CONTENTS
The State & Regions
The Nation
Grant and Competitive Award Opportunities
Upcoming
Meetings, Conferences & Events
Odds & Ends
The State & Regions
EITC/Prosperity Partners web resource update – new
financial literacy and other resources available. WFI and
AWI have developed the EITC/Prosperity Partners online resource
as part of the state-wide multi-partner EITC and broader "Prosperity
Initiative". Updated and new information on the site
includes: State Meetings/Teleconferences section of website
- new Dates for the RealSense Prosperity Campaign & Welfare
Peer Technical Assistance Network meeting – the Strenghtening
Economic Self-Sufficiency for Florida’s Families Roundtable
is scheduled for May 23rd and 24th in Jacksonville (specific
agenda/details to follow); the Program Design/Promising Practices
section now offers the WorkSource (RWB 8) and Real$ense Power
Point describing the local Prosperity Campaign; and, in the
same section of the website, a new document titled “Information
On Local Programs” describing local prosperity campaign
efforts throughout the state; and a completely new Financial
Literacy Partners section of the website (in the process
of being uploaded this week.) This year we expanded our EITC
Campaign to the Prosperity Initiative which is inclusive
of EITC, CTC, financial literacy and asset building. During
the tax season - December through the present - we have focused
on the tax credits. Now that the tax filing period will be
closing (April 17 is the deadline), it is time to move onto
financial literacy and asset building. The new Financial
Literacy section will feature relevant and timely information
from a new partner – the Florida Institute of CPA’s
(FICPA). To learn more about FICPA and their financial literacy
initiatives and resources visit: www.ficpa.org. To access
all the new information on the Prosperity Initiative Resource
Page go to: http://www.floridajobs.org/eitc/index.html. For
more information about the Prosperity Initiative or to submit
for inclusion your organization's name, information and/or
materials contact: JenniLee Robins at jrobins@workforceflorida.com .
AWI releases Florida's employment/unemployment report
for February 2006. Florida’s unemployment rate in February
2006 was 3.2 percent, little changed from January’s
3.0 percent. Stronger than average job growth took place
in February as the state added 295,400 jobs over the year,
growing at 3.8 percent, more than twice the national rate.
The national rate of growth was 1.5 percent for the same
period. Based on the latest available data, Florida continues
to lead other states in the nation in the number of new jobs
created and has the fastest rate of job growth and the lowest
unemployment rate among the ten most populous states. The
state’s seasonally adjusted February 2006 unemployment
rate was 3.2 percent, relatively unchanged from 3.0 percent
in January and down by 0.9 percentage points from 4.1 percent
a year ago. Florida's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate
for February 2006 of 3.2 percent was 1.6 percentage points
lower than the national rate of 4.8 percent. Job growth by
sector was led by Professional and Business Services (+67,000
jobs), Trade, Transportation and Utilities (+56,500 jobs),
Construction (+55,300 jobs), Leisure and Hospitality (+37,500
jobs), and Education and Health services (+23,700 jobs).
Solid growth also continued in Manufacturing which gained
3,500 jobs over the year. Durable goods manufacturing gained
3,300 jobs, mainly in transportation equipment manufacturing
(+2,200 jobs). Manufacturing employment has seen positive
growth since April 2004. The Miami-Ft. Lauderdale-Miami Beach
MSA led the state in employment growth (+74,200 jobs, +3.1
percent), followed by the Orlando-Kissimmee and Tampa-St.
Petersburg-Clearwater MSAs with over-the-year job growth
in February 2006 of +50,800 jobs and +39,600 jobs, respectively.
In February 2006, all of Florida’s counties had an
unemployment rate lower than the national average of 5.1
percent. Three counties tied for the lowest unemployment
rate in February: Lee, Wakulla and Walton Counties at 2.3
percent. Hendry County was the highest at 5.0 percent. For
the full report go to: http://www.labormarketinfo.com/library/press/release.pdf.
NOTE: The next release will be 10:00am April 21, 2006.
Workforce Estimating Conference potential not realized;
barriers can be addressed (From OPPAGA’s Florida Monitor
Weekly - March 31, 2006). The Workforce Estimating Conference
has the potential to use the employment demand forecast made
by the Agency for Workforce Innovation to identify training
program needs at all levels, but this potential has not been
realized. The conference narrows AWI’s forecasts to
a statewide demand occupations list that only includes jobs
that require two years or less of postsecondary training.
The accuracy of the statewide demand occupations list could
be improved by examining how occupational demands are met.
The list also could be expanded to include jobs requiring
baccalaureate or advanced degrees. Two barriers exist to
using the list to direct funding for baccalaureate and advanced
degree programs. First, there is a relatively lengthy time
lag between estimating demand and producing graduates, which
increases the likelihood that the projections will be inaccurate.
Second, many baccalaureate degrees lead to multiple occupations,
which makes it difficult to accurately forecast demand for
these graduates. The Workforce Estimating Conference could
address these barriers by setting high demand thresholds
before placing occupations requiring baccalaureate or advanced
degrees on the statewide demand occupations list and by listing
occupations that can be filled with graduates of more than
one baccalaureate degree program as one occupation. Access
the full report at:
http://www.oppaga.state.fl.us/reports/educ/r06-28s.html.
Employ Florida Marketplace Update: As of midday
April 4th there were 91,428 individuals and 6,661 employers
registered
in the Employ Florida Marketplace. There have been 505,170
referrals to jobs and 17,963 resumes are currently active
in the system. Approximately 4 million unique job listings
have been posted in the system since it was launched in spring
of 2005. Have you registered yet? Go to www.EmployFlorida.com and find out for yourself what 91,428 individuals already
know!
The Nation
CQ Today Midday Update – Wednesday, April 5,
2006, 2:16p.m.
Today in Washington:
House: Takes up a bill (HR 513) that would apply campaign finance
rules limiting other political committees to “527” groups.
Also considers measures under suspension of the rules, including
a bill to sanction Sudanese officials and militia commanders
considered guilty of genocide in Darfur by denying them visas
and blocking access to their assets held overseas.
Senate: Debates amendments to border security and immigration
enforcement bill (S 2454).
The President: Hosts an Oval Office breakfast with bicameral
Republican congressional leadership; travels to Bridgeport,
Conn., to participate in a panel discussion on health savings
accounts.
- House Judiciary Approves Tougher
Lobbying Disclosure Rules
- House GOP Leaders Still Searching
for Votes on Budget
- Oman Trade Deal Draws Fire from House
Democrats
- Senate Still Stalled on Immigration as Frist
Seeks Solution
- Black Caucus Chairman Silent on McKinney
Incident
Access the full stories at: www.cq.com NASWA President JoAnn Hammill testifies before the
House Labor, HHS and Education Appropriations Subcommittee
and the NASWA
statement submitted for the hearing record. The following is
an excerpt of her opening statements: “Mr. Chairman and
Members of the Subcommittee, thank you for the opportunity
to testify today on appropriations for the nation’s publicly-funded
workforce system. The National Association of State Workforce
Agencies (NASWA) respectfully submits this testimony for the
record. The mission of NASWA is to serve as an advocate for
state workforce programs and policies, a liaison to federal
workforce system partners, and a forum for the exchange of
information and practices. Our organization was founded in
1937. Since 1973, it has been a private, non-profit corporation,
financed by annual dues from member state agencies. During
the past few years the nation’s economy has performed
well. Today, labor markets are tight, and many economists believe
we are at “full employment” with an unemployment
rate of 4.8 percent. This does not mean, however, employers
are not seeking employees and workers are not preparing for
and searching for jobs. Nor does it mean we no longer need
to provide sufficient federal funds for the public workforce
system. To the contrary, there is much activity in our dynamic
labor markets, and the public workforce system plays a vital
role in helping employers to find qualified workers and workers
to train, prepare, and find good jobs. Today, the nation’s
workforce system is meeting the challenges of “globalization” directly
as it serves the needs of employers and workers. The system
continues to meet or exceed federal performance standards in
nearly all programs. Yet, it has become a target for cuts in
federal funding. The system was cut by 7 percent, or nearly
$200 million, in fiscal year 2006. And, the Administration
proposes an additional cut of 21 percent, or more than $500
million for fiscal year 2007. If implemented fully, these cuts
will depress performance and impede the system’s ability
to help employers and workers meet the growing competition
in the global economy. Please do not take the public workforce
system’s ongoing contributions for granted. The nation’s
employers and workers need and want its services.” For
the complete 6 page document go to: http://www.workforceatm.org/sections/pdf/2006/NASWAStatement060329.pdf.
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) releases the following
report:
Welfare Reform: Better Information Needed to Understand Trends
in States' Uses of the TANF Block Grant. GAO-06-414, March
3. http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-06-414.
Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d06414high.pdf.
Headlines from NASWA’s Workforce Bulletin -
March 31, 2006.
- NASWA PRESIDENT REQUESTS THE RESTORATION
OF APPROPRIATIONS TO FY 2005 LEVELS BEFORE HOUSE PANEL
- NASWA
DISTRIBUTES TEMPLATE MATERIALS TO STATES TO COMMUNICATE
IMPORTANCE OF FY 2007 APPROPRIATIONS
- BIPARTISAN GROUP OF
HOUSE MEMBERS CIRCULATE LETTER TO SEEK RESTORATION OF FY
2005 WORKFORCE PROGRAM FUNDING
- GAO REPORTS A PREVALENCE
OF OFFSHORING USE AMONG MOST STATES FOR CUSTOMER SERVICE
AND SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT
- ETA RELEASES GUIDANCE ON REALLOTMENT
OF WIA TITLE I FOR DISLOCATED WORKER ACTIVITIES
- OUTPUT
GROWTH IS EXCEEDING PRODUCTIVE CAPACITY GROWTH, BUT MOST
CORPORATIONS ARE IN GOOD POSITIONS
TO FINANCE
EXPANSION
- US MANUFACTURES ARE PRODUCING AND
EXPORTING MORE GOODS THAN EVER BEFORE, BUT MANUFACTURING
EMPLOYMENT
STILL
LAGS
- UWC EXTENDS CONFERENCE INVITATION TO
STATE ADMINISTRATORS AND UI DIRECTORS
For the full articles go to: http://www.workforceatm.org/sections/members/bulletin/
bulltemp.cfm?results_art_filename=bu033106.cfm.
Grant and Competitive Award Opportunities
and Notices
Featured Opportunity:
(none)
State Grants (none)
Federal Grants
Partnerships for Innovation Grants
YOUTHBUILD (Repeat)
Community Development Technical Assistance for HOME, Homeless,
HOPWA and Youthbuild Programs (Repeat)
Food Stamp Participation Program Grants
Adolescent Family Life Care Demonstration Project (Repeat)
Workforce Investment Act-Small Grassroots Organizations Connecting
with the One-Stop Delivery System (Repeat)
Foundation Grants
Blue Foundation for a Healthy Florida 2006 Winter Cycle Grant
Scholarships/Awards
Angel Soft Angels In Action National Awards
Do Something Brick Awards for Young Social Entrepreneurs
QuestBridge College Prep Scholarships for High School Juniors
James A. Johnson Community Fellowship Awards
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 4–5, 2006
Employ Florida Communication Consortium Meeting
Daytona Beach, FL
Hosted by WDB Center for Business Excellence
Contact: Lucia Fishburne, WFI lfishburne@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:
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 21, 2006
Florida’s First Financial Fitness Friday
Friday, April 21 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. will be Florida’s First Financial
Fitness Friday. Members of the Florida Institute of CPAs will be available
to the public for guidance on conducting an annual financial “fitness” checkup
and to answer basic financial questions. CPA volunteers are providing this
service free of charge on Friday, April 21. To ask a question, call l (800)
342-3197, Extension 554 or log onto www.ficpa.org. Florida’s First Financial
Fitness Friday is an outreach event of “360 Degrees of Financial Literacy”,
a joint FICPA and American Institute of CPAs (AICPA) initiative to educate
the public about financial responsibility. “360 Degrees of Financial
Literacy” is a multi-faceted program that equips CPAs to take a broad
leadership role in educating the public — from school children to retirees — about
sound financial practices that apply to their particular life stages. Visit
the website at: www.360financialliteracy.org. To learn more about Florida’s
First Financial Fitness Friday go to: http://www1.ficpa.org//ficpa/SpecialProgramsEvents/FFFF.
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.
April 26-28, 2006
Techsouth 2006 Conference
Lafayette, LA
TechSouth, a nonprofit volunteer organization dedicated
to fostering technology-based economic development, is
hosting TechSouth 2006 April 26-28 in Lafayette, Louisiana.
TechSouth promotes collaboration between government,
business, and technology to make technology happen. The
conference includes keynote speakers such as Eng Lim
Goh, Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Officer
of SGI and Ron Sege, President and Chief Executive Officer
of Tropos Networks. Seminars will address a variety of
topics including wireless technology, business technology
success stories, and the role of technology following
hurricanes Katrina and Rita. The 2005 conference boasted
1,500 national and international attendees. The conference
is free with VIP passes available for $150. Learn more
about the conference at the TechSouth website: http://www.techsouth.org/
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
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
Third Annual Virtual OneStop/Virtual LMI User Conference
Clearwater Beach, Florida
Geographic Solutions will be hosting its third annual
Virtual OneStop/Virtual LMI User Conference in Clearwater Beach,
Florida from May 23 – 25, 2006. Join over 100 colleagues
from over 20 states for workshops, roundtable discussions,
and presentations that address the needs of today’s workforce
management professional. The theme of this year's conference
is Demand Driven Workforce Solutions – using the tools
available to best meet the needs of workforce customers. Participants
who attend the conference will learn about workforce topics
from Geographic Solutions staff, guest speakers, and from the
lessons learned from colleagues and peers. Instruction will
be given about the current Virtual OneStop software and potential
OneStop solutions in a series of structured and interactive
workshops, as well as informal gatherings. Conference attendees
will have the opportunity to build a network among their fellow
workforce professionals, and to learn how to maximize the potential
of the current Virtual OneStop or Virtual LMI software that
is currently available in their state [NOTE: the Employ Florida
Marketplace is a VOS product].
The conference will include:
- Updates and directions from ETA.
- A sneak preview of Virtual OneStop release 8.0.
- Concurrent
Workshops in:
- Case Management
- Assessments
- Reporting and Performance
- Labor Exchange and Job
Spidering
- Labor Market Information
- "Best Practices" – Using Virtual OneStop
to create Demand Driven Workforce Solutions.
- Discussion
of the currently planned Virtual OneStop enhancements (with
customer input to prioritize and amend the planned
enhancements).
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner Tuesday and
Wednesday, breakfast and lunch on Thursday.
An updated agenda is available on Geographic Solutions'
website. This agenda incorporates a number of suggestions
made at
the conclusion of the 2005 conference, including:
- Workshops
focused by function, not software module;
- More tracks: LMI,
Case Management and Reporting, Assessments, Labor Exchange
and Job Spidering;
- More "Best Practices" sessions;
- More opportunities
for informal workshops, "brown bag" lunch
sessions on topics selected by attendees; and
- A chance
to review Geographic Solutions proposed enhancements prior
to the group discussion (the list of proposed enhancements
will be sent to conference registrants approximately
one month in advance).
For more information on this event, including information
on how to register and hotel accommodations, please visit
the
Geographic Solutions website at: http://www.geosolinc.com/conf.asp or
call 727-786-7955 and ask to speak to Vicki Stonecipher. May 23 - 25 2006
National Rapid Response Summit
St. Louis Missouri
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.
May 30 – June 1, 2006
2006 Disaster Recovery and Data Protection Summit
Tampa, FL
NEW! The 2006 Disaster Recovery and Data Protection Summit,
slated to take place in the Tampa, FL area from May 31 to
June 1, is a unique event focused on business continuity
requirements of organizations threatened directly or indirectly
by hurricanes and tropical storm systems. Severe weather
systems take their toll across a broad geography and often
companies that are not in the direct path of a storm are
impacted by its collateral effects: power outages, telecommunications
failures, infrastructure failures and even civil disturbances.
For more information and registration go to: http://summit.datainstitute.org/.
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.
June 4-6, 2006
The Southern Innovation Summit
New Orleans, LA
NEW! The Southern Innovation Summit will focus on the creation,
accumulation and application of knowledge for the South's businesses,
universities, citizens and governments, and develop strategies
for increasing innovation as part of the South's economic growth
policies. The conference will feature the release of the 2006
Report on the Future of the South, with keynotes and panel
discussions featuring Tennessee Representative Zach Wamp, champion
of the East Tennessee Technology Corridor; Edward Seidel, Director
of Louisiana State University's Center for Computation & Technology;
Dr. Shirley Malcom, Director of Education Programs for the
American Association for the Advancement of Science and Ben
Ritchey, Battelle's Vice President of the Transportation Market
Sector as well as key researchers and strategists from universities
and innovation centers from across the country. Register by
March 31st and save $75 on conference registration fees. To
register online, or to download registration forms, visit:
http://www.southern.org/conf.asp. To access the agenda, visit:
http://www.southern.org/conference/2006conference/agenda.shtml
July 11-13, 2006
Workforce Innovations
Anaheim, California
Co-sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor/Employment
and Training Administration and the American Society for Training
and Development, Workforce Innovations 2006 is one conference
you do not want to miss. The conference is shaping up to be
the biggest and best Workforce Innovations yet, with more than
3,000 participants expected.
Already confirmed conference highlights include:
- A keynote address by respected author and
PBS host, James Burke, on his interpretation of global economic
realities and
what we can do to "Innovate for the Day After Tomorrow."
- An
educational tour to the Tiger Woods Learning Center, a brand
new facility providing youth from diverse backgrounds
with opportunities for career orientation, career exploration
and career preparation.
- Tools and strategies to support you
in regional economic development efforts, whether your community
is just starting
this process or is well underway.
- Dozens of dynamic Super
Workshops, Learning Labs, Roundtable Discussions, and "Quick
Takes" on cutting edge
issues for workforce professionals and their partners from
economic
development, education, community colleges, and industry.
Register now and book your hotel on or after March 31 at:
http://www.workforceinnovations.org/registration.cfm. USDOL’s Workforce Tools of the Trade Workforce Investment
Systemwide Events Page. http://www.workforcetools.org/calendar.asp
Odds and Ends
April 21st is Florida’s First Financial Fitness Friday – a
special event of 360 Degrees of Financial Literacy! Friday,
April 21 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. will be Florida’s First
Financial Fitness Friday. Members of the Florida Institute
of CPAs will be available to the public for guidance on conducting
an annual financial “fitness” checkup and to
answer basic financial questions. CPA volunteers are providing
this service free of charge on Friday, April 21. To ask a
question, call l (800) 342-3197, Extension 554 or log onto
www.ficpa.org. Florida’s First Financial Fitness Friday
is an outreach event of “360 Degrees of Financial Literacy”,
a joint FICPA and American Institute of CPAs (AICPA) initiative
to educate the public about financial responsibility. “360
Degrees of Financial Literacy” is a multi-faceted program
that equips CPAs to take a broad leadership role in educating
the public — from school children to retirees — about
sound financial practices that apply to their particular
life stages. Visit the website at: www.360financialliteracy.org.
To learn more about Florida’s First Financial Fitness
Friday go to: http://www1.ficpa.org//ficpa/SpecialProgramsEvents/FFFF and check out the complete FICPA news release at: http://www1.ficpa.org//ficpa/Visitors/Press/FFFFF.
[Also see the CALENDAR section above]
Phone service discount benefits few low-income Floridians (Newswise Wed 29-Mar-2006). Most low-income Florida households
do not take advantage of a discount for telephone service
offered through a government and telephone company collaboration,
a University of Florida study found. The University of Florida
Public Utility Research Center (PURC) conducted a study of
the effectiveness of Lifeline, a 20-year-old national program
created by the Federal Communications Commission that provides
low-income households with discounts of $13.50 per month
on basic local telephone service. A similar program, Link-up,
provides a 50 percent discount on the price of service installation. “We
found that the participation rate in Florida is around 12
percent [of people who are eligible],” said PURC Director
Mark Jamison, who worked on the study with policy analyst
Lynne Holt. The study, begun in April 2005 and completed
in February, relied on analyses by UF’s Shimberg Center
for Affordable Housing to determine how many people participate
in the Lifeline program and how many are eligible. After
determining the number of nonparticipants, the study used
customer surveys and statistical studies to research why
people do not take advantage of the discount. The study was
funded by BellSouth Telecommunications Inc. and Sprint-Florida
Inc. Florida falls below the nationwide participant rate
of 33 percent. However, national average results may be skewed
because of California’s atypical 136 percent participation
rate. Without California, the national rate drops to 19 percent.
“
It turns out that the biggest reason people don’t participate
in the program is that they don’t know about it,” Jamison
said. The fact that people are unaware of the program surprises
Jamison. For the past two decades, it has been widely advertised
in newspapers and on fliers and the radio. “For the
low-income households, as far as we’re able to tell,
the advertising and the articles in the newspapers don’t
have much impact, because for low-income households, they
need to hear about this program from people they trust,” Jamison
said. “They don’t always trust some of these
sources. The people they trust are the social workers, social
service agencies, the telephone companies or maybe a friend
or family member.” For this complete article go to:
http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/519203/. NOTE: Consumers
receiving state and federal assistance such as Temporary
Assistance to Needy Families (TANF), Food Stamps, Medicaid,
Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), Supplemental
Security Income (SSI), Federal Public Housing Assistance
(Section 8), or BellSouth, Sprint, and Verizon customers
participating in the National School Lunch free lunch program
(NSL) are eligible for these programs. For information on
the Florida Lifeline Telephone Service go to: http://www.floridapsc.com/industry/telecomm/lifeline/engbrochure.cfm.
"Understanding the Challenges of Prisoner Reentry:
Research Findings from the Urban Institute's Prisoner Reentry
Portfolio," by Amy L. Solomon, Christy Visher, Nancy
G. La Vigne, and Jenny Osborne. In 2000, the Urban Institute
launched a project to understand better the pathways of successful
prisoner reintegration into society, the social and fiscal
costs of current policies, and the effects of incarceration
and reentry on former prisoners, their families, and communities.
This document highlights UI's original research findings
across several key dimensions of prisoner reentry. In addition,
it points to recent and relevant reports published by UI
that provide more in-depth research and related findings.
Access this report at: http://www.urban.org/publications/411289.html.
From SOUTHERN COMPASS -- APRIL 4, 2006:
- Want to reduce crime & public welfare by $24 billion
annually? Reduce H.S. drop outs. According to the American
Youth Policy Forum (AYPF), reducing the high school dropout
rate could save the nation $24 billion dollars in crime
and public welfare costs, annually. The AYPF report, Whatever
It Takes, illustrates the social costs of a poorly educated
workforce and profiles 12 public-private partnerships effectively
reducing high school dropout rates. Among the programs
highlighted,
AYPF profiled the Louisville Education and Employment Partnership,
a coalition serving Kentucky's largest school system, Jefferson
County Public Schools. The Partnership produced remarkable
results by sharing data across public sectors, requiring
a high level of parental and community involvement and
providing customized and hands-on learning opportunities.
Jefferson
County Public Schools now boasts a four-year graduation
rate or "still in school" status above 90 percent.
To view Whatever it Takes visit: http://www.aypf.org/publications/WhateverItTakes.htm.
- New report says public support of higher education
at 25-year low. According the State Higher Education Executive
Officers
(SHEEO) report, State Higher Education Finance FY 2005,
public support of higher education is at a 25-year low.
Many public
colleges and universities have compensated for the loss
by increasing tuition and fee rates. Though state higher
education
appropriations grew in 2005, the increase was not enough
to offset inflation and enrollment increases. SHEEO's
findings
resemble trends highlighted in the Southern Regional
Education Board (SREB) brief, Funding for Public Colleges
and Universities
Continues to Lose Battle with Enrollment Growth and Inflation.
To view the SREB brief visit: http://www.sreb.org/main/EdData/Bulletin/06E03-FBB0206.pdf.
For more information on national higher education finance
trends visit: www.sheeo.org.
Revised report to the Committee for Economic Development
now available: Taking Preschool Education Seriously as an
Economic Development Program: Effects on Jobs and Earnings
of State Residents Compared to Traditional Economic Development
Programs (by Timothy J. Bartik, Senior Economist,
W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research Revised March
13, 2006)
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: This report takes preschool education
seriously as a state economic development program by measuring
the effects of a high-quality universal preschool program
on the economic development goals of more jobs and earnings
of state residents. Universal preschool=s effects on state
residents’ jobs and earnings over a 75-year period
are compared with the effects of a program of economic development
subsidies to businesses of the same cost. These jobs and
earnings effects of preschool programs are calculated using
estimates on the effectiveness of the Chicago Child Parent
Center (CPC) program in increasing educational attainment.
These estimates are extrapolated to future effects on employment
and earnings. These calculations also use new estimates of
the proportion of preschool participants who remain in the
same state in which they attended preschool. In addition,
a regional econometric model is used to estimate the economic
effects of spending more government funds on universal preschool.
Previous estimates of how lower child care costs affect parents=
labor supply are used to estimate earnings effects of the
part-time free child care provided by universal preschool.
Finally, comparable effects are calculated for economic development
subsidies by using previous estimates of how subsidies affect
job growth, and how state job growth affects the employment
and wages of state residents. The key conclusions of the
report are the following:
- Preschool programs and economic
development subsidies both have about the same cost-effectiveness
in
producing earnings
benefits for state residents, yielding about $3 in present
value of earnings benefits for every dollar invested in
these programs.
- In achieving economic development goals
of more jobs and
earnings for state residents, preschool programs and economic
development subsidies should be viewed as complementary
programs, rather than as potential substitutes for one
another. Economic
development subsidies offer greater benefits over a 5 to
10 year period, while preschool programs offer more longer-term
benefits.
- Most of the earnings benefits of preschool are
due to effects of high-quality preschool in increasing
the future
educational
attainment and employability of preschool participants.
Other economic development benefits of preschool education—such
as the effects of extra government spending or lower priced
child care—are present but modest in size.
- State
government investments in preschool education not only
produce sizable economic development benefits for
the state economy, but also produce large positive spillovers
on other states and the nation, due to out-migration of
preschool
participants with better job skills. These spillover benefits
of preschool make a case for federal subsidies to encourage
greater state government investment in preschool education.
In contrast, a state’s use of traditional economic
development subsidies often harms the economies of other
states by attracting job growth that would have otherwise
gone to those states.
Access the full report at: http://www.ced.org/docs/report/Bartik_3-15-06report.pdf Economic Benefits of High-Quality Early Childhood
Programs: What Makes the Difference? (Prepared by Ellen Galinsky, Families
and Work Institute for The Committee for Economic Development
With Funding from the A.L. Mailman Family Foundation, February,
2006) INTRODUCTION: The early childhood field is deeply indebted
to three studies of high-quality early education programs
that began in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s and have continued
to the present time—the High/Scope Perry Preschool
Project, the Abecedarian Project, and the Chicago Child-Parent
Centers (CPC)—because these studies provide strong
evidence of the economic benefits of early childhood education
as an economic investment. Each of these studies looked at
the lasting impact of its high-quality early childhood program
and found significant savings over the costs of these programs.
These studies, however, also reveal that potential economic
benefits depend on programs being high quality. This paper
is written in response to the tendency of a number of people
to use the findings from these three studies to justify any
and all early childhood programs without trying to extrapolate
what these three studies specifically did that made a difference
in affecting children in such dramatic ways. Even those who
argue for high quality are likely to mean very different
things when they use these words. This paper reflects an
effort to determine what exactly about these three early
childhood programs made them so successful, relying, in part,
on interviews with the principal investigators of the programs.
Read the complete report at:
http://www.ced.org/docs/report/report_prek_galinsky.pdf Quote for the Week:
“The
greatest obstacle to discovery is not ignorance - it is
the illusion of knowledge.”
Daniel J. Boorstin |
