JAXUSA Partnership President Featured on Podcast, “Innovate JAX”
The seven-county Jacksonville region is thriving…84 new residents per day on average, more than 2,300 jobs in 2019, a strong start to 2020 and growth in all target industries.
To tout these successes and more, JAXUSA Partnership President Aundra Wallace was featured on the podcast, “Innovate JAX,” spearheaded by Jacksonville-based health care IT company, Forcura, which highlights the region’s change-makers and how they’re leaving their mark on the region. The 30-minute episode is hosted by Kate Warnock, Forcura director of communications and brand strategy.
The conversation covers everything from the collaborative nature that the region is known for among CEOs, business decision makers and site consultants, innovation taking place through Smart Region activation and the young talent coming out of the annual 3,000 military separations and their desire to stay and work in the region.
During the episode, Aundra also discusses what differentiates the seven-county region from others, particularly its lower operating costs and barriers to business, diversity of neighborhoods and landscapes, shorter commute times and the fact that it is home to five of the state’s top 25 school districts.
This strong commitment to education is a focus for JAXUSA in developing the talent to ensure there are career pathways for our region’s children. Citing the importance of offering a great education and ensuring that the future workforce stays in or comes back to the region for their careers, the local school districts and higher education institutions are engaged in developing curriculum to encourage children to think about careers in the region’s target industries early.
Along with the corporate community, there is a collaboration between both higher education and K-12 school districts in aiding in the development of curriculum and offering meaningful internships. To make sure the right conversations are taking place, JAXUSA is connecting the corporate community and education leadership to redirect efforts to the target industries, bridging the gap between academia and what it takes to get hired here.
Listen to the episode here or on any podcast app.