Author: cfa@fenton.com

This new partnership will shrink multi-million gap in city’s workforce development funds and build a better cradle-to-career pathway for young workers

[September 10, 2025] The Community Funding Accelerator (CFA) and Kids Hope Alliance (KHA) have launched a new partnership to secure $18 million to expand career pathway opportunities, improve educational attainment and foster long term economic mobility in Jacksonville, Florida. The partnership aims to significantly reduce the city’s gap in workforce development funds by pursuing state, federal and private funds to expand employment and job training opportunities for Jacksonville residents.

CFA will provide embedded technical assistance, strategy support, and capacity building for KHA and its coalition partners – building capacity for community leaders to solidify more sustained investment in Jacksonville’s future. 

Jacksonville is one of the fastest-growing metropolitan regions in the country, adding nearly 9,000 new jobs in the education and health services sector from June 2024-June 2025. However, underinvestment in the workforce development system is limiting what is possible; KHA estimates that the city currently invests $18M per year in career & college readiness while peer cities leverage closer to $50M per year. This gap in funding means fewer training slots, limited support services, and missed opportunities to support growing businesses in need of talent.

“I’m proud to support this partnership between the City of Jacksonville, via Kids Hope Alliance and the Community Funding Accelerator, which is bringing vital investment to Jacksonville’s future.” shared Jacksonville Mayor Donna Deegan. “This $18 million effort reflects our shared commitment to ensuring every young person in our city has a real pathway to success, from the classroom to a meaningful career. Together, we’re closing the opportunity gap and building a stronger, more resourceful Jacksonville.”

“We’re thrilled to be working in Jacksonville alongside the Kids Hope Alliance to expand stable workforce opportunities to young adults and families in the area,” said Anna Walters, Associate Director with CFA. “We have partnered with Jacksonville over the years because we know that this is one of the most promising places in the nation for young adults to build roots in the workforce. We know there is a wealth of young talent in the city and we’re excited to provide them with the resources they need to foster this talent and build successful careers.”

Kids Hope Alliance is a division of the City of Jacksonville that funds programming which cultivates and grows Jacksonville’s cradle-to-career possibilities. KHA works alongside 100+ partners, networking to deliver 140+ programs that created real pathways for Jacksonville families: 800 justice-involved youth avoided formal prosecution with only 5% recidivism, mental health services that helped 97% of participating students, and 250+ youth gained workplace experience through summer internships. By working with partners, KHA ensures that millions in investments translate to concrete outcomes, providing Jacksonville with a brighter future. 

CFA has previously worked with a coalition of organizations led by the City of Jacksonville to apply for a federal grant focused on prime age employment and workforce development and, separately, partnered with MyVillage Project to apply for and win federal funding. 

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About the Community Funding Accelerator 

The Community Funding Accelerator (CFA) helps communities win and implement public funding. With a focus on cradle-to-career education and workforce pathways, CFA identifies relevant funding opportunities, builds coalitions, and provides deep technical assistance to submit winning applications. CFA also supports implementation to create innovative education and workforce solutions in communities across the U.S. The CFA program is led by Delivery Associates, a public sector consulting firm.

Kids Hope Alliance is a division of the City of Jacksonville that funds programming which cultivates and grows Jacksonville’s cradle-to-career possibilities. KHA works alongside 100+ partners, networking to deliver 140+ programs that created real pathways for Jacksonville families.

Partnership will support over 450 students with credentialing and securing internships in the energy field within the next year and thousands more by 2033  

[August 25, 2025] The Community Funding Accelerator (CFA) and Future Use of Energy in Louisiana (FUEL) have kicked off a new partnership to strengthen workforce readiness and expand opportunities for K-12 students to explore careers in the energy industry. Over the next three years, starting in the 2026 – 2027 school year, FUEL will support and facilitate enhanced career pathway programs in key regions in Louisiana to support over 450 students with credentialing and securing work-based learning opportunities, such as internships and apprenticeships, in the energy field. Together, CFA and FUEL aim to reach thousands of students across Louisiana by 2033. 

Louisiana’s energy sector is growing with over 2,240 job openings through December 2027, with 597 openings predicted annually, with wages 20% above the national average, about $72,500, and there is an increasing demand for high-wage roles like industrial and mechanical engineers, chemical and plant system operators, and electricians and carpenters. CFA and FUEL’s partnership will build on this momentum and prepare young talent to take advantage of these opportunities by developing and replicating high-quality workforce readiness programs, using locally-informed strategies proven to work.

“We are beyond thrilled to partner with FUEL for this important work in building the local workforce in Louisiana,” said Matt Ramirez, Project Leader at CFA. “Together, we’re not just expanding access, we’re connecting K-12 education to real job opportunities and creating meaningful pathways for Louisiana’s students to enter and take advantage of this growing and vital sector.” 

“As FUEL moves into the next three years of strategic workforce efforts in Louisiana, we are thrilled to bring in the additional capacity and thought leadership of CFA — a trusted advisor to a number of leading workforce initiatives across the country,” said Lacy McManus, Director of Workforce Development for FUEL. “It’s crucial that we make our energy industry as strong as possible and that means we must create a healthy talent pipeline with our state’s best and brightest students.” 

To learn more about this partnership, visit the CFA website at communityfundingaccelerator.org and FUEL’s website at fuelouisiana.org.

About the Community Funding Accelerator 

The Community Funding Accelerator (CFA) helps communities win and implement public funding. With a focus on cradle-to-career education and workforce pathways, CFA identifies relevant funding opportunities, builds coalitions, and provides deep technical assistance to submit winning applications. CFA also supports implementation to create innovative education and workforce solutions in communities across the U.S. The CFA program is led by Delivery Associates, a public sector consulting firm.

About Future Use of Energy in Louisiana

Future Use of Energy in Louisiana (FUEL) is a collaborative initiative bringing together universities, community and technical colleges, state agencies, industry partners, and capital investors, all led by LSU. With up to $160 million in funding from the National Science Foundation (NSF) through the NSF Engines program and an additional $67.5 million from Louisiana Economic Development, FUEL is dedicated to driving the state’s energy innovation forward. The initiative will support energy-focused research and development, workforce training, the commercialization of cutting-edge technologies, and energy startups in Louisiana.

The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has awarded Apprenticeship Tennessee nearly $6 million to increase capacity of Registered Apprenticeship and state-certified pre-apprenticeship programs across the state. The newly awarded, highly competitive grant will be used to develop Tennessee’s workforce in rural and underserved areas, expanding career pathways for a new generation of talent. 

The funding includes a $5 million grant for State Apprenticeship Expansion Formula (SAEF), with an additional $939,312 from the grants awarded to all 50 states. Over the course of three years, part of the funding will go toward piloting career and technical education (CTE) integration with a goal to reach over 1,500 participants, enrolling over 1,000 participants in Registered Apprenticeships and about 150 participants in high-school level programming including pre-apprenticeships. Read the full press release.