Nearly 220 representatives from 90 organizations in Northeast Florida gathered at the University of North Florida (UNF) for the fourth annual Employer Summit. The event, organized by UNF Career Services, is designed to begin the recruiting season and build connections between the university and regional employers.
Jacksonville, where UNF is located, has a strong business community that includes four Fortune 500 companies. The city continues to grow rapidly and has been recognized as one of the most active job markets in the United States.
“This year’s record-breaking registration reflects the strong demand for UNF talent and underscores the trust our employer partners place in the University as a key source for workforce development and future leadership,” said Scott Curry, senior director of Career Services.
Attendees included employers from various sectors such as healthcare, engineering, finance, transportation, and logistics. Companies represented included Fidelity Investments, Mayo Clinic, JEA, Florida Blue, CSX, Mercedez-Benz, and the Peace Corps.
The summit began with a networking breakfast followed by opening remarks from Florida State Senator Clay Yarborough; Dr. Paul Eason, UNF vice president of Strategy & Innovation; and Dr. Brian Verkamp, UNF chief information officer. Participants then attended breakout panels and workshops led by both industry leaders and university staff.
One session titled “Elevate Your Internship Efforts with UNF” was moderated by Erin Richman, assistant vice president of Student Success at UNF. Panelists from Acosta Group, Pivot CPAs, and Dun & Bradstreet discussed ways to improve internship programs.
Michael Cagle from Acosta Group led another session on developing early-career talent with contributions from CIS Companies, Corporate Traffic Logistics, Baptist Health, and FIS.
A workshop called “Degrees of Opportunity: From Arts to Analytics,” moderated by Dr. Jennifer Kane of the Silverfield College of Education & Human Services at UNF featured discussions about diverse hiring pathways with representatives from Fidelity Investments, Beeline, and the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office.
Employers also participated in planning for next year’s recruiting season with Lauren Linster from Career Services and learned about local talent resources presented by Murphy Gray of JAXUSA Partnerships.
“We attend the UNF Employer Summit every year to stay connected with the University, keep up with any changes in recruiting and continue building our talent pipeline,” said Sheryl Tschimpke of Pivot CPA. “UNF is a primary recruiting school for us, our entire pipeline is built from interns up, and we’ve had great success hiring students who want to grow their careers locally. The University’s strong accounting program, on-campus environment and emphasis on both technical and soft skill development really prepare students to succeed.”
UNF reports increasing interest among regional employers seeking students ready to enter professional roles immediately after graduation.
