is a sure borough County Public Schools, and Kim Bays, the bet in Hillsborough school district’s chief of innovation. County and beyond. According to Superintendent Addison Davis, “Florida’s private sector employment has increased by 470,000, or 6.7 percent, over the past year” alone. The two industries that have gained the most jobs are construction and health care, Davis said in his March 28 In-Depth with Davis episode. Kim Bays, the school district’s chief of innovation, noted in the same segment that “without a doubt” the medical and construction industries will lead the pack in job opportunities. “We expect that by the year 2029, there will be 116,000 job opportunities in the medical industry and 51,000 job opportunities in the construction industry,” Bays said. “So, it’s incumbent on us to prepare students for those two industries.” School ofcials said to expect “a marketing blitz” over the summer months related to the new high school programs. For more, view “In-Depth with Davis Workforce Development Programs” on YouTube at www.youtube.com/watch?v=zjEogWfnfZ4.
LOSING TO WIN MOVIE FILMING BRINGS DEAN CAIN TO VALRICO
By Marie Gilmore
A national faith-based movie production company now has a presence in Valrico. JCFilms Studios has launched its most recent production club, JCFilms Studios Tampa. And immedi ately after forming, the club put its first full-length feature film into production. Filming for seven days in April, the movie was shot on location in Valrico, Lithia, Plant City, Riverview, Brandon and Tampa. The film, called Losing to Win, follows four candidates through a reality show challenge and shares their story of regaining faith, building relationships and finding support through friends.
In March, JCFilms Studios Tampa put out a casting call for a faith-based movie featuring Dean Cain, best known for playing Superman in the Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman series, who has been a long-standing supporter of JCFilms. Cain was in town in May for the finale of the filming at 5th Gear Fitness in Valrico. The owners, Jessica Adams and Gretchen Trasorras, are also the directors of the Tampa Club and have been involved in professional acting and training for years.
“I had the opportunity to be on set and be a principal character in two JCFilms productions,” explained Adams, “and we wanted to bring a production club to the Tampa area because we think we can produce really great movies right there in the area.”
The cast and crew filmed for a total of nine days and the movie is now in post-production. Once released, it is planned to be submitted to the streaming services and be available live through a new family-friendly, faith-based streaming app, JC-
Behind the Films scenes during Plus, the shooting of coming Losing to Win, a soon. new faith-based, To date, full-length feature flm shot in Valrico in April. JCFilms has produced over 50 faith and family films. Jason Campbell, president of JCFilms Studios, explained, “Each of these Production Clubs are being created to ofer both education and opportunity for people of faith to get involved in Christian films. Each location is designed as a hub for Christian movie making, from script writing to acting; the goal of these clubs is to tell Christ-centered redemptive stories through film by creating compelling, entertaining and wholesome content.” In addition, Campbell hopes JCFilms Plus will become the premier platform for the growing number of independent Christian filmmakers. “As more faith films are being produced, it’s time we have our own digital platform,” Campbell said. JCFilms Plus is also going to serve as the distribution platform for the ministry’s production clubs. These nationwide film clubs will produce over 20 films in the next year. JCFilms Plus has already been endorsed by top Christian leaders in film, music and church leadership. The video-on-demand platform is set to launch in June. For more information on the clubs, upcoming productions and the new streaming service, visit www.jcfilms.org.
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WEDDING DRESS GIVEAWAY DONATES TO 25 LOCAL TEACHER
By Lily Belcher
Satin & Lace Bridal Boutique hosted its second wedding dress giveaway at The Regent on Monday of Teacher Appreciation Week at the beginning of May to recognize the soon-to-be brides of Hillsborough County.
After being nominated by peers, friends and even fiancés, 25 teachers were selected to receive a wedding dress donated by Satin & Lace. The giveaway not only relieved some of the financial burden of a wedding but also gave the teachers the recognition they deserve for their dedication to their jobs despite the lingering challenges of the coronavirus.
Shannon Keil reached out to AnnMarie Courtney, director of partnership engagement for the school district, to see if Hillsborough County teachers would be interesting in being the recipients of the wedding dresses. Her response was “Of course!” The brides were nominated and selected after sharing their love stories through an essay.
“It was wonderful to see so many colleagues nominate their fellow teachers and secretaries, and really anyone who
works in the district,” said Courtney. “… We need this after a really unprecedented two years in education. Something like this creates such synergy and energy for our district.” One bride and teacher at King Teachers of Hillsborough County received free wedding dresses in giveaway High School from Satin & Lace Bridal Boutique. shared that she and her fiancé have been together for over 15 years but have never had the opportunity to formally get married. When she received the email saying she won a free wedding dress, she dismissed it as junk mail because she didn’t think she would actually win when she had filled out the application. “It means a lot,” she said. “I’ve never won anything to this manner, and that’s why I was kind of shocked.” Local vendors, such as Sugar Lees Gourmet Cofee Service, 3 C’s Catering and Care Package Meal Prep Co., provided food and drinks for the brides and their guests. Precious Plunders supplied crowns that could be worn as accessories for the wedding and Publix Bakery distributed cake to the attendees following the dinner. At the event, the brides picked up the dresses they had selected and been fitted for prior to the dinner during Teacher Appreciation Week. They had the opportunity to share their stories, thank those that nominated them and talk about their upcoming weddings.
EXTENDS REACH WITH GREATER RIVERVIEW, GREATER PLANT CITY CHAMBER SUPPORT
By Linda Chion
Open to everybody and backed by both the Greater Riverview and Greater Plant City chambers of commerce, the Nonprofit Leadership Roundtable meets virtually on the fourth Tuesday of the month.
Pat Simmons, founder of the nonprofit Bikes For Christ, said he is in a good place to take the roundtable to its next level of engagement.
“The purpose is to educate our nonprofits and to help them continue to grow,” Simmons said. “Also, the networking allows us to know what’s going on with our nonprofit friends and how we can all work together to make a stronger community.”
The brainchild of Plant City Chamber President Christine Miller, the roundtable once met in chamber space, until ofce spaces were sold, and the chamber meets now in temporary space.
Meanwhile, at a Riverview Chamber gathering, Simmons talked about the roundtable, which is when Tanya Doran, the chamber’s chief executive ofcer, expressed an interest in working with the roundtable to extend its reach in the Greater Riverview area. Roughly 10 percent of the chamber’s 720 members are nonprofits, Doran said.
“Pat has been very engaged with us, educating the nonprofits in our area and making sure they are aware of resources available, and sharing resources in a challenging time,” Doran said. “He has personal experience building up his own nonprofit, and I love the way he shares information and grants opportunities.” Virtual meetings
Pat Simmons, founder of Bikes For Christ, runs the Nonproft Leadership Roundtable with chamber support. allow the round table to extend its reach, Simmons said, as he “brings in a lot of good speakers to help educate people as to how to grow and make their nonprofits stronger.” Bikes For Christ traces its roots to a 2015 mission trip where Simmons said he learned “what real poverty is like in a third-world country.” Coming home, “I didn’t know what I wanted to, but I wanted to do something to make a diference in my own community.” Working with organizations that serve the poor and homeless, Simmons combined his love of cycling to mobility needs. Since 2016, Bikes For Christ works with more than 70 organizations across four counties to provide bicycles for transportation. For more, visit www.bikes4christ.com.
HILLSBOROUGH SHELTER FOR KITTEN SEASON
By Taylor Wells
(Left) Tree men with Hillsborough County Fire Rescue standing behind Chelsea Goss, senior supervisor of volunteer services at Hillsborough County’s Pet Resource Center and Max the dog at the center’s kitten shower.
Kitten season, a monthslong time of the year when Hillsborough County’s Pet Resource Center takes in hundreds of kittens, is just beginning, so the center is expecting a lot of babies soon. To help with the seasonal influx—and to introduce residents to the possibilities of fostering kittens, cats or dogs and what they need to know—it hosted a kitten shower on April 30.
The event featured giveaway baskets, enrichment activities like making cat toys, the chance to name kittens at the shelter, a Hillsborough County Fire Rescue fire truck and the opportunity to tour the shelter.
“We had a lot of donations of blankets and towels, litter was donated, some food supplies were donated, toys were donated, so that was definitely a huge help for us as well,” said Chelsea Goss, senior supervisor of volunteer services at the Pet Resource Center.
Kittens present a special set of challenges for shelter staf, especially very young kittens that require hand-feeding if their mom is not present. The kitten shower also gave information and resources on how residents can become a foster parent to kittens, cats or dogs that just need a little love and help to find a new home.
Goss was glad to say the event went well, as several families interested in adopting kittens had attended and a few new potential foster parents were signed up to help out when more kittens come during kitten season.
Foster parents received training and were given the chance to take care of pets for as little as two weeks. The center’s foster program provides a temporary, safe place for pets to live, and behavioral or other information foster parents provide significantly increases the chance of a successful adoption when the pet is returned to the shelter.
“We had 32 dogs adopted that day, and 20 cats went home that day as well,” said Goss.
If you find kittens, Goss said to wait several hours for their mom to return before deciding they’re orphans and bringing them to the Pet Resource Center, as the mom usually returns soon. Although, if you see a mom with her kittens and are concerned about them, you’re welcome to bring them to the center so it can see what it can do for them.
The shelter hosts a kitten shower each April, so the community can look forward to attending another one next year. Those interested in fostering for the Pet Resource Center can email fosterpets@ hcflgov.net.
COUNTY PLANS $20 MILLION FOR SIDEWALK REPAIRS
Staf Report
Te homeowner has submitted several requests over the past 8 years to repair the sidewalk in front of his home. Te resident has witnessed kids getting injured while riding scooter or bikes. Te sidewalk continues to grow worse each year.
If you are struggling with broken sidewalks in your community, help could be on the way. The Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) voted recently to use $20 million in American Rescue Plan funds to repair broken sidewalks throughout the county.
According to Hillsborough County, the Public Works Department maintains more than 3,200 miles of sidewalks with a budget of only about $550,000 a year to perform repairs. The $20 million approved by the BOCC dramatically increases the number of neighborhoods Hillsborough can improve by repairing and replacing broken sidewalks.
Sidewalks often are damaged over the years by tree roots or vehicles, and broken sidewalks can discourage residents from using them. Repairing sidewalks provides many benefits, including improved safety, greater mobility and healthier communities. By further separating people from trafc, sidewalks also reduce pedestrian injuries, supporting Vision Zero goals.
The Hillsborough County American Rescue Plan Investment Plan, approved by the Board of County Commissioners on September 1, 2021, provides a framework for investing the $285 million in federal Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds in the community. The funding will support vital projects throughout the county related to water, sewer and broadband infrastructure; public health response; negative economic impacts; and revenue replacement for certain government services. Projects funded by Hillsborough County must meet the guidelines established by the federal government while addressing the county’s unique community needs and reflecting the BOCC’s collective values in addressing residents’ needs. The sidewalk repairs are one of the programs funded under this plan by the BOCC.
If there is a sidewalk in your neighborhood that needs repairing, you can visit https://service.hillsboroughcounty.org/311/ roads-sidewalks/ to report it. The report will ask for the location of the issue and a contact for follow-up questions. Additionally, it is possible to call the Hillsborough County Public Works Department Customer Service Center at 813-635-5400 to report. For more information, visit www.hillsboroughcounty.org.
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