Superintendent Cerny and Jax USA highlight EarnUp talent portal to connect Putnam County residents with in-county jobs

Rick Cerny, superintendent of the Putnam County School District, hosted Julie Hendel of Jax USA Partnership on the district podcast to discuss EarnUp, a regional talent initiative and online resource (earnup.org) aimed at connecting residents with local career pathways and employer needs.

Hendel, who represents Jax USA Partnership—the regional economic development entity serving seven Northeast Florida counties including Putnam County—said EarnUp compiles industry reports, top employer lists, average regional wages and samples of available jobs to help students and adults understand concrete pathways into target industries. "One of the data sources we use is JobsEQ," Hendel said, adding that she pulled job postings specific to Putnam County from the prior 12 months to identify openings by occupation.

Why it matters: Cerny said the school district uses Jax USA's data when planning career and technical education so graduates have local employment options. "We build a lot of our career and technical programs around that," Cerny said, arguing that aligning programs to regional demand helps keep residents working within the county and reduces commuting burdens.

Hendel said registered nurse openings consistently topped the county list, and she listed medical and health services managers, social and human service assistance roles, and physical therapists among other in‑demand occupations. She emphasized that many support and nonclinical roles—inventory management, HVAC, application and data roles—also matter to health-care operations and should not be overlooked by jobseekers.

"Registered nurse was at the top of the list," Hendel said. "There are so many ways to engage in that industry that don't involve that patient care." She directed listeners to EarnUp's industry pages, which include fast facts, postsecondary partners, and suggested pathways such as workforce certificates and degree programs.

Cerny and Hendel also discussed retraining and partner referrals. Hendel said EarnUp does not itself provide retraining but highlights partners that do, for example CareerSource Northeast Florida, Goodwill ASTEP programs, and state colleges. She encouraged adults and returning students to explore those partners for funding or retraining options.

Local employer engagement was highlighted as part of the approach: Cerny noted local automotive employers and ongoing invitations for Jax USA to participate in school career fairs and classroom visits. Hendel confirmed Jax USA's regular participation in career events and urged listeners to sign up for the EarnUp newsletter and to view workforce briefing videos on the site's YouTube channel.

The episode closed with Cerny asking that EarnUp contact information be displayed for listeners and Hendel offering an email contact and social media channels as points of follow-up. "If they're thinking maybe I could look at some funding options, certainly look at CareerSource Northeast Florida," Hendel said. "EarnUp is a regional resource hub available at no cost." The podcast ended with thanks and an invitation to future episodes.

Next steps: listeners were directed to earnup.org for industry reports and pathway details and to local partners for retraining or funding assistance.