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FILLING THE GAP Sarasota County Commissioners Jon Thaxton and Christine Robinson peruse agenda material during a recent meeting in Sarasota. File photo SARASOTA COUNTY COMMISSION ENDORSES WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT PLAN AND ASKS STAKEHOLDERS TO STAY ON TRACK IN MEETING TARGETED TIMELINES By Rachel Brown Hackney Editor After her board unanimously endorsed a com- munity workforce initiative on Nov. 7, Sara- sota County Commission Chairwoman Chris- tine Robinson asked for another report by the end of the year on the timelines the committee members are expected to put in place for their plans of action. Robinson acknowledged she had no authority to make the request, but she said she want- ed to make sure the effort under way did not stall. "I have an 8-, 7- and 4-year old," she said. "This is going to affect them." Robinson also was the commissioner who took the lead during an Aug. 29 joint meet- ing with the Sarasota County School Board to seek concrete steps to address the skills gap among area workers that Sarasota and Manatee county manufacturers had detailed in a survey commissioned by the Bradenton organization CareerEdge. As a result of the commission's vote that day, stakeholders were back before the commis- sion on Nov. 7, as requested, to discuss their progress.