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Workforce Florida Weekly Update 3-01-06 |
CONTENTS The State & RegionsFlorida cities continue to lead the nation in job
growth. TALLAHASSEE – Governor Jeb Bush Monday touted the recently
released Milken Institute’s Best Performing Cities
Index that ranked six Florida metropolitan areas among America’s
top ten for creating jobs. The independent economic think-tank
ranked 379 metropolitan areas based on their ability to create
and sustain jobs. “Florida’s robust economy and
record job growth are validations of our conservative fiscal
policies,” said Governor Bush. “We must continue
to foster an environment that encourages innovative partnerships
and capital investment and creates good, quality jobs for
Floridians.” The Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville area
ranked first place on Milken’s Index, followed by the
Cape Coral-Fort Myers and Naples-Marco Island areas. Florida’s
metropolitan areas hold the Index’s top three slots,
as well five of its top six and 12 of its top 30. Florida
continues to lead all 50 states in the number of new jobs
created and has the fastest rate of annual job growth among
the ten most populous states. Florida’s unemployment
rate is 3.3 percent – the lowest in nearly three decades.
Since 1999, Florida’s economy has created more than
1.15 million jobs. Rounding out of the list of large metropolitan
areas are Deltona-Dayton Beach-Ormond Beach, Orlando-Kissimmee,
Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach-Deerfield Beach, Port St. Lucie –Fort
Pierce, Ocala, Sarasota-Bradenton –Venice, Tampa-St.
Petersburg –Clearwater, Gainesville, West Palm Beach-Boca
Raton –Boynton Beach, Lakeland, Jacksonville, Pensacola-Ferry
Pass-Brent and Miami-Miami Beach-Kendall. Small metropolitan
areas ranked among the best performing cities include Fort
Walton Beach-Crestview-Destin, Panama City-Lynn Haven, Punta
Gorda and Vero Beach. The Bush/Jennings administration recently
recommended a $630 million plan to reinvest back in Florida’s
economy to foster entrepreneurship and create high-wage jobs.
For more information on the Milken Institute Index, please
visit www.milkeninstitute.org. For more information on the
Bush/Jennings budget recommendations, please visit www.myflorida.com. NASA awards Florida Universities science grants. WASHINGTON, Feb. 24 /PRNewswire/ -- NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington awarded the Embry Riddle Aeronautics University, Daytona, and the University of Central Florida at Kennedy Space Center, geospace science program grants. The maximum awards are: Embry Riddle, $581,680; Central Florida, $264,620. NASA solicited proposals for the program to support its goal of understanding the space that surrounds and is influenced by various solar system bodies. Supported studies cover regions that begin with Earth's neutral upper atmosphere, extend outwards through the ionosphere and beyond the magnetosphere. The program has three components: the Geospace Supporting Research and Technology program supports theoretical research, development and exercise of models and simulations, analysis and interpretation of data to identify and understand the physical processes important to geospace structure and dynamics; the Geospace Instrument Development Program supports the development of instrument technologies that show promise for use in scientific investigations on future geospace science missions; and the Geospace Low Cost Access to Space program supports research in geospace science that requires the space-flight of instrumentation. The research also supports the Vision for Space Exploration, NASA's long- term plan to return astronauts to the moon and extend exploration to Mars and beyond. For information about NASA and agency programs on the Web, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/home. Polking along. (BayNews 9) Monday, February 27, 2006. One
of Polk County's best attributes is its location -- halfway
between Tampa and Orlando. But the county's prime location
can also be its biggest downfall, because some people living
in the county work in the greater Tampa Bay or Orlando areas.
Each day, more than 30,000 Polk County residents cross county
lines to work in Hillsborough, Osceola, or Orange counties.
One Polk County agency is trying to entice residents into
staying closer to home. A local job agency, Polk Works, has
constructed a huge billboard on busy U.S. 27. The agency
hopes the sign catches the eyes of tired commuters. "I
drive on U.S. 27 each day," said Janeice Raiche, who
drives almost an hour from her Winter Haven home to the Omni
Resort in Osceola County. "There's lots of construction
and lots of semi-trucks and I would just as soon not deal
with that every day. But I'm willing to do that because of
my job and pay and benefits." Unemployment in Polk County
is at a record low of 3.8 percent and Raiche is just the
type of worker Polk Works is trying to attract with the billboard. "It's
a really tight labor market, which means we have more businesses
looking for workers than we have workers available to take
these jobs," said Polk Works Executive Director Nancy
Thompson. Polk Works officials say hundreds of jobs are currently
available, but the applicants are slow in coming. The billboard,
however, is bringing some calls. Thompson said about 120
people have contacted Polk Works in the 2 1/2 weeks the sign
has been up. For the full article including a photo of the
billboard go to: Haines City biz owner named Florida Small Business Person of the Year. Haines City businesswoman January Dennison, founder of Technology Research Consultants Inc., has been named the 2006 Florida Small Business Person of the Year by the Small Business Administration. Ms. Dennison is also a member of the Polk County Workforce Development Board. To read the article go to: http://tampabay.bizjournals.com/tampabay/stories/2006/02/27/daily31.html?jst=b_ln_hl. Florida Crown announces upcoming annual job fair. Florida Crown (RWB 7 serving Columbia, Dixie, Gilchrist, and Union counties) will have its annual Job Fair on April 29th from 9am until 3pm. This event will be held at the Lake City Mall, 2468 W. US Hwy 90 in Lake City, Florida. Approximately 50 employers are expected to be onsite recruiting and interviewing for possible job openings within their companies. The contact person for the job fair is Meally Jenkins at mjjenkins@flcrown.org. The NationCQ Today Midday Update – Wednesday, March 1,
2006, 2:22p.m.
Access the full stories at: www.cq.com Microsoft, Department of Labor team up to train technology workers. WASHINGTON, D.C. - As part of its ongoing efforts to strengthen the U.S. work force and boost the ability of the nation's companies to compete in a global economy, Microsoft Corp. announced it is donating cash, software and a curriculum to help provide training in technology skills to adults. In a two-year alliance with the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), One-Stop Career Centers around the country will receive a total of $3.5 million in cash and software, in addition to a donated Digital Literacy training curriculum, to further advance technology skills and training programs. Initially, grants will be made to One-Stop Career Centers in 10 cities: Boston and Framingham, Mass.; Pittsburgh and Lancaster, Pa.; Rockledge, Fla.; Sunnyvale, Calif.; Charlotte, N.C.; Seattle; Chicago; and Beckley, W.Va. Digital Literacy is a five-course curriculum that provides a foundation of basic computer skills to learners with little or no previous computing experience. The curriculum culminates in a Digital Literacy certificate test, which assesses knowledge across all five courses. "Microsoft has a very strong interest in the readiness of America's work force, and as a company we believe access to learning is critical in advancing U.S. interests globally," said Pamela Passman, vice president of Global Corporate Affairs at Microsoft. "By partnering with the DOL, we are opening yet another avenue for the ongoing education necessary for workers to remain competitive." For the complete article go to: http://www.workforceatm.org/articles/template.cfm?results_art_filename=microsoft.htm. VA teams with National Guard to train new state benefits
advisors. WASHINGTON (Feb. 23, 2006) - The Department of Veterans Affairs
(VA) and the National Guard Bureau have teamed up to improve
the coordination of veterans benefits at the state level by
training newly created State Benefits Advisors (SBAs) to help
ensure a smooth and seamless transition for Guard members returning
from active-duty deployments. The 54 new National Guard SBAs,
being hired in each of the states and territories, are recently
returned veterans who will be available to assist their fellow
combat veterans. "As advocates for veterans, these new
advisors will ease the transition for newly discharged veterans
back to their home communities," said the Honorable R.
James Nicholson, Secretary of Veterans Affairs. "We are
proud to have our newest generation of heroes join with VA
to help their fellow combat veterans." The new advisors
are graduates of a special training program at the Veterans
Benefits Academy in Baltimore to increase their knowledge of
VA services and benefits. The training enabled them to assist
returning combat veterans and create coalitions between state
veterans affairs offices, veterans service organizations, VA
and community groups. In addition to advising their state's
adjutant general and governor, the benefits advisors will serve
as the statewide points of contact providing advice to Guard
members, their families, the family program office, employer
support groups and military personnel. They will participate
in the Reserve and National Guard mobilization and demobilization
process and provide materials on VA benefits, compensation,
education, vocational rehabilitation, life insurance, home
loans, and burial benefits. To view and download VA news release,
please visit the following Internet address: http://www.va.gov/opa/pressrel.
For the complete stories go to: http://www.workforceatm.org/sections/members/bulletin/bulltemp.cfm? Grant and Competitive Award Opportunities and NoticesFor additional information go to, visit the External Grant Opportunities page.Featured Opportunity:(none) State Grants(none) Federal GrantsEconomic Development Assistance Programs College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP) High School Equivalency Program (HEP) Immigration-Related Employment Discrimination Public Education
Grants Training and Technical Assistance (T/TA) GrantsTo Establish or Improve Voting Access for Individuals With Disabilities Disaster Loans Partners Initiative Contract Foundation GrantsLocal Initiative Funding Partners Program 2007: Vulnerable
Populations Scholarships/Awards(none) 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:
March 2, 2006 March 2, 2006 2:00pm EST 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 EndsMicrolending offers hand up asset ladder (from HispanicBusiness.com). Asset building strategies are helping low-income workers build wealth. The idea is to help people move out of poverty or up the financial ladder by starting a business, buying a home or accumulating savings. Read the complete article at: http://www.hispanicbusiness.com/news/newsbyid.asp?id=28049. The Earned Income Tax Credit: The New Safety Net (from February 28, 2006 Weekly Update published by the Brookings Metropolitan Policy Program www.brookings.edu/metro). Last month the Metropolitan Policy Program released two new reports examining the history of the Earned Income Tax Credit as well as recent trends in its usage by eligible recipients. Additionally, one page summaries on EITC usage for 122 large U.S. cities were posted to the program's web site.
After Prison: Roadblocks to Reentry. The Legal Action Center has completed a two year study of the legal obstacles that people with criminal records face when they attempt to reenter society and become productive law abiding citizens. The report is broken down into three sections:
To view the results of the study and to download a copy
of the report, click on the link below. Reform or Dismantling? President’s Workforce System
Proposal Raises Serious Concerns by Evelyn Ganzglass and
Abbey Frank - from the Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP).
President Bush’s 2007 budget proposal calls for drastic
reduction in funding for training and employment services
and the consolidation of Workforce Investment Act and Employment
Service programs into a single block grant to states. The
proposed changes would channel most of the remaining resources
into individual training vouchers thus diminishing state
and local flexibility to tailor programs to meet the needs
of employers and jobs seekers, especially low-income adults,
hard-to-employ individuals, and disadvantaged youth. 5 pages. Free GED prep program for college-bound students available. Comcourse announces that its free GED prep program is available for individuals who are seeking to enter college. The system provides a complete course of study in all of the subject areas. It is self- paced, and requires only an Internet connection. It is open to anyone... There is no charge to take this preparation course. Contact your local testing center regarding any fees to take your states' exam. The exams are administered throughout the year at designated locations nationwide. You can generally find this information at local high schools or adult schools, GED Testing Centers, or on the internet at http://www.acenet.edu, a website which is a good resource for all information regarding the GED. For the complete article go to: http://www.pnnonline.org/article.php?sid=6562. To access the site go to: http://www.gedforfree.com/. Roundtable on Religion and Social Welfare Policy Getting a Piece of the Pie: Federal Grants to Faith-Based Social Service Organizations (as reported in the Florida Monitor Weekly - February 24, 2006). Between 2002 and 2004 faith-based organizations (FBOs) received more than 17% of the 28,000 social service grants made by nine federal agencies, and saw their share of grants rise from 11.6% to 12.8%. In all, 3,526 grant awards were made during the period to 1,146 faith-based groups. Also, while the share of federal grant funding to faith-based organizations remained steady, the dollar value awarded to them declined. The overall share of grants to congregation-based organizations declined during the period, although there was evidence that a few federal grant programs are increasing awards to such groups. However, while the number of faith-based grants grew, the total dollar amount declined from approximately $670 million in 2002, to $626 million in 2004. Despite the changes, FBOs continued to receive a steady 17.8% of the total funds during 2002 and 2004, with a slight drop to 17.1% in 2003. http://www.pewtrusts.org/. Minimum wage winning in the states (Center for Policy Alternatives News – February 2006). The movement toward higher minimum wages – a central piece of the progressive economic platform – continues to roll through the states. By veto-proof margins, Rhode Island’s legislature approved HB 6718 sponsored by Representative Charlene Lima, raising that state’s minimum wage to $7.10 on March 1, 2006 and again to $7.40 on January 1, 2007. Republican Governor Donald Carcieri, who vetoed a similar bill last year, was forced to drop his opposition. In the last two years, progressives have been consistently successful in their attempts to increase the minimum wage. Maryland overrode a GOP governor’s veto in 2006. Six states (CT, HI, MN, NJ, VT, WI) had minimum wage victories in 2005. And in 2004, efforts to boost the minimum wage were triumphant in four states (FL, ME, NV, NY) and the District of Columbia. As many as 11 states (AZ, AR, CO, MI, MO, MT, NV, ND, OH, OK, SD) may have ballot initiatives on the minimum wage in 2006. To read CPA’s Minimum Wage policy brief and model legislation go to: http://www.stateaction.org/issues/issue.cfm/issue/MinimumWage.xml. New NCCP report outlines strategies to help states
plan comprehensive early childhood systems of care. States planning
comprehensive early childhood systems can use Early Childhood
Comprehensive Systems that Spend Smarter: Maximizing Resources
to Serve Vulnerable Children to identify ways to use federal
and state fiscal resources more effectively to promote the
social and emotional health and well-being of the most vulnerable
young children. This is the first Issue Brief from National
Center for Children in Poverty (NCCP) Project THRIVE, a public
policy analysis and education initiative for infants and
young children funded through a cooperative agreement with
the federal Maternal and Child Health Bureau. Access the
report at: Reality check: Workforce boards can better meet
the needs of low-wage workers and the employers who hire
them, report
finds. WASHINGTON, Feb. 27 /U.S. Newswire/ -- Integrating
a self- sufficiency standard (see note 1) into the design
of workforce development programs can improve the economic
success of low-wage workers as well as the businesses who
hire them, according to a report released today on Capitol
Hill by Wider Opportunities for Women (WOW). The report -- "Reality
Check: Promoting Self- Sufficiency in the Public Workforce
System" -- offers an innovative tool, a self-sufficiency
measure or standard, to influence the development of workforce
programs and policies, and examines innovative practices
undertaken by workforce board leaders who apply the concept
of self-sufficiency (see note 2) in their program design.
In reviewing practices from more than 200 workforce boards
around the country, "WOW found that the workforce boards
that established the most far reaching policies and programs
were often those who fully integrated the concept of self-sufficiency
in all of their work," says Joan Kuriansky, executive
director of WOW. "Using a realistic measure of what
it costs families to make ends meet and using that information
to design programs and policies will go a long way both in
establishing training goals with employers and in preparing
clients for jobs that offer self- sustaining wages in their
region." New Guide for FBCOs Seeking Private-Sector Funding. The HHS Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has published a new guide for faith-based and community organizations that details the process by which FBCOs can build private sector partnerships. The guide, "Maximizing Program Services Through Private Sector Partnerships and Relationships: A Guide for Faith- and Community-Based Service Providers," is now available online at: http://www.samhsa.gov/FBCI/fbci_pubs.aspx. Article offers a front line view of international response to Hurricane Katrina (from SOUTHERN COMPASS -- FEBRUARY 28, 2006). On February 15th, Southern Growth Policies Board's Global Strategies Council Director Carol Conway visited the World Trade Center of New Orleans (WTCNO) and interviewed Gene Schreiber, managing director, to learn about the international response to Hurricane Katrina. While she expected to find an empty, battered building; instead she found a hub of daily business and college classes. The WTCNO continues to serve as the first point of contact for the dozens of international delegations that have flocked to New Orleans. Conway prepared a brief article on her impressions of the global response to the Hurricane Katrina disaster. Visit: http://www.southern.org/main/GSC/Interview with Gene Schreiber.pdf to read her article. Quote for the Week:"Order
is not pressure which is imposed on society from without,
but an equilibrium which is set up from within." |
