Kathryn Kelly, president and chief executive officer of the Heights Foundation, and John Talmage, director of the Lee County Economic Development Office, have one thing in common: their concern for Lee County’s ability to educate a workforce to meet future needs. They addressed the challenges at the Nov. 13 SanCap Chamber business luncheon held at Sundial Beach Resort on Sanibel Island.
Talmage talked about future industry growth and the aging of today’s workforce to illustrate shortcomings in available skilled trades and medical staffing on the road ahead.
“Unfortunately, right now we’re facing a gap of 200,000 workers from people both retiring and new jobs coming into the area that we have to fill in the next three to five years,” he said. “That’s a lot of workforce. That’s a lot of housing…. We just don’t have the educational infrastructure we need to fully prepare our workforce for the future.”
He spoke of government grants and other programs that are targeting the problem through Florida SouthWestern State College and Florida Gulf Coast University, and mentioned a medical school that will open in the near future.
“We can’t build enough schools quickly enough….,” Talmage said. “This is all a challenge. But one of the bright lights in all of this has been the Harlem Heights Foundation. Because Kathryn came to me seven-and-a-half years ago… and said ‘we’re going to build a 60,000-square-foot technical college.’”
Kelly later explained how the foundation has progressed from its outreach mission and after-school and summer programs for Harlem Heights students to an elementary school and now to its latest goal to build a $42 million technical school.
“Now we’ve got kids graduating from high school, now what do we do? Because a lot kids aren’t going to college, and we know that, but we want them to get a decent job,” she said. “Our mission is to build self-sufficient families and to do that, you have to have a decent job.”
Before Hurricane Ian caused a serious setback to its plans, the foundation began plotting a way to provide a “decent education” post high school that would prepare students for the needs of the community.
“So, the whole reason we were building a career tech school in Harlem Heights was for our folks in the community….” Kelly said. “It’s going to help everybody in Lee County and Southwest Florida.”
With $18 million left to raise on the project, Kelly hopes to begin construction by March 2025 with the goal of starting classes in the fall ’26. Fields of study will include construction trades, automobile and marine engine labs; health care skills; and culinary arts.
“Every child is valuable, and I believe this career tech school is a bold way of making sure they don’t fall through the cracks,” she concluded.
“Together, Kathryn and John made a strong case for providing more opportunities to round out the workforce for island businesses and beyond,” said John Lai, president and chief executive officer of the SanCap Chamber. “As close to the islands as Harlem Heights is, the community has long staffed our island restaurants, hotels, and service businesses. We must support this effort.”
R.L.R. Investments sponsored the November luncheon, and its new director of commercial leasing and community relations, Ali Kendall, spoke about the firm’s community commitment, including the announcement of the new Village Wine Bar & Bistro to open at the Village Shops early next year.
In other announcements, Lai outlined three new programs through the chamber, in partnership with Charitable Foundation of the Islands and others, that will help island businesses procure low-interest loans for hurricane recovery.
The next chamber business lunch meeting takes place Dec. 11 at The Community House on Sanibel Island, featuring Sanibel Police Chief William Dalton and Fire & Rescue District Chief Kevin Barbot. Islanders should also mark their calendars for Jan. 22, the second annual State of the Islands breakfast presentation at the Marriott Sanibel Harbour Resort in Fort Myers.
ABOUT SANCAP CHAMBER
The SanCap Chamber is dedicated to promoting the prosperity of its members and preserving the quality of life of our community. The Chamber plays a key role in facilitating communication and cooperation between business, residents, and government to enhance the economic health of the islands. Its website, sanibel-captiva.org, receives over 1.3 million visits per year. For more information about the chamber, visit sanibel-captiva.org or contact John Lai, president and CEO, at 239-472-2348 or [email protected].
