The Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce State of Jobs Conference on Thursday, October 27 will bring together some of the area's top professionals to educate and prepare the next workforce generation. Speakers represent varied tracks including healthcare, information technology, business manufacturing, hospitality, marketing and the arts—all with a common goal in mind.

“This is the first year the arts have been included in the State of Jobs Conference and Sarasota Opera feels honored to participate,” says Director of Audience Development and State of Jobs speaker Sam Lowry. “The Arts in Sarasota are one of the biggest employers in Sarasota with a myriad of career opportunities available beyond being a performer. We are excited, along with our colleagues from the Sarasota Orchestra and the Ringling Museum, for the opportunity to inform the next generation of Sarasotans about our industry.”

Throughout the day, students will experience at least five sessions, three focused directly on their career interest. In addition to learning about their career, State of Jobs focuses on college readiness, leadership, social responsibility and preparing for being a professional.

Mireya Eavey, conference speaker and President of CareerEdge strives to grow workforce development in our community and region. “Similar to the State of Jobs Conference, CareerEdge’s greatest goal is to connect students with the professionals and potential resources they might need in order to succeed," she says. "For me, this conference is a great opportunity for students to not only learn about college, but is also a chance to discover a new industry, explore a new certificate program or just a chance to sort through their options before they walk across that stage at their high school graduation. We want to better prepare our young community members for a bright and promising future.” 

SRQ magazine’s CEO and Editor and Chief Lisl Liang will return as a State of Jobs speaker and discuss what it takes to run a business in our region. "At previous State of Jobs conferences, many participants expressed an interest in owning and running their own businesses," says Liang. "As a local entrepreneur and founder of the SRQ|MEDIA enterprise, I am thrilled to engage our students in a workshop that gives them a few tools to experience the culture of accountability, adaptability and artisanship that go into the creation and diversification of a successful creative class company.” 

For more on the State of Jobs Conference, contact Chris Laney at cdlaney@gmail.com or visit their website online at StateofJobs.org.

State of Jobs