Career Source Southwest Florida

What Career Source Southwest Florida does

CareerSource Southwest Florida is a non-profit workforce development organization headquartered in Fort Myers, Florida, operating eight physical career centers across six counties (Charlotte, Collier, Glades, Hendry, Lee, and Monroe). Founded in 1984, it functions as part of the statewide CareerSource Florida network and serves as the federally designated direct service provider for employment and training programs funded through the U.S. Department of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Agriculture. Federal awards totaling $15.3 million underwrite its operations, allowing the organization to deliver services at no cost to both job seekers and employers in the region.

The organization's core service platform consists of two channels: (1) eight in-person career centers providing job search assistance, career coaching, resume building, occupational training, apprenticeships, and case-managed programs for veterans, people with disabilities, migrant farmworkers, youth (ages 14-24), SNAP recipients, TANF/welfare recipients, and non-custodial parents; and (2) the Employ Florida Marketplace, a statewide online platform offering job search tools, a resume builder, and a Virtual Recruiter feature that pushes automated job-match notifications to candidates. Productized programs include the Summer Youth Employment Program, Professional Career Network, Welfare Transition Program, SNAP E&T, MSFW outreach, and Registered Apprenticeships.

The organization has no fee-for-service revenue stream and is not a venture or equity-backable entity. Pricing is non-applicable — all services are free to end users on both sides of the marketplace (job seekers and employers). Revenue mechanics are grant-funded and contract-style, governed by the Southwest Florida Workforce Development Consortium and overseen by state partners including FloridaCommerce (formerly the Florida Department of Commerce) and the Florida Department of Children and Families. The go-to-market is direct-to-consumer via physical foot traffic, employer outreach by a dedicated Business Services team, and community referrals through schools and social service agencies. Marketing channels include an active organic social presence (Facebook, Twitter/X, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, YouTube), email newsletters, the SWFL Career Connect Podcast, and a multilingual website supporting six languages.

Name

Career Source Southwest Florida

Legal name

CareerSource Southwest Florida

Website

https://careersourcesouthwestflorida.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1984

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

CareerSource Southwest Florida is a federally funded, non-profit workforce development organization that delivers free employment, training, and career services across six Southwest Florida counties through eight career centers and the Employ Florida Marketplace platform.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Fort Myers

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices8 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Federal Workforce Development Grants: CareerSource Southwest Florida is a direct service provider for workforce programs fully supported by the U.S. Department of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Agriculture. All programs and services are provided at no-cost to job seekers and employers, funded through federal awards totaling $15.3 million.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

CareerSource Southwest Florida is a non-profit workforce development organization that delivers no-cost employment, training, education, and recruitment services across six counties in Southwest Florida. It serves both job seekers (career coaching, resume assistance, job matching, occupational training, apprenticeships) and businesses/employers (free recruitment, candidate screening, job fairs, training grants, tax credits), with specialized programs for veterans, people with disabilities, migrant seasonal farmworkers, youth, and welfare recipients, all funded through federal workforce development grants.

Product overview

CareerSource Southwest Florida operates as a workforce development organization offering a comprehensive suite of employment and education services across six counties (Charlotte, Collier, Glades, Hendry, Lee, and Monroe). The organization provides a platform of interconnected services for both businesses and career seekers, including Business Services for recruitment and training, Career Seeker Services for job search assistance, the Employ Florida Marketplace for job matching, and specialized programs including Summer Youth Employment, apprenticeships, disability services (Ticket to Work), SNAP E&T, Welfare Transition, veteran programs, and young adult workforce initiatives. The organization does not offer a software product but rather delivers service programs, many grant-funded through WIOA, that connect job seekers with employment opportunities and help businesses find qualified talent.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Business Services No-cost workforce solutions for employers in Southwest Florida including recruitment, candidate screening, job postings via the Employ Florida Marketplace, hosting hiring events and job fairs, tax credits, employee bonding programs, apprenticeships, on-the-job training, youth work experience programs (ages 14-24), and customized training reimbursements.
• Career Seeker Services No-cost employment assistance for individual job seekers in Southwest Florida, providing customized job search support, job market trends analysis, salary comparison tools, occupation research, apprenticeships, work experience programs, and direct connections to employers.
• Employ Florida Marketplace Online job-matching system that connects Southwest Florida job seekers with thousands of job openings statewide and helps employers discover qualified talent. Includes online job search tools, a resume builder, and a Virtual Recruiter feature that automatically sends job-match notifications.
• Summer Youth Employment Program Career-exploration and paid work-experience program for in-school youth ages 15-18 in Southwest Florida, with hands-on training in local businesses, up to 30 hours per week during April through August and up to 180 hours of paid work experience.
• Professional Career Network (PCN) Self-directed job-search workshop for professionals undergoing career transition, offering networking skills development, goal setting, business partnerships, job referrals, resume tips, and interview tips workshops.
• Non-Custodial Parent Employment Program (NCPEP) Specialized employment program helping unemployed or underemployed non-custodial parents find and maintain jobs to fulfill child-support obligations, including job-readiness training, job placement assistance, skills assessment, case management, and financial literacy training.
• Education and Training / WIOA Adult Program Grant-funded adult education and training programs under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) for adults aged 18+, including tutoring, study-skills training, alternative secondary school services, paid on-the-job training, occupational-skills training, and apprenticeships.
• Disability Program Navigator (DPN) Disability employment service assisting Social Security disability benefit recipients through the Ticket to Work Program, providing career counseling, vocational rehabilitation, and job placement services to help achieve financial independence.
• SNAP E&T (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Education and Training) Education and training program assisting SNAP participants to obtain skills through education, training, or work experience to increase self-sufficiency and employment, including for able-bodied adults without dependents (ABAWD) subject to work-activity requirements.
• Welfare Transition Program (WTP) Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Welfare Transition Program providing financial-assistance coordination, childcare, transportation assistance, diversion services, job training, and employment support to help eligible families achieve self-sufficiency.
• Veteran Employment Programs Priority employment service programs for veterans and eligible spouses, providing career counseling, transition services, vocational rehabilitation, job placement support, free employment educational services, and pipelines such as Veterans Energy Pipeline that match military skills to energy-industry jobs.
• Migrant Seasonal Farmworker (MSFW) Outreach Program Farmworker Career Development Program (FCDP) providing career services, training, and emergency stabilization services leading to year-round, unsubsidized employment for eligible migrant and seasonal farmworkers in Southwest Florida, funded in part through WIOA Section 167.
• Young Adults Program (Ages 14-24) WIOA Youth program giving out-of-school young adults ages 14-24 access to education and employment opportunities, including paid and unpaid work experiences, employment preparedness, occupational training, and career planning.
• Registered Apprenticeships Industry-driven registered apprenticeship programs combining paid on-the-job training from day one with technical classroom instruction, offering industry-recognized credentials, mentorship, and career advancement, including specific pathways such as IBEW electrical apprenticeships.

Quantifiable outcome

• No-cost services for both job seekers and employers
• +2 more outcomes

Segments9 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• FloridaCommerce (Florida Department of Commerce)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState agency partner overseeing the Welfare Transition Program and workforce development initiatives across Florida. CareerSource SWFL collaborates with FloridaCommerce to deliver services across Lee, Hendry, Collier, Glades, Charlotte, and Monroe counties.
• Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState agency partner for the Temporary Cash Assistance (TCA) program and SNAP E&T services. DCF refers recipients to CareerSource SWFL for employment and training services.
• Social Security AdministrationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartners on the Ticket to Work Program to assist disability benefit recipients in exploring employment and achieving financial independence.
• IBEW (International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCareerSource SWFL acts as a vital link between aspiring electricians and the IBEW, providing guidance, resources, and support throughout the apprenticeship application and training process.
• Veterans Energy PipelineminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProgram designed to help veterans identify types of jobs for which they may qualify by pairing their skills by rank and branch of service with similar job titles in the energy industry.
• Florida Department of EducationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFunding source for the Farmworker Career Development Program (FCDP) through WIOA Section 167, providing career services and training to eligible migrant and seasonal farmworkers.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Robert Half: Specialized staffing and talent solutions firm serving professional, finance, technology, and legal sectors. Adjacent incumbent in the same employment services category as CareerSource SWFL but operating in a for-profit, employer-paid model.

Direct peers

• CareerSource Tampa Bay: Another regional CareerSource Florida workforce development board serving Hillsborough, Pinellas, Hernando, Pasco, and Polk counties. Operates the same WIOA service model with Employ Florida Marketplace integration, serving as the closest structural peer within the statewide network.
• CareerSource Northeast Florida: Workforce development board serving Baker, Clay, Duval, Nassau, Putnam, and St. Johns counties. Operates the same WIOA-based service model with comparable program structure including youth, veteran, and disability employment services.
• CareerSource Central Florida: Regional workforce development board serving Orange, Osceola, Seminole, Lake, and Sumter counties. Direct structural peer in the CareerSource Florida network with identical federal funding model, programs (WIOA, SNAP E&T, Welfare Transition), and service offerings.

Others

• Employ Florida (FloridaCommerce): State-administered online job matching platform that all CareerSource regions (including CareerSource SWFL) integrate with. Functions as a statewide shared infrastructure provider rather than a competitor, but represents the core technology backbone for the organization.
• American Job Centers (U.S. Department of Labor network): Nationwide network of nearly 2,400 American Job Centers funded by the U.S. Department of Labor, of which CareerSource SWFL is a regional component. Represents the broader infrastructure context for the organization's operations.

Regional players

• Goodwill Industries of Southwest Florida: Non-profit providing workforce development, job training, and employment services for individuals with disabilities and other barriers to employment in the same Southwest Florida service area. Operates Mission Services programs that overlap with CareerSource SWFL's targeted population programs.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CareerSourceSWF
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCkbVRAOU0pJ4vy845x8Vidg
• Facebookfacebook.com/CareerSourceSWFL
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/3992954/admin
• Instagraminstagram.com/careersource_swfl
• TikToktiktok.com/@careersourceswfl

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Career Source Southwest Florida