by David Ball
Staff Writer
Gail Simon, executive secretary for the City’s Construction Trades Qualifying Board, never got to finish college. She left York College in New York after two years when she ran out of money.
But after nearly 18 years with the City, Simon said she now hopes to earn a bachelor’s in business and revitalize her trek up the career ladder — and the City may cover all of her tuition.
“I was made aware that I could enhance my career with the City by getting more college credit and there might be a way I could get financial assistance,” said Simon. “There are more options available than I realized.”
Simon scoped out potential colleges at Tuesday’s Career Fair at City Hall. The quarterly event is one of the resources provided by the City’s Human Resources Department through the career development program.
The program’s main function is to reimburse qualified City employees for classes taken to earn advanced certifications or degrees or to assume new roles and duties with the City, and it has been widely utilized.
“We want our employees to be well-educated, so they stay longer and are able to move up and progress through a career path,” said program coordinator Annette Davis. “We tout this as a benefit to a prospective employee. After six months, you can join the program.”
According to Davis, some 250 full-time City employees are enrolled in some form of college or certificate classes at any given time. Last year, the City reimbursed $265,291 in class expenses to employees from 17 departments and offices.
Close to half of the reimbursements (nearly $115,000) went to the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office for continuing education and certifications. The Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department had similar reimbursements at $47,758.
The reimbursement pool is tax money that is consolidated in the Human Resources Department and is available to all full-time employees of the City and its constitutional offices. To be eligible, an employee must get authorization from a supervisor, manager or department head.
“The manager has some responsibility to look at the course curriculum and the degree and make an initial determination if it would be useful in the City’s work force,” said Davis. “Someone who wants to get a Ph.D. in astronomy probably wouldn’t work.”
After completion of the classes, the City will reimburse employees at the rate currently charged by Florida Community College at Jacksonville for 2000-level classes and below and at the current University of North Florida rate for 3000-level and above, including graduate level.
The cost of books, supplies and other fees is not eligible for reimbursement. The courses must not interfere with the employee’s job, and if the employee leaves the City within 12 months of reimbursement, he or she must pay back the money.
Carolyn Broughton, City public information administrator and cable franchise manager, is still paying off the student loans used to obtain her master’s degree. However, she went into Tuesday’s Career Fair hoping she won’t be in the same boat in earning her Ph.D.
“There are very interesting programs out there, and finding out now gives me time to research the different career avenues,” said Broughton. “One of the problems we have in government is recruiting and retaining quality employees, and I’m delighted the City is providing this opportunity to its employees.”
