Generation USA, a national workforce development nonprofit, honored graduates on Nov. 2, 2022, its first in-person ceremony since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, in Jacksonville, FL. The event celebrated 17 virtual and in-person graduates of the Credit Union Members Service Specialist and Assistant Medical Administrative Generation training programs while commemorating the organization’s new offices and classroom space in the Beaver Street Enterprise Center.
“It takes confidence and a belief in yourself to get you to this moment, but to the next moment, it takes everyone else’s belief in you,” said Samantha Beeler, President of the League of Southeastern Credit Union and Affiliates, during her address as Keynote Speaker for the event. “The secret sauce is how today came together, in that a lot of people believed in you.”
Other attendees of the graduation ceremony included Career Source Northeast Florida and local business and community partners. After the ceremony, Generation provided a tour of its new Administrative wing, Student Center, conference room, and classrooms for in-person learning and meetings. Designers tailored the space to meet Generation’s unique specifications thanks to financing provided by the Local Initiatives Support Corporation, a strong promoter of economic development throughout Jacksonville’s Rail Yard District, where the offices are situated.
The Beaver Street Enterprise Center opened in 2003 as an initiative of the nonprofit FreshMinistries, Inc., which focuses on worldwide job training, health, and entrepreneurship. It offers space and resources to more than 50 entrepreneurs in two buildings, as well as technical support to hundreds of offsite small business owners. Generation’s 4,000 square feet of office space occupies the last unfinished portion of the Beaver Street Enterprise Center’s 15,000-square-foot building at 728 Blanche Street.
“We are very pleased to welcome Generation USA to Beaver Street,” said Beaver Street Enterprise Center Executive Director Terrance Brisbane. “Its focus on workforce development across a broad range of fields contributes in powerful ways to companies large and small throughout Florida. Our organizations work to help individuals and businesses thrive, and we will do all we can to support Generation’s efforts in Jacksonville.”
