With public eye on November, much of pre-opening action at the Dr. Phillips Center taking place off stage

Continued on page 2

The BLUEPRINT is the City of Orlando’s economic plan associated with building the Community Venues (the Amway Center, the new Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts and reconstruction of the Orlando Citrus Bowl). The BLUEPRINT Program Office provides assistance to minority and women-owned businesses as well as employment and training opportunities for residents of Parramore, ex-offenders and homeless persons. 2014 SEPT

T he $514 million Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts will have a ribbon-cutting and official opening on November 6, 2014. With

about two months to go, hundreds of local workers and businesses are completing the final touches to both the building and the Seneff Arts Plaza.

Yet even before the grand opening date arrives, there have been milestones to celebrate. A big occasion occurred on August 15, when the Dr. Phillips Center staff moved into its new offices. October 15 will be another date to remember, according to Tim Ackert, who is the Project Director of the Orlando Venues. Per the current

Shown, left to right, at the recent pinning ceremony are: Trudy-Ann Harty, Wynetta Norton, Dawn Vetrone, Ebony Thompson, Kataya McDonald, Mayor Buddy Dyer, Jamie Wilson, Olga Kazakova, Lina Lopez, Monica Jaramillo and Justin Porter

A view of the exterior of the new Dr. Phillips Center. Photo courtesy of the Orlando Sentinel.

SOCCER STADIUM UPDATE

Groundbreaking for Construction on downtown

Orlando’s future $110 million

Major League Soccer stadium takes place on

Oct. 16.Continued on page 4

M arking a major milestone on their journey to becoming registered nurses, the first class of 10 practical

nurses to graduate from the Orlando Medical Careers Partnership Program (OMCP) were honored in a ceremony led by Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer. The traditional “pinning” ceremony celebrates the successful completion of the coursework and clinicals required to graduate and sit for the state licensing exam to be certified as Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs). District 5 City Commissioner Regina I. Hill also participated in the August 27th event at City Council Chambers.

Of the ten graduates, eight achieved the academic honors of being inducted into the National Technical Honor Society (see story on page 3). The students pinned were Trudy-Ann Harty, Monica Jaramillo, Olga Kazakova, Lina Lopez, Kataya McDonald, Wynetta Norton, Justin Porter, Ebony Thompson, Dawn Vetrone and Jamie Wilson.

One year ago, in what is believed to be the first of its kind in the nation, Orlando

leaders unveiled a new program to educate, train and employ residents who might not get a chance to work in the healthcare field — and take advantage of opportunities where they are needed most: Orlando’s Medical City.

Mayor Dyer, along with Commissioner Emeritus Daisy W. Lynum and other partners, introduced the Medical Careers

Partnership in September 2013. This program takes a comprehensive approach to engage mostly at-risk residents from elementary school through adulthood, with a four-tier system focusing on Breaking Barriers, Youth Engagement, Advancing Adults and careers in science and healthcare-related fields.

Orlando Medical Careers Partnership Marks First Year With Graduate Pinning Ceremony

2

Nearly $115 million has been awarded in contracts to minority and women owned businesses during

the construction of the new Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts and the Orlando Citrus Bowl, as reported in the latest figures from the City of Orlando’s BLUEPRINT program.

Nearly $58 million in contracts related to the construction of the Dr. Phillips Center have been awarded to minority and women-owned business enterprises (MWBE) which accounts for 30 percent of

all awarded contracts for the performing arts center. A breakdown of that dollar figure has just under $43 million going to minority companies (MBE) and over $15 million has been awarded to women owned businesses(WBE). The Orlando Citrus Bowl reconstruction numbers are close to $57 million awarded to MWBEs which accounts for 29 percent of all awarded contracts. The breakdown on this project has almost $44 million awarded to MBEs and just under $13 million in contracts going to WBEs.

The BLUEPRINT plan creates opportunities for minority and women-owned businesses so that they can bid for contracts related to the Community Venues project, which includes the Dr. Phillips Center, the Amway Center, the Orlando Citrus Bowl reconstruction and the Orlando Soccer Stadium. The BLUEPRINT requires at least 18 percent of Venues contracts be set aside for minority companies and 6 percent reserved for women-owned firms. s

Nearly $115 Million in Contracts Awarded to Minority/Women-Owned Companies for

Performing Arts Center and Orlando Citrus Bowl

For nearly two years, Commissioner Lynum had worked to form partnerships that included the City’s BLUEPRINT Employment Office, Orlando Housing Authority, Lynx, Workforce Central Florida, Orange County Public Schools, Jones High School, the University of Central Florida’s College of Medicine, FSU’s College of Medicine, Orlando Tech, Valencia College, and the Orlando VA Medical Center.

“I am so proud of this initiative. It speaks volumes to a community’s ability to collaborate with partners, and help incubate and prepare our City for future job creation. We are taking care of our residents in a way that few other cities can do, and we lead the way in healthcare training,” says Commissioner Emeritus Lynum.

“I want to thank all of the OMCP partners, and particularly Dr. Barbara Jenkins, Orange County Public Schools; Dr. Falecia Williams, Valencia College; Dr. Michael Armbruster, Orange County Public Schools; Orlando Tech’s Dr. Kim Kochura, Nursing Program Director and Janeal Leferriere, Program Instructor for their dedication to make this program a success,” stated Mayor Dyer. “I can tell you that I have personally spoken to the BLUEPRINT nursing students who are grateful for this opportunity. Thanks to all of you, we are breaking barriers

and creating opportunities for the next generation of doctors, nurses, and health care professionals.”

The next step for the graduates begins in January 2015 when they start their advanced nursing classes at Valencia College to obtain their registered nurse degree. By September of 2015, after two years of concentrated studies, these students will have earned an Associate of Science degree and will be eligible to sit for the RN license exam.

During the ceremony, Commissioner Regina Hill reminded the graduates that “today is for pleasantries—smiles, congratulations, well wishes and celebrating. Enjoy the experience, it is a good one that each of you has earned.” She reminded the graduates that their

program was paid for through funds and in-kind contributions from the City of Orlando, Orlando Tech, CareerSource and Valencia College.

The next program will have to be funded fully by private funds. “You will be asked to pay it forward by donating funds and volunteering at fundraising events to ensure that opportunity is not denied to future students because of financial barriers that are nearly impossible to overcome,” said Commissioner Hill.

“We will continue to use our resources to spearhead more funding, educational, and career opportunities,” Mayor Dyer commented. “We have brought the VA Hospital, Florida Hospital and Nemours’s as employment partners who are looking to hire the kind of bright, motivated applicants that this program will produce.”

As our population ages and lives longer, health care will become even more vital – and will offer more opportunities than ever before. Careers in the medical service arena — doctors, nurses, technicians, therapists, home health aides — are one of the fastest-growing sectors in the nation.

“Orlando is perfectly positioned to spearhead these career opportunities and to enrich our community with well-educated medical professionals,” Mayor Dyer added. s

Orlando Medical Careers Partnership Marks First Year With Graduate Pinning CeremonyContinued from page 1

Commissioner Regina Hill

3

Despite long hours and tough academics, BLUEPRINT nursing students earn honors

A lmost to the day from when they began last year, 10 students who were selected for an accelerated

nursing program scholarship through the City’s BLUEPRINT Employment Office graduated as practical nurses at a ceremony at City Hall on August 27, 2014. For most of the nursing students, however, the graduation ceremony, which was hosted by Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer and District 5 City Commissioner Regina Hill, was just a brief respite until their full-time academic schedule begins again for their Registered Nurse (RN) training.

Three of the 8 BLUEPRINT honor students were recently interviewed and they are looking forward to taking their Licensed Practical Nurses (LPN) exam and then resuming classes at Orlando Tech and Valencia College, courtesy of a $40,000 commitment from the City of Orlando as part of the Orlando Medical Careers Partnership. The Partnership, which was a longtime passion of District 5 City Commissioner Emeritus Daisy W. Lynum, is a unique public-private partnership designed to provide educational and professional opportunities to Orlando residents who have the enthusiasm but not the education or funding to pursue them. Each of these three students — Ebony Thompson, Wynetta Norton and Lina Lopez — is also a National Technical Honor Society member, the result of academic prowess even in the face of incredibly challenging circumstances.

Although their BLUEPRINT scholarship covers tuition, lab fees, book costs and even free buses (courtesy of LYNX), there are financial obligations that still have to be met. Since the program is an accelerated full-time effort, the three women and their classmates are in school every weekday starting from early morning until 10pm, with a minimum of three hours of homework each night. For the majority of them,

classes are divided between Orlando Tech and Valencia College, which means that transportation and childcare must be carefully coordinated. It’s a plan that requires a tremendous support system from the BLUEPRINT, family, employers, and friends.

As Wynetta Norton says, “It’s a shared sacrifice for me, my husband, and our school-age children. Sometimes he comes home and the power is out — there’s only so much that one person working can do.”

Lina Lopez admits as a 27-year-old with neither husband nor children and living with her parents makes “it easier, because I don’t have other responsibilities.” “Still,” Lopez says, “I’ve had to re-learn study habits and manage my time more wisely. It’s been a challenging year.”

Ebony Thompson says that her fiancée and her sister help her when it comes to AJ, Thompson’s three-year-old son.

“It’s been pressure from the get-go,” says the Parramore native whose previous medical training to become a pharmacist had to be put on hold due to family obligations. “There are not enough hours in the day. But I know in the end it will be worth it.”

Thompson and Lopez all have medical education and experience. Norton, a former probation officer, does not. Lopez

is a licensed EMT and wants to become an RN, hopefully at Winnie Palmer Hospital for Women and Children, and then eventually, a Physician’s Assistant.

“I want to get more training and have more responsibilities, particularly in pediatrics or OB/GYN,” says Lopez.

Norton is drawn to the field of oncology, fueled by an early death of a beloved aunt to cancer. “I also lost a close friend who had a daughter my age,” Norton recalls. “Cancer has had its effect on me and I want to be able to help others.”

As challenging as the past year has been — and with the reality that the RN program will be equally tough — Norton clearly relishes what she’s learning.

“It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity,” she says. “I would never have been able to do this without the (BLUEPRINT) scholarship.”

Mayor Dyer says that it is students like Norton that confirm his continued support of the Orlando Medical Careers Partnership.

“The Partnership offers the chance to create a well-trained workforce to fill the tens of thousands of potential jobs and lift the economic standards for Orlando’s working families,” says Mayor Dyer. “Careers in healthcare — nursing,

Ebony Thompson Wynetta Norton Lina Lopez

Continued on page 8

4

Making plans for a fulfilling future

L ynn Numan is a man with a plan. “I’m going to get my Journeyman electrician’s license.”

But a plan wasn’t always on Numan’s mind. “I was out running around the streets not doing anything productive. I have a good mother who tried to stress education. But I didn’t want to listen,” he says.

His mother got her first degree at age 60. His father is highly educated, having received a Master’s degree when his son was 15.

In his ’40s, Numan found himself living in Connecticut trying to stay out of trouble. He was thinking it was time for a change.

Meanwhile, Numan’s father, who lives in Orlando, attended a job event and struck up a conversation with the City’s BLUEPRINT special projects manager Janeiro Coulter. He asked about job opportunities for his son. “Dad called me in Connecticut and told me he had someone down here I could talk to about jobs.” Numan decided to try a

change of scenery and flew to Orlando to be with his father.

“Dad said to wait a few weeks before I started to look for a job. He said to get to know the city,” recalls Numan. “I said, no, I’m ready to go to work.” With that, he

walked into the BLUEPRINT Employment Office. “Give me a shot and I’ll shine,” he told them.

He was set up with an interview right away. “I suited up and put on a tie,” says Numan. “They didn’t expect that. But I didn’t come here to play,” he says. He got the job two days later. He’s now a materials handler and electrician’s apprentice on the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts project.

But Numan wants more, so he has also signed up for school. It seems he set a precedent at the BLUEPRINT Employment Office. He was one of the first laborers to also attend school. Numan attends Mid Florida Tech and is studying to get his Journeyman’s license as an electrician. It’ll take him four years. “It’s work,” he says, “but it’ll be fun afterwards; I’ll be earning more money.”

“We’re proud of people like Lynn who

Lynn Numan

schedule, that’s when the Dr. Phillips Center will accept the facility for its use and operation. That transition, says Ackert, is often a late-night, little-heralded event.

“It’s when the last piece of paper comes into the city, and the Certificate of Occupancy is transferred,” says Ackert. “With the Amway Center construction in 2010, it was around eight at night.”

“That old saying – ‘it takes a village’ – that’s where a great operations team helps move things along,” continues Ackert, “and the Dr. Phillips Center has a great team. From the City standpoint, we’ve got a half-dozen building inspectors, along with dozens of permit people, and other folks behind the scenes working quietly to make sure that the Dr. Phillips Center team has time to get to know their new building before opening it up to the public. This is all in conjunction with the design, construction and owner’s representative team. You want to have a facility where people ‘ooh and ahh’ about the look and feel, and to enjoy the experience, but you also have to give

the staff the opportunity to learn all of the systems and to train for the public, including in an emergency.”

Ackert notes that the emergency generators at the Dr. Phillips Center have been tested numerous times already, as part of the safety backups for the occupied portion. Final testing and tweaking of the acoustic sound system, lighting, and theatrical systems will begin later this month and continue until just before the grand opening. The first Broadway touring show will be “The Phantom of the Opera” in the 2,700-seat Walt Disney Theater on December 3, 2014 (for a complete list of the inaugural season, please go to www.drphillipscenter.org.)

While private funding and donations continue, Ackert says that the funding isn’t in place yet for the next stage of construction of the acoustical theater. However, he says that the design is ready as soon as the monies are in place.

“We took all the lessons that we learned from building Stage 1, along with select

enhancements and changes, to develop a final design package, and in three months, we could have the permit,” says Ackert. He added, “To keep the same consistency of style, we planned ahead, such as purchasing additional stone flooring and granite countertops that will go into the second stage. We also went by the 2010 code (rather than the 2007) for things like the amount of sunlight that penetrates the windows for a consistent look. It will have the same appearance, and it will save more energy.”

The new Seneff Arts Plaza will also be ready for the public by the Opening in November. The plaza sits between two parcels available for development. Hopefully soon, there will be a number of restaurants, shops, and possibly a new hotel, all part of the pedestrian traffic that Ackert believes will create more revenue for local businesses.

“The Dr. Phillips Center will definitely be an urban performing arts center,” Ackert promises. “There will be a lot of buzz about Orlando’s downtown.” s

Continued on page 8

With public eye on November, much of pre-opening action at the Dr. Phillips Center taking place off stageContinued from page 1

5

Tharp Plumbing Training Class BEO participants: (Left to right) Tharp Plumbing Trainer -Tony Chaves, Kenneth Bell, Eddie McCall, Danny Beltron, Kevin Williams, Ernest Varnado and Tharp Plumbing Vice President/Business Administration—Jay Jackson. Missing from photo—Henry Anderson.

I t may have been as a student at the University of Central Florida (class of 1973) that James W. Tharp, Jr., founder

and president of Tharp Plumbing, read a truism that has been his personal guiding force: “Mankind has become so much one family that we cannot insure our own prosperity except by insuring that of everyone else.”

Tharp established his company three years after graduating with a firm commitment to excellence not only in service but in personal character. Today, Tharp Plumbing is one of the largest commercial plumbing firms in Central Florida.

In December of 2013, Tharp met with Janerio R. Coulter, Special Projects Manager of the City of Orlando’s BLUEPRINT program to discuss the hiring initiatives for Tharp’s Citrus Bowl renovation contract. Under the program guidelines, contractors are encouraged to seek registered BLUEPRINT workers first, with the goal of providing target residents the chance of steady employment, sustainable personal finances, and career advancement.

Whatever doubts that Tharp had about what he termed “government mandated participation goals initiatives” have been erased as six new Tharp employees – former BLUEPRINT registrants – have not only become valued team members, but have sparked an apprenticeship program fully funded by Tharp Plumbing.

“Six previously unskilled but ambitious minority individuals sourced from the BLUEPRINT program are proud members of our recently convened national and state certified plumbing apprenticeship program,” says Tharp. “Each one of them has earned their seat in this three-year training program through their strong work ethic and commitment to mastering new skills.”

Ernest Varnado, age 34 is a Parramore resident with plumbing and construction experience who found many doors closed to him due to his incarceration. He registered with the BLUEPRINT in

January of 2014, and the next month had an interview with Tharp Plumbing, which included a candid conversation about his criminal record.

“I told them I would put my past behind me if I could have an opportunity to prove myself to them,” Varnado recalls. “There’s not many who would do what Tharp has done, and now I’m grateful – loyal to them, and grateful.”

Varnado’s dream is to earn his journeyman’s license and beyond, with a career path that has Tharp Plumbing firmly at his center. He wants to buy a home for himself and his four young children.

His story, according to Tharp, is the kind that needs to be told as a reflection of how well the BLUEPRINT works to match workers with employers, and why it’s important for companies to invest with training and mentoring for their employees.

“This is a positive and potentially life-long affect our collective efforts are having on many deserving people in the community that that this program was established to serve,” added Tharp.

The Company’s training program includes a personal computer for each of the six apprentices, and one-on-one

interaction with a nationally certified Master Trainer, with both on-line instruction and on-the-job practical application.

“This is exactly the outcome that we hoped for when we created the BLUEPRINT program,” said Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer, who designed the initiative with Commissioner Emeritus Daisy W. Lynum. “Our goal was to provide the opportunity to help those who really wanted to make something happen in their lives, despite circumstances beyond their control or from poor personal choices that they made but are taking responsibility for,” the Mayor added. “I’m delighted that Tharp Plumbing has created this program as a direct result of hiring BLUEPRINT registrants and seeing their potential.”

Tharp said, “Our manpower needs on the Citrus Bowl renovation project were significantly advanced by the labor pool created by the BLUEPRINT program. It’s wonderful to see such initiatives manifest the fruit of their intent and promote community, corporate, and individual success!” He added that “the guidance and outreach” of the City’s BLUEPRINT Employment Office, along with the assistance of Turner

Continued on page 7

Tharp Plumbing funds new apprentice training for 6 employees hired through BLUEPRINT Employment Office

6

A rendering of the new Orlando Citrus Bowl

As of Monday, September 22, 2014 the present BLUEPRINT EMPLOYMENT OFFICE location will be closed permanently.

We opened our NEW LOCATION at 617 North Magnolia Avenue, Suite 200, Orlando, FL 32801 on Monday, September 29, 2014.

Office hours: 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m., Monday - Friday Our phone number remains the same: 407-246-3721

BLUEPRINT EMPLOYMENT OFFICE MOVING!

Citrus Bowl Reconstruction Enters Final Phase

T he dust will soon settle at the Orlando Citrus Bowl. After nearly 10 months of demolition and construction, the

massive reconstruction of the famed bowl is entering the final phases.

Crews have been working to transform the aging bowl arena into a state-of-the-art, open-air facade that will include added amenities, expanded seating and an impressive array of video displays when completed.

City leaders and project managers say the new contemporary design and layout will ensure that every fan has a better experience during games, concerts and other special events.

“The new Orlando Citrus Bowl will be unlike anything the City has ever seen. The new design and amenities will give visitors an experience they will never forget and compliments the design and experience we’ve created at the other Community Venues projects,” said Mayor Buddy Dyer.

Since demolition began back in January on the $207 million project, crews have reconstructed and built back the stadium’s lower bowl and foundation. More than 20,000-plus new seats with additional legroom, new interior beams and railings have been installed. Crews are now installing transportation modes that will increase the capability of moving fans through the stadium, including new stairs, escalators, and elevators. Crews are also working on the bowl’s new signature marquee main board on the south end, the hallmark of any new stadium reconstruction project.

With just weeks to go before the annual Florida Blue Florida Classic game on November 22, Project Manager Brent

Daubach is confident that the stadium will be “game ready” with seating and amenities for the estimated 50,000 fans expected to attend.

Additional concession and restroom enhancements will be added for the next marquee event, the Russell Athletic Bowl in late December. Minor enhancements will be finalized for the Orlando City Soccer season opener next spring.

When the Citrus Bowl is complete in April, 80 percent of the project will be reconstruction or mostly new building. Among the new features: a 360-degree main concourse; lower bowl seating with six more inches of leg room; unique club experiences with over 6,000 seats; 15,000-square-foot party deck; 1,000 suite seats and 20 midfield boxes; multiple video displays, innovative concession options, and new restroom facilities.

“We didn’t just design the Orlando Citrus Bowl around football. We designed it to be a multi-purpose stadium, and fans

will be able to enjoy the event from any seat inside,” said Daubach, project manager with SC Advisors, who is spearheading the construction efforts.

“When you walk through the gates and into the concourse at the Citrus Bowl, the new design and look will be very Florida – open air, fresh colors, and an inviting place to enjoy events with friends and fans. We wanted to make sure this new bowl design will put Orlando on the map to bid for college championship games or serve as a neutral site for NFL games as well,” he added.

The City of Orlando’s BLUEPRINT Employment Office serves as an asset to hire prospective job candidates for the Citrus Bowl reconstruction project.

“I am proud that the BLUEPRINT Employment Office remains an invaluable resource to give people the skills and tools they need to succeed to find good paying, jobs to support their families,” said Mayor Dyer. s

7

Ernest Henry Jones Jr.

E rnest Henry Jones Jr. credits the BLUEPRINT Employment Office with giving him the tools to rebuild and

change his life.He attended Jones High School and

Orlando Tech and earned his GED. A mason tender by trade for 15 years, the ex-offender worked as a roofer and on several smaller temporary construction jobs around Orlando to support himself. With a slowing economy and fewer available jobs, Jones found himself homeless.

He recalls learning about the BLUEPRINT Employment Office from some of his co-workers on the job site. Jones says he knew that was the key to finding a long-term, better-paying job and took the first step to contact the office.

“They taught me how to do my resume on the computer and update it,” said Jones. A few days later, Jones says an agency contacted him about a job opening on the Citrus Bowl project. He was hired last month to install seats in the stadium.

The BLUEPRINT Employment Office is a one-stop resource to help candidates find employment, develop computer training and interviewing skills, and learn resume building. Job candidates have access to a computer lab to write their resume and cover letters, and use of a fax machine and printer to submit their materials and contact prospective employers about job postings.

Mayor Buddy Dyer and City Commissioner Emeritus Daisy W. Lynum created the BLUEPRINT six years ago to target job placement for prospective candidates who live in the Parramore area, who are homeless or ex-felons to work on the development of the Community Venues projects.

Those projects include the new Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts, the reconstruction of the Orlando Citrus Bowl, the Amway Center, and the new Orlando Soccer Stadium. The BLUEPRINT Employment Office also places job candidates in non-construction jobs throughout Central Florida.

“The BLUEPRINT Employment Office works with every candidate to create the best possible resume, and give them the tools and skills they need to succeed and find jobs,” says Mayor Dyer.

“I am happy that the BLUEPRINT Employment Office continues to help people in my district of Parramore, ex-felons and the homeless secure the better-paying jobs to rebuild their lives and help the City of Orlando continue to grow,” said District 5 City Commissioner Regina Hill.

Today, Jones, who is reunited with his three sisters and two brothers, live together in Parramore and all contribute to their mother’s care while she recovers from a stroke.

Jones says he has recommended the BLUEPRINT Employment Office to a number of friends and several of them have been hired to work on the Citrus Bowl project.

“The BLUEPRINT Employment Office is a very good program for ex-felons and those who really need a job. You can work in the City of Orlando and not have to travel. It is a very good step to rebuilding your life,” he says. s

Rebuilding His Life With The Help of the BLUEPRINT

Construction, “successfully advanced the program’s goal.”

Thirty-four-year old Danny Beltran travels two hours each way by bus to the Citrus Bowl, where he works with other Tharp Plumbing employees on fitting water pipes and other work on the multimillion dollar renovation project. Beltran moved from New York, where he worked loading trucks at a warehouse.

“It was a job, not a career path,” said Beltran, “With Tharp, I’m on a better path, learning a trade, building a life for myself. You don’t meet people like the folks at Tharp. They don’t believe in just looking at someone or their background and making a judgement. They look at your work ethic and your loyality. And believe me, I’m loyal to them,” adds Beltran. His goal is to learn as much as possible to “do more, contribute more.”

“And buy a car!” he adds. “The BLUEPRINT wouldn’t work without

the interaction of proactive business leaders like Tharp. Nothing works in a vacuum,” said Coulter. “It’s only when we have the energy and leadership of private business, combined with the guidance and oversight of an equal opportunity program, that we can fuel an economic recovery for everyone, regardless of their background, their education, or their personal history. We can do this, and I know this to be true because it’s happening, right now, all over the city.”

City Commissioner District 5 Regina Hill sees the benefits and potential of the BLUEPRINT Employment Office among her constituents. “I applaud Tharp Plumbing’s apprenticeship program and their recognition that great employees – long term employees – can come through our program. I just want more training and opportunities like this for my district and for the entire City.” s

Tharp Plumbing funds new

apprentice training for 6 employees

Continued from page 5

City of Orlando400 S. Orange Avenue, 9th FloorOrlando, Florida 32801

PRSRT STDU.S. POSTAGE PAIDORLANDO FLPERMIT NO. 1802

BLUEPRINT Program Office • Janeiro Coulter, Special Projects Manager • 407.246.3180BLUEPRINT Employment Office • 617 North Magnolia Ave, Suite 200 • Orlando, FL 32801 • 407-246-3721

venues.blueprint@cityoforlando.net

residents so that they can find work and be able to raise a family here.”

Numan gives a lot of credit to the people at the BLUEPRINT Employment Office. “The people at the BLUEPRINT (Employment Office) are very helpful. They took their time with me to show me the possibilities. They get a lot of people through here. They open the door. But YOU have to do the footwork and walk through that door,” he stresses.

resources they need to get the education that a well-paying medical career requires,” Commissioner Hill stated. “It’s my goal to make the program even more cost and labor efficient for maximum results.”

Even with the challenges of scheduling and academics, these three nursing students find time to share a cup of coffee, study together, quiz each other, and continue to encourage each other as their next year begins this fall. They all

really take the help they’re given and extend it beyond just getting that first interview or even getting a job,” says Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer. “He took it to the next level and showed the drive and determination to make a life for himself here in the City Beautiful.”

District 5 City Commissioner Regina Hill concurs. “Lynn is a true example of what we’re trying to do here in our community. We want the BLUEPRINT Employment Office to be a true resource for our

therapists, technicians and other skilled medical jobs — will be among the fastest-growing over the next 20 years, and our City will be on the leading edge of that employment boom.”

Commissioner Hill, herself a LPN, hopes that the program will include more participants in the coming years. She is a graduate of Orlando Tech’s LPN program.

“I want to make sure that motivated and hard-working candidates can find the

Numan says his mother is very happy about the positive changes in her son’s life. “I’ve always been proud of her and now she’s proud of ME.”

Since it opened six years ago, the BLUEPRINT Employment Office has placed 1,167 applicants in Venues jobs, with nearly 49 percent of those jobs awarded to the program’s target population of Parramore residents, the homeless and ex-felons. s

share the same “celebration” plan once their RN training and testing is over: sleep. On many nights, the demands of study, work, and family life leave them with as little as two hours of rest.

“I’m going on fumes,” admits Norton. “It will be wonderful to get even six hours of sleep.”

For now, however, there are new schedules to coordinate and later finals to take. s

Making plans for a fulfilling future

Despite long hours and tough academics, BLUEPRINT nursing students earn honors

Continued from page 4

Continued from page 3