FEBRUARY 2009
Rising to the Challenge
Investing Stimulus Funding with our Core Principles in MindWe're proud of Florida's well-earned national reputation as a state with a top-notch workforce system. Mostly federally funded, our demand-driven workforce system is guided by core principles that include a shared vision among workforce partners, business-led decision-making, innovation, a bias toward action and strategic partnerships with an emphasis on performance and accountability. These principles continue to serve us well as we assist Floridians (1 million last year) and tens of thousands of businesses with their workforce needs. In fact, in recent years, our system has continued to develop and deploy strategies for meeting rising employment and training demands even as federal funding declined. Now, in the midst of a global recession, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, holds the promise of an infusion of federal dollars to help our state -- with its 16-year high unemployment rate -- put Floridians back to work while investing in building world-class talent that will keep businesses competitive in the global economy. Current estimates for federal stimulus funding for Florida's workforce system show as much as $160 million could be on the way. By comparison, Florida received $119 million for the current budget year from the same two major federal funding streams. I must emphasize the stimulus funding for workforce remains an estimate only, as we have grown accustomed at Workforce Florida to watching these figures fluctuate. No matter the final amount, last week, we heard a clear message from our Workforce Florida Board of Directors: Florida's investment of these stimulus dollars will remain true to our system's mission and values. While we will deploy these resources as quickly as possible, our board also expects enhanced performance from our system as we seek to maximize both the value and scope of this investment to ensure long-term outcomes consistent with our Governor's plans for growing and sustaining a robust economy. To that end, Workforce Florida and the Agency for Workforce Innovation continue to work closely with the Executive Office of the Governor and our U.S. Department of Labor (USDOL) and other policy contacts in Washington, D.C. Recently returned from the nation's capital, Agency for Workforce Innovation Deputy Director Barbara Griffin shared with workforce system leaders some of the direction she received from USDOL leaders about investing the stimulus money. Among other things, she said, federal workforce leaders are emphasizing that any training must result in jobs with the key focus being on helping unemployed workers find employment. This funding also should not be spent on infrastructure and should help drive national (and state) priorities such as an increased reliance on alternative and renewable energy resources. States will have the opportunity to focus their investment on high-growth and emerging occupations, but the workforce system also is expected to link training to jobs created as a result of increased spending in areas such as construction. Meanwhile, the stimulus package also has major implications for Florida's unemployment compensation system administered by the Agency for Workforce Innovation. These include a federally funded increase through December in benefits resulting in an additional $25 per week for Floridians as well as an extension of the time period during which people may apply and qualify for up to 59 weeks of unemployment benefits. Because both allowances are federally funded, the state has no obligation to continue them beyond the December deadlines and they aren't expected to result in any increase in unemployment costs to Florida businesses. However, there are some additional provisions of the stimulus law that warrant a closer look and will require policy decisions by the Governor and Legislature, as they could expand eligibility for unemployment benefits and would result in more money from the state's Unemployment Compensation Trust Fund -- and ultimately more money from Florida businesses. Workforce Florida and the Agency for Workforce Innovation have created teams, including representatives from local workforce boards, to evaluate the stimulus law and devise action plans that help position Florida to invest its workforce funding wisely and effectively as we rebound from this economic downturn.
Planning & Policy
Governor Crist Releases His Budget Proposal and Legislative Priorities
Governor Charlie Crist has unveiled his proposed $66.5-billion budget for 2009-2010 and developing Florida's workforce as a driver for strengthening the state's economy remains a top priority. Among the workforce highlights are: $4 million for the Quick Response Training (QRT) and $4 million for Incumbent Worker Training (IWT) grant programs. Administered by Workforce Florida, both programs are popular with Florida businesses. For every $1 of public funding invested in QRT an additional $14 was contributed by businesses for training most often for newly created jobs. For IWT, businesses invested nearly $8 in upgrading the skills of their existing workforce for every $1 of public funding. Recognizing that these are difficult times for many Floridians seeking jobs, the Governor's budget also includes about $87 million in workforce system funding from Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF). This funding is critical because it's used by the workforce system to help people receiving public assistance who are looking for employment or those most at-risk of seeking welfare if they lose their jobs with services such as job search, skills assessment and remedial and skills-upgrade training. The funding also is used to remove barriers to employment such as transportation for people transitioning from welfare to work. Now that the Governor has provided his recommendations, the Florida Legislature will get to work in earnest on crafting a new state budget during the 60-day session that starts Tuesday, March 3. We'll continue to work closely with the Governor and Legislature throughout the budget process. Most encouraging is the commitment at every level of leadership -- both in the public and private sector -- to meeting the workforce needs of the people and businesses in our state.
Governance
Workforce Florida Board Holds Quarterly Meeting
We were fortunate to have a familiar face to jumpstart the February 17-19 quarterly meetings of the Workforce Florida Board of Directors:
Senator Don Gaetz, who has been recognized previously by Workforce Florida as a state workforce champion. I would like to again thank Sen. Gaetz for accepting our invitation to brief the board on the work of the Senate Select Committee on Florida's Economy, which he chairs. He's probably the only person I know who can mix words of wisdom from Homer Simpson with sobering facts about the current state of our economy and end on an optimistic note with a challenge to board members to not forget their important role, especially during tough times such as these, in building a "transforming workforce" that will make talent our state's No. 1 competitive asset. "Keep your eye on what we need tomorrow," he said. The board had an opportunity to submit their ideas and input to the Select Committee and during the 2009 and 2010 sessions, the panel of legislators will recommend policy changes aimed at revving up the state economy. Incoming House Speaker Larry Cretul also has created a new panel focused on rebounding from the slowdown and better positioning Florida for a more prosperous future -- the Select Policy Council on Strategic and Economic Planning. Workforce Florida's pledge to support both these efforts to create a bridge to the brighter days ahead for Florida remains firm. During the meeting, we also heard three presentations on new and existing workforce development initiatives. Brian Yablonski, Vice President of Public Affairs for the St. Joe Company, shared with the board his company's enthusiasm for the new Memorandum of Understanding among St. Joe, Workforce Florida, Gulf Power Company and Gulf Coast Community College. Created as a catalyst to develop a highly skilled workforce for the West Bay area, the agreement puts in place a model partnership for answering the ever-present talent question for any company seeking to locate in the 75,000-acre, mixed-use planned community anchored by a powerful, new economic engine for Northwest Florida -- the new Panama City-Bay County International Airport. Yablonski provided an overview of economic development plans for West Bay. Workforce Florida staff members Debbie McMullian and Catherine Kennedy also presented overviews of the Quick Response Training and Incumbent Worker Training grant programs. Finally, I'd like to thank board member and Department of Children and Families Secretary George Sheldon for giving the board an update on the agency, including its efforts to meet caseload demands that have drastically risen because of the current economic circumstances as well as new opportunities for the state agency to work with the workforce system in our continuing, joint efforts to move Floridians from welfare to self-sufficiency. New Secretary of Labor ConfirmedThe U.S. Senate has confirmed the new Secretary of the Department of Labor, Hilda Solis. Prior to her confirmation, Secretary Solis represented the 32nd Congressional District in California. I personally look forward to Secretary Solis' leadership and know our entire state workforce system looks forward to working with her and the federal agency on the stimulus and other state and national workforce priorities.
Workforce & Economic Development
Workforce Florida and Enterprise Florida Reinforce International Trade
Consistent with our goal of helping Floridians grow within their professions, Workforce Florida joined with Enterprise Florida, Inc., to sign a Memorandum of Understanding to bolster Florida's international trade sector. Under the agreement, the partners will help companies identify key training and education areas and Workforce Florida will award Quick Response Training (QRT) grants to reimburse companies for a portion of their training costs. Within the next few months, Workforce Florida anticipates investing about $500,000 to train 600 employees at an average cost of $833 each. In turn, we estimate that businesses will leverage more than $6 million to provide the training and, as a result, increase their bottom line and their employees' value. During the first and second quarters of 2008, Florida's international trade sector -- which, at 25.3 percent growth for the first 10 months of 2008, rocketed past the national rate of 16.2 -- was the fastest-growing sector of the state economy, with export sales a notable bright spot, despite a declining economy. More than 44,000 Florida companies export, with at least 1.1 million Florida-based jobs dependent on international business. Business Leaders Tout Value of TalentLeaders from Enterprise Florida, the Florida Chamber of Commerce and the Florida Council of 100 recently presented recommendations for the state's economic recovery to the Senate Select Committee on Florida's Economy. In their joint presentation, former House Speaker and Vice Chairman of Enterprise Florida Allan Bense, AT&T President and Florida Chamber Chair Marshall Criser III, and Gulf Power President and CEO and Florida Council of 100 Chair Susan Story underscored talent as the most important economic-development tool and recognized the workforce system for its critical role and contributions to building a more highly skilled Florida workforce. We value our partnership with all three organizations, which have helped us to make Florida's demand-driven workforce system a national model.
TechnologyPartnership to Unify Strategy and ReportingWorkforce Florida has partnered with the Florida Chamber of Commerce, the Florida Economic Development Council and others who share a vision of sustainable business, world-class talent and economic diversity for Florida to design the Balanced Scorecard 2.0. This project is consistent with increased national-level scrutiny on workforce system effectiveness, as it will provide a platform for implementing future workforce strategic objectives and measuring workforce performance at all levels of our system. Alliance to Enhance Talent Inventory on Employ Florida Marketplace In an effort to better coordinate the various career resources available to Florida's university students and graduates, and to improve access to qualified talent for Florida's employers, Workforce Florida is working with the Florida Career Center Consortia. One of the early results from this partnership is that Florida university students and graduates will be entered simultaneously into their school's job-seeking database and the Employ Florida Marketplace, the state's powerful, online job-matching tool at EmployFlorida.com.
Telling the Workforce Story
Spreading the Word on WorkforceRecently featured on CNN, Workforce Central Florida offered, through Careereoki, a creative way to get the word out about the services and resources available through the workforce system to those looking for a job in Florida. Careereoki, a collaborative marketing initiative among Workforce Central Florida and some of its local partners including Orange County Public Schools Career and Technical Education and EVOK Advertising, continues to garner national and international headlines while promoting career training and job placement in Central Florida through an online karaoke contest. The grand prize winner received a package valued at $8,000 that included a career and technical education tuition scholarship, a $100 gas card, a resume makeover from Workforce Central Florida and a job shadow opportunity in the nursing field -- the chosen career interest of the competition winner, who was featured on "Good Morning America."
Key DatesMarch 3: Opening Day of the 2009 Regular Session of the Florida Legislature. TallahasseeMarch 6: Deadline for Requests for Proposals for the Employ Florida Banner Center for Water Resources. March 20: Florida Energy Workforce Consortium. Niceville
Thank you for your commitment to creating a world-class workforce in Florida.
Sincerely,
Chris Hart IVPresident/CEOWorkforce Florida, Inc.
