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Workforce Florida Weekly Update 2-22-06 |
CONTENTS The State & RegionsRe-designation reaffirms commitment to rural economic development. OKEECHOBEE - Governor Jeb Bush this week announced the re-designation of the south central region, which includes the counties of DeSoto, Glades, Hardee, Hendry, Highlands and Okeechobee, the cities of Pahokee, Belle Glade, and South Bay and the community of Immokalee, as a Rural Area of Critical Economic Concern. “This re-designation continues our strong commitment to ensure all Floridians benefit from the state’s expanding economy and prosperity, no matter where they live,” said Governor Bush. “Although much progress has been made in this region over the past five years as a result of the original designation, many challenges are still ahead. Today’s re-designation recognizes those challenges and renews our commitment as a partner with the region as they work to realize their economic objectives.” An area designated a Rural Area of Critical Economic Concern receives priority attention from state agencies to ensure communities receive the technical assistance and other resources needed to further economic development initiatives and local projects. The Rural Area of Critical Economic Concern initiative also allows the Governor, through his Rural Economic Development Initiative (REDI), more flexibility in applying or waiving criteria requirements, local match or similar provisions considered by economic development incentives programs. Local governments and regional organizations work closely with REDI, a multi-agency initiative, to identify and pursue economic development opportunities. www.myflorida.com. Governor Bush launches “Global Florida – Classroom Connections”. TALLAHASSEE –Governor Jeb Bush Monday traveled to the Commonwealth of the Bahamas to launch “Global Florida – Classroom Connections”, an educational exchange program between Florida and the Bahamas. During the visit, Governor Bush highlighted Florida’s strong ties to the Caribbean Basin and stressed the importance of continued economic, cultural and educational partnerships. “The Commonwealth of the Bahamas is one of Florida’s most vital trade partners and a great asset to our growing economy.” said Governor Bush. “However, our state’s relationship with the Bahamas is not limited to trade. Through Classroom Connections, we will link students in Florida with students in the Bahamas and nations around the globe, providing an interesting and interactive opportunity to learn more about the geography, history and customs of other countries.” Governor Bush met with Prime Minister Perry Gladstone Christie and officials at the Bahamian Ministry of Education to announce this historic partnership between schools in Florida and the Bahamas. “Global Florida – Classroom Connections” is an international exchange program that uses technology to increase reading proficiency, raise awareness about the culture and history of Florida and the Bahamas and assist the Ministry of Education in developing teacher training programs. In the program’s early stages, three Florida schools will pair with three Bahamian schools. Each pair will form sister classrooms, sharing culture, educational concepts and technological innovation and strengthening reading skills. To start the process, the classes are swapping books and will connect online in the spring. While in the Bahamas, Governor Bush also attended a luncheon co-hosted by the Bahamas Chamber of Commerce and the Rotary Club of Nassau to encourage greater economic partnerships between businesses in Florida and the Bahamas. The Bahamas is a significant international trade partner with two-way trade valued at $1.1 billion in 2004, an increase of 13.2 percent over the previous year. The Bahamas is the state’s 14th-largest export destination. Florida’s total merchandise trade with the Caribbean amounted to $9.4 billion in 2004. Florida’s most important international market is the Western Hemisphere, with two-way trade totaling more than $51 billion in 2004, and the Latin America/Caribbean region representing more than 62 percent of Florida’s total international trade. Governor Bush remains an advocate for free and fair trade and has made the promotion of international business one of the pillars of his administration. Since 1999, the Governor has led business and humanitarian development missions to various international destinations, including Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Germany, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Israel, Mexico, Nicaragua, Peru, Spain, the United Kingdom and Uruguay. Nearly 1,700 business leaders from across Florida have participated in these missions, netting nearly $704 million collectively in new business for the state. For more information, please visit www.myflorida.com or www.globalflorida.org. Governor highlights Florida’s important relationship
with DR-CAFTA Region. MIAMI - Joined Tuesday by U.S. Secretary
of Commerce Carlos M. Gutierrez, Governor Jeb Bush addressed
public and private leaders from throughout the Western Hemisphere
to launch Florida’s U.S.-Dominican Republic/Central
America Free Trade Agreement (DR-CAFTA) Market Entry Campaign.
Governor Bush emphasized Florida’s status as the “Gateway
to the Americas” and the state’s unique relationship
with Central America. Florida currently benefits from a 48
percent share of total U.S. trade with Central America, valued
at more than $16 billion last year. “The DR-CAFTA nations
are vital partners for Florida,” Governor Bush said. “The
implementation of the DR-CAFTA will further increase Florida’s
connection to this region, as will the eventual Free Trade
Area of the Americas (FTAA) and Miami as its Secretariat.” Established
and coordinated by U.S. Department of Commerce and Enterprise
Florida, Inc., in partnership with Florida FTAA and the Florida
Trade Partners, the Florida DR-CAFTA Market Entry Campaign
is designed to assist Florida companies to take advantage
of the new opportunities that the DR-CAFTA will provide to
U.S. companies and will highlight the benefits of free trade
agreements in general. The Florida DR-CAFTA Campaign will
include Florida trade missions to all DR-CAFTA countries
(Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala,
Honduras, and Nicaragua), as well as inbound missions from
the region. Seminars will be conducted throughout the state
to inform Florida companies about existing trade opportunities.
A nationwide marketing and conference outreach program will
position Florida as the “Gateway to DR-CAFTA”.
Additionally, a Florida-DR-CAFTA website will assist companies
throughout the state by providing DR-CAFTA-related information. "Future
export potential is only limited by initiative and vision,
and there is no shortage of either in the State of Florida," said
U.S. Secretary of Commerce Carlos M. Gutierrez. "DR-CAFTA
provides tremendous opportunity not just for Florida and
other U.S. businesses, but for the entire hemisphere. The
success of DR-CAFTA will be our success because our hemisphere
will be more prosperous and secure." The Bush/Jennings Administration Fiscal Year 2006-07 Budget Recommendations available online. Governor Jeb Bush and Lieutenant Governor Toni Jennings are recommending a $70.8 billion budget that takes advantage of Florida’s current prosperity to meet the state’s future challenges. View the complete recommendation at: http://www.ebudget.state.fl.us/. WORKFORCE CENTRAL FLORIDA UNIVERSITY to offer no cost seminar on discrimination law. ORLANDO, FL… WORKFORCE CENTRAL FLORIDA UNIVERSITY, a new service from WORKFORCE CENTRAL FLORIDA (WCF) that provides monthly no cost seminars to the business community on workforce and human resource topics, will host a seminar on March 22, 2006 that covers everything that businesses need to know about discrimination law. The seminar, titled ““What Every Non-Profit Needs to Know about Employment Law, Avoiding EEO Liability: The Fundamentals of Discrimination Law,” will take place from 7:45 to 9:00 a.m. at WORKFORCE CENTRAL FLORIDA (1097 Sand Pond Road) in Lake Mary. Presenting the seminar will be Kristyne E. Kennedy, Esq., with Jackson Lewis LLP. Seminar attendees will learn about federal and Florida discrimination law, including discrimination based on race, national origin, age, sex, disability, religion and workplace harassment issues. Seating is limited and advance registration is required. To register, please call (407) 531-1222, ext. 2045 or e-mail reservation@wcfla.com. “WCF is continuously trying to offer Central Florida businesses the tools they need to effectively manage and recruit top talent,” said WCF President & CEO Gary Earl. “This type of seminar gives them an advantage that they may not otherwise have.” WORKFORCE CENTRAL FLORIDA UNIVERSITY is a new program of WORKFORCE CENTRAL FLORIDA [WCF]. WCF is the regions largest permanent placement agency, helping over 4,700 employers connect with more than 54,000 job seekers. WCF offers innovative solutions to assist Central Florida businesses succeed in today’s highly competitive workforce, while providing the tools job seekers need to find or advance in their current career. WCF is the regions’ workforce expert. For more information, visit WCF online at www.WorkforceCentralFlorida.com. Three Florida cities rank in top 10 for the best metropolitan areas for small businesses (from Florida Monitor Weekly- February 17, 2006 http://www.oppaga.state.fl.us/weekly/). Miami-Fort Lauderdale came in at No. 1 because of its heavy concentration of small businesses (defined as any enterprise with 99 or fewer employees), its rapidly expanding population, and its prosperous economy. Florida, in fact, has the most high-performing markets of any state. Miami (No. 1), Orlando (No. 3) and Jacksonville (No. 9) all rank in the top 10, while Tampa-St. Petersburg occupies 15th place. The rest of the top 10 includes Las Vegas (No. 2), Minneapolis-St. Paul (No. 4), Seattle (No. 5), Denver (No. 6), Providence (No. 7), San Diego (No. 9) and New York City (No. 10). Memphis sits at the bottom of the standings, which means it is America's weakest major market for small business vitality. Memphis has only 2,025 small businesses per 100,000 residents, a concentration that is two-thirds the size of Miami's. The number of small businesses in the Memphis area declined 1.3% in three years. And local employment has been generally flat since the late 1990s. Also mired in the bottom five are San Jose, Cincinnati, San Antonio, and Detroit. Read the complete article at: http://www.bizjournals.com/edit_special/35.html. The NationCQ Today Midday Update – Wednesday, February
22, 2006, 2:08p.m.
Access the full stories at: www.cq.com USDOL issues TEGL 16-05: Flexibility Under Current
Law for Hurricane Recovery Strategies. The purpose of this Training
and Employment Guidance Letter (TEGL) is to highlight and review
those areas of current law which offer flexibility in tailoring
workforce strategies in the variety of situations experienced
in areas impacted by the hurricanes of 2005 and locations where
evacuees have moved. View the Complete Document at: http://www.workforceatm.org/sections/pdf/2006/TEGL%2016-05.PDF.
View Attachment: Provisions of WIA That May Be Waived and Work-Flex
Plan Options at: HUD Publishes Final Rule on Consolidated Plan Requirements under Community Planning and Development Formula Grant Programs. The Department of Housing and Urban Development has published a final rule on February 9 streamlining and clarifying changes to the consolidated plan regulations of state and local governments ?so that the plans are more results-oriented and useful to communities in assessing their own progress toward addressing the problems of low-income areas. The rule also eliminates obsolete and redundant provisions and makes other changes that conform these regulations to HUD's public housing regulations that govern the Public Housing Agency (PHA) Plan." HUD describes a consolidated plan as "a document that jurisdictions submit to HUD if they receive funding under any of HUD's Community Planning and Development formula grant programs. The consolidated plan also serves as the jurisdiction's planning document for the use of the funds received under these programs." In listing the requirements for the consolidated plan, HUD notes: Anti-poverty strategy. The consolidated plan must provide a concise summary of the jurisdiction's goals, programs, and policies for reducing the number of poverty-level families and how the jurisdiction's goals, programs, and policies for producing and preserving affordable housing, set forth in the housing component of the consolidated plan, will be coordinated with other programs and services for which the jurisdiction is responsible and the extent to which they will reduce (or assist in reducing) the number of poverty- level families, taking into consideration factors over which the jurisdiction has control. These policies may include the jurisdiction's policies for providing employment and training opportunities to section 3 residents pursuant to 24 CFR part 135. Institutional structure. The consolidated plan must provide a concise summary of the institutional structure, including private industry, nonprofit organizations, community and faith-based organizations, and public institutions, through which the jurisdiction will carry out its housing, homeless, and community development plan, and which assesses the strengths and gaps in that delivery system. The effective date of the final rule is March 13. http://www.workforceatm.org/sections/pdf/2006/06-1182.pdf Now online - February 16, 2006 Statement of Elaine L. Chao Secretary of Labor before the subcommittee on Labor, Health And Human Services, and Education Committee on Appropriations United States House of Representatives. “The total request for the Department in FY 2007 is $54.1 billion and 16,822 FTE, of which, $13.5 billion is before the Committee. Of that amount, $10.9 billion is requested for discretionary budget authority. Our budget request will allow us to build on the accomplishments achieved in recent years and enable the Department to meet its critical priorities for FY 2007.” Access the complete 13 page testimony at: http://www.workforceatm.org/sections/pdf/2006/ElaineChaoTestimony.pdf. “Dear Colleague” letter from the Assistant Secretary DeRocco to State Administrators. The letter explains the rationale behind the budget request & the CAA proposal. February 10, 2006. Dear Colleague: The Administration's FY 2007 Budget Request for the Employment and Training Administration was released this week. The purpose of this letter is to explain the rationale behind the budget request and the Career Advancement Account proposal. Career Advancement Accounts are self-directed accounts that would enable current and future workers to gain the skills needed to successfully enter, navigate and advance in 21st century jobs. Individuals would use their accounts to pay for expenses directly related to education and training. The Career Advancement Account (CAA) proposal represents a new way of doing business for the public workforce system, and we believe that it is an approach that best responds to the needs of workers and employers in the 21st century economy. It is important to note that as our nation's industries and businesses transform to meet the challenges of the global economy, it is also necessary that our government systems and structures evolve to support our economic growth and job creation. This includes the workforce investment system, which must change its design and service delivery methods to reflect the new economy and meet the changing needs of workers and businesses. Simply stated, a job training system tied to a 20th century design is not equipped to serve 21st century workers. As you know, the Bush Administration has been working for several years to begin this transformation through the creation of a demand-driven system that helps job seekers achieve self-sufficiency and promotes business prosperity. A workforce system that is able to anticipate and respond to the needs of local and regional economies also helps employers respond to global economic pressures and contributes to the overall economic prosperity of the nation. To that end, ETA has implemented the High Growth Job Training Initiative; the Community-Based Job Training Grant Initiative; and Workforce Innovation in Regional Economic Development (WIRED). The new CAA proposal continues this transformation, and takes it a step further. This proposal aligns with the themes articulated by President Bush in his proposals for job training reform. These themes are: integrating programs to reduce duplication and overlap; reducing administrative and overhead costs to direct more funds to training; providing workers with skills demanded by employers for high growth jobs and careers; and giving workers greater personal ownership of their job training and education investments. This bold proposal also recognizes that the delivery of basic career services and access to the individual accounts will continue to require some type of governance system and a service delivery structure. However, the specific system design would be left to states and localities to decide. States and localities would be encouraged to deliver services based on what has worked for them in the past and what their future needs are. Undoubtedly, many states would choose to continue the network of state and local boards, as well as the system of One-Stop Career Centers for delivering services. However, some states and areas may choose to move away from that design and identify a system of access points for workforce services that they believe will work better for them, and at a lower operating cost. For example, these access points could be located in the existing infrastructure found at community colleges, public libraries, senior centers, or community-based organizations, as well as virtually on the Internet. I want to acknowledge the fact that the proposed budget for ETA is less than the amount appropriated in FY 2006 for the agency. However, it is a responsible budget that reflects the competitive demands for very limited resources for domestic programs and the need to eliminate waste and redundancy. CAAs would mean a streamlined workforce investment system that gets more training dollars in the hands of workers and reduces costs by eliminating duplication across employment and training programs and lowering overhead costs. The greater efficiency from this redesign of the system will result in cost savings that account for much of the reduction in ETA's budget. In closing, we believe that the approach embodied in Career Advancement Accounts is more responsive to the needs of workers and employers than the current system. The CAA initiative will result in a workforce system that empowers individuals to make their own choices in the use of public support, and one that is more effective and flexible in meeting the demands of the global economy and in addressing the nation's workforce challenges. I hope that you will take some time to thoroughly understand these new proposals and support the CAA approach. Sincerely, Emily Stover DeRocco, Assistant Secretary for Employment and Training - U.S. Department of Labor. NASWA Workforce Bulletin Headlines – February 17, 2006:
For the complete stories go to: http://www.workforceatm.org/sections/members/bulletin/ Grant and Competitive Award Opportunities and NoticesFor additional information go to, visit the External Grant Opportunities page.Featured Opportunity:(none) State GrantsDelinquency Prevention: Gender Specific Female Prevention Pilot Grant Neighborhood Accountability Board (NAB) Grant Closing the Gap- Reducing Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities Federal GrantsFY 2006 Training and Technical Assistance Program for Mentoring Initiative for System Involved Youth Drug Free Communities Support Program Mental Health and Substance Abuse For HIV/AIDS Treatment In Minority Communities Development of Comprehensive Drug/Alcohol and Mental Health Treatment Systems for Persons Who are Homeless (Repeat) Community Development Operational Projects Runaway and Homeless Youth Basic Center Program Grants (BCP) FY 2006 Public Awareness in Underserved Communities Foundation Grants(none) Scholarships/AwardsJim & Patty Rouse Award For Excellence in Community
Revitalization Upcoming Meetings, Conferences and
Events
Workforce Florida Board and Related Meetings Schedule:For up-to-date WFI board meeting info please check the calendar at the WFI website. March 15, 2006 April 19, 2006 Other Meetings/Conferences/Events:
February 23, 2006 February 23, 2006 February 27 - March 1, 2006 March 1-3, 2006 March 2, 2006 March 16, 2006
RSVP by March 9, 2006. Contact: Val Kelly at 352-873-7939 ext. 203. April 3, 2006 April 19 – 21, 2006. April 23-26, 2006 May 9-10, 2006 May 15-16, 2006
For more information, go to www.ncfrpc.org [Click on “Upcoming Events” and then “Rural Tourism and Economic Development Summit May 2006”] or call Jayne Moraski 352-955-2200 x.106 or via email moraski@ncfrpc.org. June 2-4, 2006 USDOL’s Workforce Tools of the Trade Workforce Investment Systemwide Events Page. http://www.workforcetools.org/calendar.asp Odds and EndsManpower Inc. talent shortage survey reveals 40%
of employers worldwide are struggling to find qualified
job candidates
- sales professionals, engineers and technicians top the "most
wanted" list. MILWAUKEE, WI, USA, 21 February 2006 -
Manpower Inc. (NYSE: MAN) surveyed nearly 33,000 employers
across 23 countries and territories in late January to determine
the extent to which talent shortages are impacting today's
labor markets. The survey results, released today, revealed
that 40 percent of employers worldwide are having difficulty
filling positions due to the lack of suitable talent available
in their markets. Employers having the most difficulty finding
the right people to fill jobs are those in Mexico (78% reporting
shortages), Canada (66%) and Japan (58%). The talent shortage
appears to be least problematic in India, where only 13 percent
of employers reported having difficulty filling positions. "The
talent shortage is becoming a reality for a larger number
of employers around the world, and this is only going to
get worse over the next several decades, as demographic shifts
and other factors continue to reduce the number of people
who are willing and able to participate in the workforce," said
Jeffrey A. Joerres, Chairman & CEO of Manpo! wer Inc. "The
shortages are most acute across North America at this point,
with employers in Europe and Asia currently feeling much
less pressure to compete for employees." The top 10
jobs that employers are having difficulty filling across
the 23 countries and territories surveyed are (ranked in
order): “Learning from the Youth Opportunity Experience: Building
Delivery Capacity in Distressed Communities” by Linda
Harris. In 2000, the U.S. Department of Labor awarded significant
Youth Opportunity (YO) Grants to 36 high-poverty urban, rural,
and Native American communities. The grants were designed
to serve all young people in these areas, regardless of income
or connection to school or work. Communities were required
to assess and integrate existing youth-serving systems and
agencies to support education, work exposure, youth development,
and other services for young people. Despite evidence of
considerable community accomplishments, the YO grants were
ended in 2005. This report, based on a survey of 22 of the
36 sites, examines the approaches’ strengths, challenges,
and lessons learned, and offers recommendations for policy
and practice. Obtain the full report at: New U.S. Department of Education study finds strong link between challenging studies and degree completion. Completing academically challenging course work in high school dramatically increases the likelihood of a student earning a bachelor's degree, according to a new U.S. Department of Education study. The study, The Toolbox Revisited: Paths to Degree Completion From High School Through College, found that the academic intensity of a high school curriculum is the strongest indicator of postsecondary degree completion, regardless of a student's major course of study. "Students who enter college should be ready for college-level work. And it's the job of high schools and middle schools to prepare them for it," said U.S. Education Secretary Margaret Spellings. "The president's proposed American Competitiveness Initiative would promote stronger instruction in key subjects such as math and science. As the scientific data in this study show, strengthening curriculum now will pay dividends well into the future." The President's American Competitiveness Initiative would support rigorous instruction in math, science and foreign languages in the early grades and more challenging course work in high school. Math Now programs, which aim to give younger students solid instruction in math, as well as increased incentives for high school students to take Advanced Placement courses, will ensure that the nation's students are better prepared to complete college and compete in a global workplace. The Toolbox Revisited studies the High School Class of 1992 as it moved from high school to higher education and includes comparisons to a previous report, Answers in the Tool Box, which followed the High School Class of 1982 from high school through college. Both national longitudinal studies had similar findings. "This new data empirically confirms what educators already know: Challenging high school course work prepares students for the much tougher challenges that lie ahead," said Secretary Spellings. "It also helps colleges and universities by reducing the need for costly remedial education. The American Competitiveness Initiative is an educational win-win." Through high school and college transcripts, the study examines students who attended a four-year college at any time, including students who started out in community colleges. The data on which the study is based cover a period of eight and a half years for degree completion-from high school graduation in spring 1992 until December 2000. It is based on data from the National Educational Longitudinal Study of 1988. The Toolbox Revisited is available at www.ed.gov/rschstat/research/pubs/toolboxrevisit/index.html and will be available in hard copy on Feb. 28 for free through ED Pubs at: www.edpubs.org/webstore/Content/search.asp or by calling 1-877-4-EDPUBS or 1-877-576-7734 (TTY/TDD). The Government Accountability Office (GAO) releases LETTER REPORT: Trade Adjustment Assistance: Most Workers in Five Layoffs Received Services, but Better Outreach Needed on New Benefits. GAO-06-43, February 15. At all five trade-related plant closures that GAO studied, about three-quarters or more of the workers received reemployment assistance through a onestop center, and they most often received one-on-one services such as job search assistance. The report recommended better outreach needed on new benefits. Access the full report at: http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-06-43. For highlights go to: http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d0643high.pdf Labor Department unveils resource to help Americans plan for retirement. WASHINGTON, Feb. 15 /U.S. Newswire/ -- The U.S. Department of Labor's Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) today released a new resource to help Americans calculate the financial resources they will need to ensure a secure retirement. The publication, "Taking the Mystery Out of Retirement Planning," is designed to assist individuals who are within 10 years of retirement calculate their income, savings and likely expenses in retirement. Using these figures, Americans will have a better idea of how much they need to save to ensure they do not outspend their retirement assets. "Americans are living longer, healthier lives and will need more income to see them through their retirement. Making the right choices is critical to living a lifestyle of financial independence, and this booklet will help individuals realistically plan for their financial future," said Ann L. Combs, assistant secretary for employee benefits security. Although targeted to individuals approaching retirement, the booklet is also useful for recent retirees. The publication includes worksheets that allow the user to evaluate current assets and expenses; project future assets and expenses, and determine what additional resources are needed to meet their retirement lifestyle. There also are discussions on methods of saving, investment options, expense considerations and how to make your assets last throughout retirement. An extensive resource section provides other sources of information on retirement, savings and investment issues. The primary focus of the booklet, preparing financially for retirement, will be a key topic at the March 1-2, 2006 National Summit on Retirement Savings in Washington, D.C. The summit agenda will include discussions of strategies workers can use to ensure they have sufficient assets to cover the years spent in retirement. Free copies of the booklet are available by calling EBSA's toll-free number at 1-866-444-EBSA (3272) and visiting the agency's Web site at http://www.dol.gov/ebsa (under publications). The public can also get the booklet from the Federal Citizens Information Center at 1-888-878-3256. The Fast Growing Hispanic Youth Market. While the U.S. median age continues to rise, from 35.3 years in 2000, the median age of Hispanics remains the lowest of all groups. Demographers predict faster growth among young Hispanics than among other young ethnic groups for the next decade. Read this article at: http://www.hispanicbusiness.com/news/newsbyid.asp?id=23522. Inside the House: Hispanics Subgroups Differ by Age. More than 20 percent of Cubans are 65 or older, while a scant 4 percent of Mexicans are in that age bracket. On the other hand, 37 percent of Mexicans and 31 percent of Puerto Ricans are younger than 18. Read this article at: http://www.hispanicbusiness.com/news/newsbyid.asp?id=24123. Miami ranks among top 10 American cities to be a moviemaker…(from Miami Dade's Film & Entertainment News - February 21, 2006). If you are a filmmaker searching for creativity, great crews and talent, an abundance of unique locations ranging from beaches to swamps to skylines and a community that is willing to help, then Miami is the place to make your script come to life. According to MovieMaker Magazine, “there’s no denying the heat in Miami – both in terms of the weather and the buzz”. MovieMaker has ranked Miami number seven among the top ten cities for filmmakers to live and make movies in its winter 2006 edition. One year can make a big difference. In 2005 the three Greater Miami Film Offices launched One Stop Permitting, an internet based simplified film permit application process, which resulted in a big draw for filmmakers and producers and part of the reason MovieMaker moved Miami up one notch in the ranking from number eight last year to seven this year. According to independent producer Jamin O'Brien, "South Florida has always had the crew and equipment needed to make a good film, but now there is an awareness of and interest in independent films, both indigenous and otherwise, not just the studio fare. And hopefully the Film/Tax Incentive will get fully funded, with a certain set aside for the independent projects." Mr. O’Brien recently produced "Boynton Beach Bereavement Club" in South Florida directed by Susan Seidelman, starring Joseph Bologna and Sally Kellerman. Miami rose this year on the prestigious list after editors of MovieMaker talked with writers, directors, location scouts, film commissioners and dozens of other “in-the-know” moviemakers about Miami’s film friendly features. “We’re very pleased that we have moved up in MovieMaker’s ranking of the top ten American cities to be a moviemaker,” said Robert Parente, Director of the City of Miami Office of Film, Arts & Entertainment. “For the past year my office together with the Miami-Dade and Miami Beach Film Offices have worked tirelessly to enhance and improve service to our clients and make shooting in Miami as film friendly as possible. As long as the community embraces filmmaking and we continue to be innovative and strategic in offering filmmakers the resources needed they will come and shoot here,“ concluded Parente. In addition to the weather, dynamic locations and multi-cultural diversity, Miami also offers Filmmakers an accommodating community that truly understands the value of film production and three film offices that will do whatever it takes to meet their production needs. In fact, the Greater Miami film offices not only support and nurture the local Independent Filmmaking community but also aggressively target Indie Filmmakers by participating at the IFP Market in New York, and attending and distributing materials at Sundance, South by Southwest and other film festivals. Miami-Dade County hosted more than 2000 film, television, music video, commercial advertising and still photo shoots in 2005, including high profile productions such as “Miami Vice”, “Red Eye”, “CSI: Miami” and “South Beach.” Recent independent films shot in the area include “Retirement” with Coolio and Billy Burke, “Christmas in Miami” from the Italian company Filmauro, and “Full Grown Men” with Amy Sedaris and Debby Harry. Altogether, productions spent an estimated $170 million dollars in the local economy last year. Quote for the Week:"The
trouble with a budget is that it's hard to fill up one
hole without digging another." |
