Who We Are

The FutureMakers Coalition aims to transform Southwest Florida’s workforce by increasing the proportion of working-age adults with college degrees, workforce certificates, industry certifications and other high-quality credentials to 55%.

FutureMakers is a collective impact initiative working along the cradle-to-career pathway to create a skilled and sustainable workforce pipeline. The pathway begins with early childhood learning and ends with post-high school credential attainment and career connections. The coalition focuses on systems change to connect untapped workforce with the education and training to fill in-demand jobs by removing attainment barriers and creating a culture of career exploration and aspiration from an early age.

Post-high school education enhances social mobility and quality of life. Unfortunately, there are stark attainment gaps between populations throughout our region. The coalition uses a multigenerational approach to address disparities for traditional-age students and adults alike. To achieve our goal, we must align systems to be fair and work for everyone by closing achievement gaps between races, ethnicities, income levels, neighborhoods, and citizenship status

Southwest Florida needs more brain power. More than 60% of jobs require education beyond high school, and a skilled workforce is the best economic development incentive.

We have a wealth of untapped capacity and potential. Our five-county region includes tens of thousands first-generation students, underemployed adults, and people who never pursued or completed programs due to financial burdens, time constraints, and a multitude of other reasons.

The coalition has grown to over 300 FutureMakers representing business, education, government, nonprofits, philanthropy, residents, and students across Glades, Hendry, Collier, Lee, and Charlotte counties. Working regionally enhances the coalition’s ability to attract state and national funding and expertise. It also helps us share and coordinate best practices to maximize the knowledge and resources we already have. Hover over the counties below to see examples of work being accomplished by FutureMakers County Partners:

The FutureMakers Coalition builds upon a successful regional collaboration launched in 2013 to increase the number of graduating high school students completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, FAFSA, and tap into more than $3 billion in unclaimed federal college and post-secondary assistance.

The FutureMakers Coalition formed in March 2015 as part of the Southwest Florida region’s inclusion in Lumina Foundation’s Community Partners for Attainment, a program of 75 community cohorts throughout the country dedicated to significantly increasing the percent of residents with college degrees and post-secondary certifications and credentials.