The ELITE Training Center hit its first anniversary in April, and leaders said it’s already impacting lives as the center focuses on capacity building and spreading the word.
The training center is operated by the city’s Gainesville House Authority and is located on its Pine Meadows property near Fred Cone Park. But Cornelius Dunmore, coordinator for the center, highlighted that the programs are for the entire community.
He said the center is proud of the partnerships they’ve built in the first year, with career training available through Santa Fe College, UF TREEO, North Central Florida Apartment Association, Electrical Training Alliance of Gainesville and others. The center has had 100 people go through these programs and others at the site, including drawing some from outside the county.
The partners provide classes for in-demand skills, like turnkey facilities maintenance, OSHA 10 Certifications and electric apprenticeships. Dunmore said the Electrical Training Alliance of Gainesville is trying to fill 30 positions by July.
“We’re building ourselves out to capacity, but then we’re also adding in these other elements that are going to help us to flesh out the capacity that we have and getting the word out because everyone still doesn’t know,” Dunmore said.
He said the center can partner with any business or sector to facilitate trainings and get a custom pipeline of candidates.
The ELITE Training Center is also working to train young people through its youth academy and summer program and seeking to be a community space. The center is renovating the plaza just outside and held the first Talent at the Plaza event in March, with a Sounds of the Plaza coming in May.
Gainesville Housing Authority will rent one building for a food vendor, and an adjoining building is finishing renovations for a youth space.
Malcolm Kiner, chief operating officer for the authority, said the work is being done and people are realizing the center is a community asset to continue the authority’s mission.
“Economic development is key,” Kiner said. “It’s key to all of Alachua County as well. It’s key to every crisis that we’re facing, whether it be housing crisis or affordability or anything else, is to try to get folks a wage that they can sustain themselves.”
He said the partnerships will allow countless opportunities, with Santa Fe College willing to open its catalogue of classes if the center finds the people to fill them.
“We’re still trying to build out to our capacity, to find out what capacity looks like,” Kiner said. “Our goal is to have this place active Monday through Friday, whether that be during the day or in the evenings, to support the community.”