Workforce Florida Weekly Update 3-22-06

CONTENTS
The State & Regions
The Nation
Grant and Competitive Award Opportunities
Upcoming Meetings, Conferences & Events
Odds & Ends

The State & Regions

Governor Bush appoints three to the Workforce Florida board of directors. TALLAHASSEE – Governor Jeb Bush today announced the following appointments to the Workforce Florida Board of Directors:
• John J. Cox, 59, of Sarasota, owner of Halfacre Construction Company, succeeding David Pierson, for a term beginning March 22, 2006 and ending March 21, 2009.
• B. Doug Mead, 47, of Melbourne, president of Mead Construction, Inc., succeeding Marie Bell, for a term beginning March 22, 2006 and ending March 21, 2009.
• Randolph K. Johnson, Sr., 63, of Riviera Beach, CEO of Communications by Johnson, Inc., succeeding Tramm Hudson, for a term beginning March 22, 2006 to ending March 21, 2009.

AWI releases the Florida Labor Market Trends newsletter for March 2006. Highlights inside are the latest labor statistics, a look at the changing Information Industry in Florida and a brief overview of women in the workforce in recognition of Women’s History Month 2006. Access the newsletter at: http://www.labormarketinfo.com/library/pubs/trends/trends-march92006.pdf

NASA Administrator Michael Griffin among top leaders in Tallahassee to tout space program. TALLAHASSEE - Governor Jeb Bush last week joined Cabinet members and state legislators in recognizing our nation’s space program during the annual Florida Space Day. Held each year during the regular state legislative session, Florida Space Day gathers leaders in space and aeronautics in Tallahassee. This year, attendees included NASA Administrator Michael Griffin, Kennedy Space Center Director Jim Kennedy and Commander of the 45th Space Wing, General Mark Owen. “As we recognize Florida’s proud history as a national leader in space and aeronautics, I am pleased to welcome the space industry delegation as led by Administrator Griffin, General Owen, and Director Kennedy to Tallahassee on Florida Space Day,” said Governor Bush “Florida has unlimited opportunities in the ever evolving space industry--from innovative space-based research and development, to systems integration, to increased commercial space launch. At each step of the way, Florida remains committed and poised to ensure our nation’s Vision for Space Exploration is robust and successful.” During Florida Space Day, NASA, military, and industry leaders spoke before select legislative committees, the Florida Cabinet and government leaders. Signifying Florida’s vital role in the nation’s space program, NASA Administrator Michael Griffin highlighted the Sunshine State’s critical role in fostering the nation’s space exploration program. Appointed by President Bush in 2005, Griffin is a widely recognized and respected professional, whose forward thinking will take NASA into a bold new realm focused on exploration to the moon, Mars, and beyond. As part of today’s meetings, NASA Administrator Griffin discussed the progress to return the space shuttle to flight and emphasized the key role of the Kennedy Space Center in developing the Crew Exploration Vehicle, the agency's next-generation spacecraft. www.myflorida.com.

Florida to get $16M for hurricane counseling (Orlando Business Journal - March 17, 2006).
The federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has awarded Florida $16.5 million for crisis counseling assistance in the aftermath of hurricanes Katrina, Rita and Wilma. These grants are via a partnership of SAMHSA and the Federal Emergency Management Agency. SAMHSA Administrator Charles Curie called the impact of the trio of storms unprecedented. "Most survivors are demonstrating remarkable resiliency and are rebuilding their lives," he said. "However, for some survivors, the psychological impact of their experiences is potentially both serious and long-lasting. These new grants are part of a broader federal effort to assure that emotional and psychological well-being are addressed in the overall recovery process." The crisis counseling program is to hire and train people locally to reach out to hurricane survivors who need mental health services. The outreach is to include mobile services to areas such as shelters, disaster recovery centers or hotels, to provide supportive contacts, educational materials and brief counseling services. The awards are part of an ongoing crisis counseling effort that has granted $25.8 million in 29 states. The Florida crisis counseling services to residents and evacuees are to be through "Helping Our People in Emergencies" program. Known as Project HOPE, the program establishes a statewide network of outreach teams to develop a comprehensive crisis counseling support system for evacuees from other Gulf Coast states, as well as for Floridians affected by the storms. Florida has been approved for up to $6.9 million in services related to Hurricane Katrina and up to $9.74 million for services related to Hurricane Wilma. © American City Business Journals Inc.

The Nation

CQ Today Midday Update – Wednesday, March 15, 2006, 2:14p.m.
Today in Washington:
House: Not in session. Reconvenes at 2 p.m. Tuesday, March 28.
Senate: Not in session. Reconvenes at 1 p.m. Monday, March 27.
The President: Delivers remarks on terrorism at the Capitol Music Hall in Wheeling, W.Va.

• Nelson Threatens Hold on Interior Nomination
• New Pollution Rules Seem Unlikely in Senate
• Duckworth Wins in Illinois

Access the full stories at: www.cq.com

ETA provides information regarding plans for AJB. The USDOL Employment and Training Administration (ETA) sponsored a telephone conference on Friday, March 17, regarding the Administration's plans to discontinue support for America's Job Bank (AJB) as of July 1, 2007.
According to ETA, the environment has changed since AJB was started over a decade ago as most states have developed or purchased their own Internet-based job banks and the private sector has caught up and produced numerous nationwide job bank sites. The two major factors ETA weighed when making their decision to discontinue support for AJB were: (1) changes in the job bank market and (2) the costs associated with running AJB. ETA is proceeding with plans to phase out AJB by June 30, 2007. ETA officials indicate they will work with states to assess thoroughly their individual situations and address any issues. ETA also will provide technical assistance to states. According to ETA, the impact on the rest of the CareerOneStop suite of electronic tools will be minimal. One of the major concerns of states pertains to employers who want to post a job order in multiple states. ETA has said it will be working to create a system that allows employers to post a job order once and have it broadcasted to selected state job banks. States using the America's One-Stop Operating System (AOSOS) have a stronger reliance on AJB than most other states. ETA will meet with the AOSOS states and provide counsel on alternative solutions. Links to documents that were sent to state administrators regarding the AJB transition are below.
ETA Letter Sent to State Administrators: http://www.workforceatm.org/sections/pdf/2006/State_Admin_Letter%20-%20March%2006.pdf
The Phase Out of America's Job Bank Questions and Answers: http://www.workforceatm.org/sections/pdf/2006/AJB_Phase_Out_Q_As%20-%20March%2006.pdf
The Phase Out of America's Job Bank Fact Sheet: http://www.workforceatm.org/sections/pdf/2006/AJB_Phase_Out_Fact_Sheet%20-%20March%2006.pdf

HUD issues Fiscal Year 2006 Median Income Estimates (from HUD USER News). HUD has just released the estimated median family income and income limits for Fiscal Year (FY) 2006. The estimates are based on new OMB Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs), and cover 523 metropolitan areas and 2,045 nonmetropolitan areas in the U.S. and its territories. The FY 2006 HUD median family income estimates are derived from 2000 Census data updated with county-level earnings data, Census American Community Survey state- level data, and Census Current Population Survey data. Separate median family income estimates are calculated for all MSAs and nonmetropolitan counties. HUD's median income estimates are of interest to housing and community development professionals because they are used as the basis for income limits for several HUD programs (including the Public Housing, Housing Choice Voucher, CDBG, and HOME programs), and in programs run by the Department of Agriculture, the Department of Treasury, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the Federal Housing Finance Board, and Government Sponsored Enterprises. The FY 2006 HUD income estimates and income limits are available as a free download from HUD USER at: http://www.huduser.org/datasets/il/il06/index.html. You will also find a link to the new Income Limit Area Definitions at this location.

SBA asks private sector to join policy discussion on disaster response - solicits input on private sector role and capabilities. WASHINGTON – The U.S. Small Business Administration last week released a Request for Information (RFI) soliciting input from interested parties on how the private sector can best support the delivery of SBA’s Disaster Assistance program, within its current operational framework and/or within a guaranteed lending framework. “We are hoping to engage the general public in a policy discussion about the potential role and the capability of the private sector to deliver disaster assistance loans to the victims of natural disasters,” said SBA Administrator Hector V. Barreto. “Where there are ideas to improve the federal government’s response to such unprecedented natural disasters as the 2005 hurricanes along the Gulf Coast, it is our obligation to hear them. “We’ve done a lot to expedite our response in these areas, and over the last six months we have approved more disaster loan dollars in a shorter time frame than in any other disaster response in the agency’s history,” Barreto said. “But that doesn’t mean there isn’t a better way.” “Following the unprecedented disasters of Hurricanes Katrina, Rita and Wilma, the SBA made numerous changes to its disaster loan program to provide assistance to qualifying homeowners, and business owners as quickly as possible,” said Representative Don Manzullo, Chairman of the House Small Business Committee. “I appreciate the fact that Administrator Barreto is looking to do better and is seeking guidance from the private sector on how they can help our government help Americans the next time disaster strikes.” In the aftermath of a federally declared disaster, SBA provides assistance to qualified homeowners, renters and business owners in the form of long- term low-interest loans. The magnitude of the 2005 hurricanes that devastated the Gulf region caused more home and business owners to apply for SBA assistance than any previous disaster in the agency’s history. In order to prepare for future disasters, and to ensure that the disaster program is operating at its highest potential, SBA seeks ideas and options for complementing the agency’s existing resources. The comment period will last for 45 days. All responses must be received by 5:00 pm EST on May 2, 2006. Over the past six months, the SBA has processed over 282,587 applications for more than $6.2 billion in disaster recovery loans from hurricane survivors in Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas, Florida and Alabama for over $6.2 billion. Complete details available on the Fed Biz Ops Web site at: http://www.fbo.gov/spg/SBA/OOA/OPGM/SBAHQ%2D06%2DI%2D0001/SynopsisR.html.
http://www.sba.gov/news.

Headlines from NASWA’s Workforce Bulletin - March 17, 2006.

• SENATE BUDGET RESOLUTION PASSES; AMENDMENTS IMPACT WIA
• SENATE RAISES DEBT CEILING TO NEARLY $9 TRILLION; HOUSE PROVIDES MORE MONEY FOR WAR AND HURRICANE RELIEF
• IMPACT OF FY 2006 SPENDING REDUCTIONS - SUMMARY OF NASWA SURVEY RESULTS
• NEW AREAS OF SUBSTANTIAL UNEMPLOYMENT (ASUs) AND INTERIM PARTIAL FUNDING ALLOTMENTS
• ETA PROVIDES INFORMATION REGARDING PLANS FOR AJB
• ETA HOLDING WEBINAR ON WORKFORCE INFORMATION-LMI
• SENATE COMMITTEE MAKING PROGRESS ON IMMIGRATION REFORM
• ETA RELEASES GUIDANCE ON ALIEN LABOR CERTIFICATION
• WAYS AND MEANS SUBCOMMITTEE ON HUMAN RESOURCES HEARS NEW INFORMATION ON UI BENEFIT RECIPIENTS
• SLOWING PRODUCTIVITY GROWTH AND RISING LABOR COSTS THREATEN TO ACCELERATE INFLATION
• NGA ANNOUNCES TASK FORCE ON TANF -- GOVERNORS JOIN TOGETHER TO DEVELOP RECOMMENDATIONS FOR HHS
• SCSEP BIDDERS CONFERENCE WEBINAR AVAILABLE TO VIEW
• MONSTER PROVIDES DISASTER RELIEF JOB POSTINGS ON AJB TO CENTRALIZE JOBS FOR SURVIVORS
• INDIANAPOLIS HOSTS NASWA'S 2006 UI TECHNOLOGY CONNECTION CONFERENCE SCHEDULED FOR JUNE 4-8, 2006

For the full articles go to: http://www.workforceatm.org/sections/members/bulletin/bulltemp.cfm?
results_art_filename=bu031706.htm.

Grant and Competitive Award Opportunities and Notices

For additional information go to, visit the External Grant Opportunities page.

Featured Opportunity:

(none)

State Grants

(none)

Federal Grants

Workforce Investment Act-Small Grassroots Organizations Connecting with the One-Stop Delivery System

Collaboration between TANF and Child Welfare to Improve Child Welfare Program Outcomes

High School Equivalency Program (HEP) (repeat)

Drug Free Communities Support Program (DFC)

Treatment for Persons Who are Homeless (repeat)

Rural Cooperative Development Grant

Street Outreach Program For Youth

Foundation Grants

Cappelli Foundation Grants for At-Risk Children and Youth

Grassroots Exchange Fund Grants

Neighborhood Excellence Initiative

Scholarships/Awards

Casey Family Scholars Scholarships for Foster Youth

James A. Johnson Community Fellowship Program

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.

April 19, 2006
WFI Council Chairmen Teleconference - 9:00am - 10:00am
WFI Executive Committee Teleconference - 10:00am - 11:30am
Contact: Peggy Dransfield pdransfield@workforceflorida.com.

May 17, 2006
Executive Directors Meeting (Partners Meeting)
1:00pm – 4:00pm
Sheraton Tampa Riverwalk Hotel
Contact: Peggy Dransfield pdransfield@workforceflorida.com

May 18, 2006
Workforce Florida Board of Directors & Council Meetings
Council/Committee Meetings 10:00am – 12:00pm
Board of Directors Meeting 1:00 – 4:00pm
Sheraton Tampa Riverwalk Hotel
Contact: Peggy Dransfield pdransfield@workforceflorida.com

Other Meetings/Conferences/Events:

March 23 from 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m., EST
SBA’s Live Web Chat Series to Highlight Women and Entrepreneurship
NEW! Wilma Goldstein, SBA’s assistant administrator for women’s business ownership, will host the SBA’s March Web chat on “Business Growth for Women Entrepreneurs.” Goldstein will share her expertise of women and entrepreneurship, and answer questions about starting and growing a small business. Chat participants will receive information on small business training, counseling and mentoring as well as other small business issues for women entrepreneurs. They will also be able to learn about tools and resources to help them overcome the barriers to business start-up and growth. The SBA’s live Web chat series provides business owners with the opportunity to have an exchange about relevant business issues with experts, real-world industry leaders and successful entrepreneurs. Participants will have direct, real-time access to the Web chats via questions they submit online in advance and during the session, and receive instant answers to their questions. Participants can join the live Web chat by going online to http://www.sba.gov/ and clicking “Your Small Business Voice Online Chat.” On left side bar. Web chat participants may post a question for Goldstein before the March 23 chat by visiting: http://app1.sba.gov/liveMeeting/liveGoldstein/intro.cfm and posting their questions online.

Tuesday, March 28th
Economic Development Today Telecast
Rural Entrepreneurship and Innovative Leadership
3:00-4:00PM EDT
NEW! On Tuesday March 28th from 3:00-4:00PM EDT the National Association of Regional Councils (NARC) will broadcast a telecast called “Rural Entrepreneurship and Innovative Leadership”. This Economic Development Today telecast will be the third of six in the 2005-2006 series. The telecast is brought to you as part of a cooperative agreement between the Economic Development Administration (EDA), The International Economic Development Council (IEDC) and the National Association of Regional Councils. As part of the Economic Development Administration’s continuing commitment to growing rural economies, this telecast will focus on Rural Entrepreneurship and Innovative Leadership. Rural America is home to nearly a quarter of the nation’s people and research findings reveal that rural America performs differently than the rest of the U.S. economy due to the changing technological and global challenges. Rural development initiatives are critical components for America’s global stability and competitiveness in the world wide economy helping to fuel regions throughout America. While traditional economic development strategies have struggled to yield outcomes in rural communities in an era of increased global competition, there has been an increased emphasis on rural entrepreneurship and innovation. The panelists will address the following:

• Research findings on building support systems for rural entrepreneurs
• Success stories of how rural communities have developed from within
• Examples of entrepreneurs that have benefited from their unique local assets
• Lessons learned for rural communities to strengthen their workforce and tap into a world wide economy

The telecast will feature the Kellogg Foundation which has been at the forefront of developing a framework for economic development practitioners who are trying to implement the best ideas about entrepreneurship in their rural places. The foundation panelist will provide examples of innovative leaders. Two rural businesses will provide their experience and progress as sustainable innovative leaders in their regions. Moderator: Matthew E. Crow, Director of Communications, Economic Development Administration, US, Department of Commerce.
Panelists: Dr. Richard Foster, Vice President for Programs, Food Systems, Rural Development and Leadership, W.K. Kellogg Foundation. The broadcast will also feature two rural business representatives who will provide their experience and progress as innovative thought leaders in their regions. This telecast is FREE. To register for this event as well as receive your access information, visit the NARC website at: http://www.narc.org/pubs/main/Telecasts.cfm. All pertinent information will be on the telecast flyer. To maximize participation levels, we ask that you spread this information to all of your colleagues who you think might be interested in viewing this program. Please fill out the evaluation form located on the NARC website when you are done watching this program and fax them into the NARC office at 202-986-1032. If you are a cable or public television station we encourage you to tape this program and broadcast it to your viewers at any time. Please let us know how many viewers you are capable of reaching.
In order to view the telecast, you will need to be in a location that can receive KU or C Band capabilities or DISH Network (DISH Network is broadcasted at a different time than the satellite feed. The DISH Network broadcast time will be at 7:00PM EDT). This telecast will not be accessible through the internet. If your building/office does not have these capabilities, we suggest that you try and contact other businesses, associations, or organizations that you think might be interested in hosting you. Often, universities and community colleges have these capabilities and are willing to host participants. If you have any questions or concerns with finding a site, please contact Ben or Peggy at the NARC office and we will assist you in this process, 202-986-1032.

April 3, 2006
Tampa Bay Workforce Alliance’s 2nd Annual Professional Career Expo
“ Opening Doors: The Right Job/The Right Talent”
8 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Tampa Convention Center
The expo will offer professionals with four-year degrees plus minimum two years experience in their field a chance to meet and interview with more than 40 area employers and feature innovative workshop presentations on how to prepare for and compete in the workforce. Jeff Taylor, founder of well-known job search engine Monster.com will be the featured keynote speaker. For more information, visit www.workforcetampa.com or call 813-740-4680 x 237.

April 12, 2006
White House Regional Conference on Faith-Based and Community Initiatives
Jacksonville, Florida
8:00am - 5:00pm
Hyatt Jacksonville
On Wednesday, April 12, the White House and the Departments of Justice, Commerce, Agriculture, Labor, Veterans Affairs, Health & Human Services, Housing & Urban Development, and Education, the Agency for International Development and the Small Business Administration will host a conference in Jacksonville to help faith-based and other community organizations learn more about President Bush's Faith-Based and Community Initiative. The Federal government is working to make sure that faith-based and community groups can compete on an equal footing for Federal dollars, receive greater private support, and face fewer bureaucratic barriers. The conference is free, but pre-registration is required. Registration is on a first-come, first-serve basis. Visit http://www.fbci.gov to register online. We strongly encourage you to register online. If you are unable to register online, print the registration form attached to this email. Complete the form and fax it to 703-416-1935. If you are not able to view the online file, please call 202-456-6718 to have a form faxed to you. Please register by Thursday, April 6. If you must cancel your registration, please send an email to fbci@dtihq.com or a fax to the number listed above so we may accommodate as many people as possible. The conference is part of a series of regional conferences that are being held around the country. These conferences will provide participants with information about Federal programs that are suited to their needs, the Federal funding process, and the legal requirements that may apply to recipients of Federal funds. They will also offer practical information on the grant-writing process and facilitate opportunities to network with government officials. For more information, please call 202-456-6718, send an email to fbci@dtihq.com, or visit www.fbci.gov.

April 19 – 21, 2006.
2006 Annual Conference Florida Association of Partners in Education
Hilton Daytona Beach Ocean Walk Village
Florida Association of Partners in Education Conference is presented each spring. The conference is packed with cutting-edge ideas and new programs. Keynote speakers bring the most up-to-date information that will both inform and entertain. More than 800 conference attendees representing the volunteer sector from business, community, government and schools focus on the positive impact community involvement initiatives can have on education and student achievement. The Florida Commissioner of Education’s Business Recognition Awards is a special addition to Florida Association of Partners in Education Conference. This highly prestigious event recognizes honored businesses and organizations throughout Florida for exemplary partnership involvement. One of the highlights of the conference is the recognition of Florida's Outstanding Volunteers. Students, parents, grandparents and business partners, representing their regions, will be among those individuals honored for their contribution to education in the state of Florida. For more information or to register go to: http://www.flpie.net/.

April 23-26, 2006
GITA's Annual Conference 29
No Barriers: Connected. Responsive. Prepared
Tampa Convention Center
Tampa, Florida USA
It's the premier geospatial event of the year! GITA’s Annual Conference and Exhibition is the most highly regarded educational event for professionals involved in geospatial information technologies. Annual Conference 29 will provide you with better ways to plan, design, manage, and maintain your geospatial systems and operations. This prestigious event will present an exciting technical program, including one-and-a-half days of in-depth seminars followed by two-and-a-half days of educational sessions. This year's conference theme, No Barriers: Connected. Responsive. Prepared. — reflects the fact that professionals in geospatial technology must respond to growing business needs to prepare for dynamic situations. Preconference seminars will offer attendees the opportunity to concentrate on some key issues that are critical to successful project planning and implementation. Annual Conference 29 will feature 12 half-day seminars, beginning on Sunday morning and concluding on Monday. Who Should Attend: Anyone who is interested in using geospatial information technologies is invited to attend. Discussion topics involve geographic information systems (GIS), information technology (IT), mobile and field computing, supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA), network operations management, work management systems, enterprise application integration, critical infrastructure protection, and other related technologies. The conference program will address topics of interest to executives and managers in government agencies; electric, gas, and water/wastewater utilities; telecommunications companies; pipeline companies; the public sector; and other organizations interested in using geospatial information to enhance their bottom line. Download the Official Conference Program at: http://www.gita.org/events/annual/29/Program.pdf.

May 8 – 12, 2006
Florida Governor's Hurricane Conference
Ft. Lauderdale, FL
The Florida Governor's Hurricane Conference will celebrate its 20th anniversary in Ft. Lauderdale May 8 to 12 with a vast offering of training sessions, working groups, meetings and receptions. Upon registering for the conference, attendees can choose from six tracks: Emergency Services, Human Services, Infrastructure, Policy/Planning, Recovery/Mitigation, and the catch-all category of "General." (Choosing a session in one track does not prevent registrants from choosing other sessions from a different track.) For more detailed information, visit the conference website. The early registration deadline is March 31 at midnight. For more, go to: www.flghc.org.

May 9-10, 2006
Agricultural Business and Workforce System Integration Forums (U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration - ETA)
Tampa, FL
The two forums that were postponed from Fall 2005 due to ETA’s hurricane recovery efforts have been rescheduled for Spring 2006. They will take place on April 20-21 in Dallas, Texas and on May 9-10 in Tampa, Florida. There is no registration fee or charge for attending a forum. However, forum attendees are responsible for related expenses (travel, lodging, and food). The preliminary agenda is available at: http://www.tatc.com/integrationforum/AgForumAgenda-Revised1-10-06.pdf
Forum hotel and travel information for the Tampa meeting is available at: Tampa, FL (May 9-10, 2006) http://www.tatc.com/integrationforum/AgForumAgenda-Revised1-10-06.pdf
If you have other questions about the forums, or if your participation will require assistive technology or other disability accommodations, please contact Alisa Tanaka-Dodge of TATC Consulting at (202) 408-8282 ext. 234 or tanakaa@tatc.com. Pre-registration will close one week before each forum. On-site registration will be available.

May 15-16, 2006
Rural Tourism and Economic Development Summit
Gainesville, Florida
This event seeks to unite tourism and economic development officials to improve quality of life in Rural Florida. Topics include:

• Best practices and real world success stories of both tourism and development
• Using technology to advance tourism and development in rural Florida
• Ways to implement the Enterprise Florida “7-point Plan for Rural Florida.”

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.

May 17-19, 2006
2006 Growth Management Summit
Rosen Plaza, Orlando
NEW! The Department and the Florida Regional Councils Association are pleased to announce open registration for the 2006 Growth Management Summit. Early registration is $175 until April 30 when it will increase to $200. Hotel rooms are $99 until April 30. Visit http://www.dca.state.fl.us/fdcp/dcp/gmw/index.cfm to register on line, to read the registration brochure, and for other information.

May 23 - 25 2006
National Rapid Response Summit
St. Louis Missouri
NEW! Hosted by the Employment and Training Administration (ETA), the Summit will bring together frontline workforce professionals, policymakers, economic development professionals, employers, and other workforce system partners to explore new directions in Rapid Response.
The theme of this year's Summit is Gateway to Opportunities: Strengthening Our Communities through Economic and Workforce Development, and features an agenda that is the result of a collaborative effort between federal, state, and local levels, as well as key partners and stakeholders. Registration Deadline: May 1, 2006. Registration fee: $150.00 USD. To view full information, including online registration and hotel information, go to:
http://www.doleta.gov/usworkforce/whatsnew/eta_default.cfm?id=1381.

June 2-4, 2006
The 8th Annual Family Café Conference
Caribe Royale
Orlando, Florida
The Department of Education is proud to support the 8th Annual Family Café Conference and Governor’s Summit on Disabilities as part of our commitment to provide a quality education to all students. During the annual three-day conference, individuals with disabilities and special health care needs and their families have an opportunity to gain valuable knowledge, to interact with state agencies’ representatives and private providers, and to expand their network of supports. Pre-conference registration for the 8th Annual Family Café Conference will begin on February 14, 2006. There is no conference registration fee. Limited financial assistance will be provided to families by Family Café. The financial assistance funds through Family Café are available on a first-come, first-serve basis, and have historically been exhausted soon after registration opens. Therefore, we encourage districts to make families of students with disabilities aware of the pre-conference registration and financial assistance as soon as possible. We also encourage you to financially support families to attend the 8th Annual Family Café Conference through the use of discretionary grants. As part of the conference, Governor Jeb Bush will speak at the 8th Annual Governor’s Summit on Disabilities on Friday, June 2, 2006, from 6:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. Participants may either register online at www.familycafe.net or call the Family Café office at 1-888-309-2233 to request a registration brochure be mailed. Pre-registration ends on March 31, 2006.

USDOL’s Workforce Tools of the Trade Workforce Investment Systemwide Events Page. http://www.workforcetools.org/calendar.asp

Odds and Ends

Nine Florida companies make Fortune’s "Admired" list (from iCoast News Monday, March 13, 2006). Nine Florida companies have cause to celebrate with Fortune magazine bestowing them a spot on its national list of ``America's Most Admired Companies 2006.'' The Florida companies, which were among 303 making the list nationwide, are Fort Lauderdale auto retailer AutoNation, Juno Beach power company FPL Group, Miami home-builder Lennar Corp., Naples-based Health Management Associates, Jacksonville trucking company Landstar System, temporary staffing agency MPS Group, Clearwater's Tech Data Corp., Lakeland's Publix Super Markets, and Orlando's Hughes Supply (being acquired by Home Depot).
The rankings were based on each company's standing in eight categories: innovation, people management, use of corporate assets, social responsibility, quality of management, financial soundness, long-term investment and quality of products and services. To access the Fortune article and lists go to:
http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/mostadmired/index.html

NETS Online Technology Assessment. A Microsoft Corporation and International Society for Technology in Education Collaboration, the NETS Online Technology Assessment helps teachers measure student skills in using software applications and helps measure student progress toward meeting the National Educational Technology Standards for Students (NETS•S). Each assessment consists of 5 to 10 activities measuring a number of separate skills as well as integrated sets of skills related to a project or problem. The assessments are designed to be completed within an average of 30 minutes or less, but they are not timed. Individual activities can be repeated, and the assessments can be retaken as many times as needed. Feedback on student performance is provided after each question, and a summary is given at the end. The assessment detail page identifies which applications are used in each assessment, the ISTE NETS•S performance indicators they can help to measure, and specific activities performed during the assessment. For general information, check out the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page at: http://www.iste.org/inhouse/resources/asmt/msiste/faq.cfm?Section=NETS_OTA_FAQ.

Lots of jobs for this year's grads (UPI - March 20, 2006). U.S. college grads in 2006 are expected to find plenty of work opportunities awaiting them, a consultancy said Monday. The 416,000 jobs added in January and February is the strongest evidence that this year's 1.4 million college graduates will probably enjoy the best entry-level job market since the dot.com collapse in 2001, said Challenger, Gray & Christmas Inc., a global outplacement consultancy. Even non-graduates will benefit as they seek summer jobs and internships. "We are approaching full employment and some employers are already dreaming up perks to attract the best talent. Those graduating with degrees in business, engineering, computer science, education and healthcare should find a relatively welcoming job market," said a Challenger spokesman. In addition to strong job growth and falling unemployment, this year's college graduates should be encouraged by a survey that found employers plan to hire 14.5 percent more new college graduates than a year ago. http://www.hirediversity.com/tools/news/story.asp?id=30623.
Source: Copyright 2006 by United Press International

Analysis of Fiscal Year 2004 TANF and MOE Spending by States (New From CLASP – March 16, 2006 by Mark Greenberg and Elisa Minoff). The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has published data concerning use of federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and state maintenance of effort (MOE) funds in fiscal year 2004. This set of state-by-state charts shows how each state used its TANF and MOE funds in fiscal year 2004. http://www.clasp.org/publications/state_moe_fy04.htm.

From OPPAGA’s Florida Monitor Weekly - March 17, 2006 http://www.oppaga.state.fl.us/:

• U.S. Department of Education releases report: Enrollment in Postsecondary Institutions, Fall 2004; Graduation Rates, 1998 & 2001 Cohorts; and Financial Statistics, Fiscal Year 2004. There were 18 million postsecondary students in fall 2004. Of these, 61% were enrolled in four-year institutions, 38% were enrolled in two-year institutions, and 2% were enrolled in less-than-two-year institutions. Thirteen million students were enrolled in public institutions, three million were enrolled in private not-for-profit institutions, and one million students were enrolled in private for-profit institutions. Net migration is the difference between the number of students entering the state to attend school and the number of students who leave the state to attend school elsewhere. In fall 2004, Florida had the highest net migration, with 19,786 more first- time undergraduate students entering the state than leaving the state to attend college. New Jersey had the lowest net migration, with 26,584 more first-time undergraduate students leaving the state than entering the state to attend college. Overall graduation rates at four-year institutions were somewhat higher than at two-year institutions (55% and 33% respectively); however, graduation rates were highest at less- than-two-year institutions (66%). http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2006155.
• MDRC’s “A New Approach to Low-Wage Workers and Employers”. What does it take to help people who hold low-wage jobs climb the economic ladder while simultaneously meeting labor market demand and employer needs for more skilled workers? Two main strategies: (1) services to help workers keep their jobs or find better ones and (2) simplified access to programs intended to provide financial support to low-income workers (such as child care subsidies, food stamps, Medicaid, and the Earned Income Tax Credit) may help. Both Dayton and San Diego are developing distinct approaches to respond to their substantially different demographic, institutional, and labor market conditions. Employers have responded positively to the sites' efforts to work with them to identify advancement opportunities in high-demand occupations, new routes to participation in career advancement activities, and strategies for recruiting eligible members of their workforce. In learning how to develop and adapt services aimed at assisting working people, both workforce and welfare agency staff are bridging the substantial gaps between the workforce and welfare systems. This entails a major culture change to transcend the systems' traditional isolation and lack of experience combining employment services with access to work supports for low-earners. Sites have begun outreach campaigns that market economic advancement and are initiating partnerships with employers and community-based organizations to reach low- wage workers. http://www.mdrc.org/publications/424/overview.html.
• Tax Foundation issues Federal Tax Burdens and Expenditures by State. Thanks to a steeply progressive federal income tax, states with higher incomes pay vastly higher federal taxes, payments that are unlikely ever to be matched by federal spending directed to those states. Ironically, most of these high-paying states are the so-called blue states that have generally elected politicians who support a more steeply progressive tax system even though their own constituents bear a greater share of the burden as the code gets more progressive. In Fiscal Year 2004, New Mexico, Alaska, West Virginia, Mississippi and North Dakota received substantially more from the federal government than they paid in taxes, while New Jersey, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Minnesota and Illinois paid much more in taxes than they received in spending. The federal government spends slightly more money in Florida than it receives from the state's taxpayers, largely because of the billions of dollars that flow to retirees every year. The federal government spent $1.02 in Florida for every dollar paid by state taxpayers in fiscal year 2004. That means the state just about broke even in the exchange of taxes and spending, unlike other states that are major donors or recipients. The biggest beneficiaries of this exchange are sparsely populated and spacious states with lots of federal land. Topping the list are New Mexico, which received two dollars for every dollar of taxes paid, and Alaska, which got back $1.87 per tax dollar. Urban states with a high cost of living tend to get far less than they give in tax dollars. Top "donor states" are New Jersey, which received just 55 cents per dollar of taxes paid, and Connecticut, at 66 cents per dollar. Florida's burden remained much the same as in 1994, when it got back $1.06 per dollar paid. http://www.taxfoundation.org/publications/show/62.html.

From SOUTHERN COMPASS -- MARCH 21, 2006:

• New study provides insight into how families spiral into poverty. A new study of poverty in North Carolina provides insight into how families move into and out of poverty. Among the key findings: 1) discrete events, such as health-related issues or job loss, were responsible for the largest number of movements into poverty; 2) people with support networks were less likely to fall into poverty; and 3) the majority of those who fell into poverty remained poor, while the majority who escaped poverty remained above the poverty level. The findings are based on interviews with some 250 households and cover the decade between 1995 and 2005. Download Escaping Poverty and Becoming Poor in Thirteen Communities in Rural North Carolina at http://www.mdcinc.org/docs/NCPov_March2006.pdf.
• New guidebook for military-base redevelopment projects. A new guidebook from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency provides advice to communities near military bases that are closing to reducing operations. It notes that many of the most successful military-base redevelopment projects share several important traits, including: 1) planning for redevelopment early; 2) keeping the public involved throughout the redevelopment process; and 3) using the base’s location, infrastructure, historic buildings and environmentally sensitive lands to the best advantage. The use of smart growth principles in base redevelopment is emphasized. Download Turning Bases into Great Places at: http://www.epa.gov/smartgrowth/pdf/bases_into_places.pdf.
• Report cites 11.5 million undocumented immigrants reside in U.S. Undocumented immigrants represent a substantial and growing proportion of the U.S. population according to the Pew Hispanic Center study, The Size and Characteristics of the Unauthorized Migrant Population in the U.S. America’s unauthorized immigrant population increases by 500,000 annually with 11.5 million undocumented migrants currently residing in the U.S. While the majority of undocumented migrants are adults, children represent 16 percent of the country’s unauthorized immigrants. A substantial proportion of unauthorized immigrants belong to “mixed-status” families—nuclear families where at-least one of the members has U.S citizenship. For more information visit: http://pewhispanic.org/reports/report.php?ReportID=61.
• Report tracks state-level process in k-12 students by race & socioeconomic status. States have boosted scores and closed achievement gaps during the elementary years, but gaps between whites and minorities continue to persist for middle and high school students. The Education Trust report, Primary Progress, Secondary Challenge, highlights state-level achievement trends for elementary, middle and high school students by race, ethnicity and socioeconomic status. In addition to boosting overall scores, Georgia, Louisiana and Virginia reduced the achievement gap for black and Hispanic elementary school students. Georgia and North Carolina were the only Southern states to reduce the achievement gap for black and Hispanic middle schoolers. To review the Education Trust Report visit: http://www2.edtrust.org/NR/rdonlyres/15B22876-20C8-47B8-9AF4-FAB148A225AC/0/PPSCreport.pdf.
  

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