ORLANDO, Fla. – Orlando city commissioners have approved $225,000 in federal CARES Act funds to help Orange County residents impacted by COVID-19 with career and workforce training.
It’s a partnership with the Central Florida Urban League to connect Orange County residents to career and workforce training. It’s all a part of the Blueprint 2.0 program.
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The approved funding will also assist residents in more areas like Holden Heights, Rosemont, Eatonville, and helps those residents find high-wage jobs.
Many of them have been adversely impacted by COVID-19 and are struggling to make ends meet.
Victoria Bridges told News 6 she was laid off recently at Universal because of COVID-19 and things have been tough.
“Not being able to work really set me in a tough position,” said Bridges.
She said she enrolled in the workforce program to learn vocational skills to try and bounce back.
“They help you do cover letters, they help you get your resume sorted out with keywords that help you,” Bridges said.
Andatrius Barnes told News 6 work has slowed down for him because of COVID-19 and that’s why he enrolled in the program.
“I want to further my education and better the person I am,” said Barnes.
City Commissioner Regina Hill helped lead the effort and told News 6 the goal is to help impacted residents get the education they need to have long-term careers.
“We knew to create long term jobs we needed the vehicle called education,” Commissioner Hill said. “We want to make sure they can get a certificate within two to eight weeks and become employed toward the beginning of the year.”
Commissioner Hill said the already existing program has seen a 99% success rate for job placement.
We’re told residents in the workforce program also get a weekly stipend of $125.
If you’re impacted by the coronavirus and want to find out more about this program, you can call Commissioner Hill’s office at 407-246-2005 or the Central Florida Urban League at 407-841-7654.
Commissioner Hill said no one is being turned away, and the city can still help people who are not impacted to find resources.