Training grant to boost job growth at Universal North America in Sarasota County

Training grant to boost job growth at Universal North America in Sarasota County
Insurance carrier to add up to 70 jobs in two years

SARASOTA (March 7, 2011) – Universal North America was awarded a training grant of $84,000 to assist in expanding its workforce by supporting training for new employees at the company’s U.S. headquarters in Sarasota County. Universal, which is the first company in Sarasota County to receive this grant, plans to add up to 70 jobs in the next two years, according to Kathy Baylis, president and CEO of the Economic Development Corporation of Sarasota County (EDC).

Universal North America is a multiregional insurance carrier. Its subsidiary, Universal Insurance Managers Inc., supports the customer service, cash processing, underwriting and claims reporting functions for independent agents and policy holders both in and outside of Florida. Universal added 20,000 square feet adjacent to existing offices in Sarasota County to house property and casualty insurance operations and other support services.

“Universal’s experience in Sarasota County demonstrates the community’s strong viability as a location for financial services employers,” Baylis said. “The commitment of public and private organizations to facilitate job creation is paying off. Employers are being well-served in finding the resources they need.  All they need to do is ask.”

The EDC, State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota (SCF), and SALTT LLC, a consulting firm, collaborated to help Universal apply for the state-funded Quick Response Training grant.  The grant will help train newly hired employees beginning their careers in various specialized areas of the company. Universal’s insurance services require customized training programs that, in many cases, lead to certificates or industry-specific licenses. SCF will provide instruction for several of the classes.

“We are tremendously grateful, even humbled, by the support we’ve received from the community,” said Universal North America’s President Rick Espino. “Many organizations came together to assist in making this expansion in Sarasota County possible. It is now our responsibility and our promise to follow through, to live up to the high standards we’ve set for ourselves and to give back to the wonderful Sarasota community in which our offices reside, our employees and their families live, and Universal North America calls home.”

“SCF is pleased to have been chosen as a training provider for Universal North America. Helping companies design comprehensive training plans and collaborating with the EDC to write a quick-response training grant are examples of how SCF assists local businesses and fuels economic development in our region,” said Daisy Vulovich, associate vice president of Corporate and Community Development at SCF. In the Quick Response Training grant process, the college serves as the fiscal agent, coordinating the company’s training efforts through state funds from Workforce Florida. 

“The EDC strongly recommends that Sarasota County businesses examine their training needs and consider taking advantage of available grants,” Baylis said. For information about training grants, Sarasota County businesses may contact Joan McGill at the EDC, (941) 309-1200 ext. 107, jmcgill@edcsarasotacounty.com.

About the EDC

The EDC of Sarasota County is the private, not-for-profit corporation leading the community’s economic development strategy to add high-wage jobs and diversify the local economy. The EDC provides business assistance to companies in Sarasota County and helps forge solutions to community challenges that affect quality of life. The EDC works in partnership with chambers of commerce, local governments and other organizations throughout the county and the region. For more information, visit www.edcsarasotacounty.com.

About Workforce Florida

Workforce Florida Inc. is the statewide workforce investment board led by business and government leaders and charged with policy-setting and oversight of Florida’s workforce system, which includes the Agency for Workforce Innovation and 24 Regional Workforce Boards. Its mission is to develop strategies that help Floridians enter, remain and advance in the workforce while supporting economic development priorities and strengthening the state’s business climate. Florida’s workforce system provided services including job search, referral and placement assistance as well as training to more than 1.7 million job seekers and employers last year. Learn more about Florida’s workforce resources and solutions at www.EmployFlorida.com.