St. Pete Standard

On May 24, 2024, Mayor Kenneth T. Welch and the City of St. Petersburg celebrated the graduation of the inaugural cohort of the Mayor's Future Ready Academy, a new 17-week workforce readiness program aimed at connecting young adults aged 18-24 with employment opportunities within the city.

The ceremony, held at Hammock Hall at Boyd Hill Nature Preserve, included remarks from various representatives from the City of St. Petersburg and Pinellas Technical College. Speakers included Mayor Kenneth T. Welch; Copley Gerdes, Vice-Chair of St. Petersburg City Council; E. Ste’Phan Lane, Afternoon Assistant Director at Pinellas Technical College; Faithe Silver, Training Supervisor for St. Petersburg Human Resources; Helaine Roberts, Cadet Mentor in Water Resources; and Latania T. Barnes, Project Coordinator for the Mayor’s Future Ready Academy.

Mayor Welch highlighted the program's focus on education, youth opportunities, and workforce development during his address to the cadets: “As the first cohort of the Mayor’s Future Ready Academy, you have set the standard for the cadets who will follow you. You have proven the concept of this program, which was created by our team with a focus on connecting young people with opportunities that pave the way for promising careers in public works, parks and recreation, sanitation, and other vital departments that make our city work.”

Latania Barnes expressed her enthusiasm for the initiative: "It's exciting to see how our City is prioritizing the preparation of future leaders," she said. “With our team's support and resources, these cadets have become some of the City's finest young employees. I am incredibly thankful to have been part of this initiative upholding Mayor Welch's Pillars for Progress."

Nine cadets graduated from this program:

- Evan Aikens

- Taryon Chisom

- Solomon Henry

- Kendrick Hills

- Marrio James

- Me’Rasia Melton

- DeMarco Miller

- Johnathon Morgan

- Jiquell Richardson

Outcomes for these graduates include four cadets being hired as full-time regular employees and two as full-time temporary employees (with plans to transition to full-time within 1-2 weeks). Additionally, one cadet has been hired as a part-time seasonal employee while three will be graduating with Commercial Driver’s Licenses (CDL).

The Mayor’s Future Ready Academy launched in January 2024 with a goal to connect young adults aged 18-24 with job opportunities within St. Petersburg through on-the-job training complemented by classroom instruction provided by Pinellas Technical College (PTC). Participants committed to a full-time schedule divided equally between practical training in various city departments and educational sessions at PTC.

Applications for the next cohort will open in June 2024. More information can be found at stpete.org/FutureReady.

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