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Workforce Florida Weekly Update 1-25-07 |
CONTENTS The State & RegionsThe Employ Florida Marketplace receives enthusiastic welcome by the Enterprise Florida, Board of Directors and economic development partners. TALLAHASSEE - Workforce Florida, the Agency for Workforce Innovation, and the regional workforce development boards were recognized today at the Enterprise Florida board meeting for their vital contributions to Florida’s economic development efforts. In addition to praise for the collective system, Florida workforce system’s new comprehensive, online employment resource, the Employ Florida Marketplace, received resounding applause from the meeting attendees. The new version of the Employ Florida Marketplace was demonstrated at the Enterprise Florida Stakeholders meeting earlier this week. On the web at www.EmployFlorida.com, the Marketplace provides workforce tools for employers to find their next great hire and job seekers to connect with career information and job opportunities. Workforce Florida Chairman Kathy Wilson reported to the Enterprise Florida board members that the Marketplace has been available to employers and job seekers since 2005 in a limited manner, but recent improvements allow for greater access to local and statewide services and resources. Currently there are over 140,000 registered employers and over 2.4 million registered jobseekers – these numbers are increasing daily. Registered employers can post, without fees, their job openings. Job-matching and other employment and career resources are available, without fees, to job seekers. In addition to openings posted directly on the web site, thousands of other Florida job opportunities are listed using “spidering” technology that collects them from other web sites. Labor Market Statistics and other data resources useful to economic developers are also available at the Marketplace. Since its initial launch, four million jobs have been listed on EmployFlorida.com. Traffic has tripled in the first three days of the Jan. 18th launch of the new version prior to the launch of TV, radio and print advertising. For more information contact Lucia Fishburne at: lfishburne@workforceflorida.com or go to: www.EmployFlorida.com. Governor Crist Signs Bill Reducing Florida’s Insurance Rates ~ Increases competition in Florida insurance market. TALLAHASSEE – Governor Charlie Crist today signed legislation that will provide comprehensive insurance reform, including broad-based, meaningful reductions in property insurance rates and enhanced competition within Florida’s insurance market. The bill also includes consumer protections that require insurers to promptly pay claims and discontinue dropping policyholders during hurricane season. “Today, we have a message for the people of Florida: ‘Help is on the way!’ We have heard the calls for help from Floridians suffering from high insurance rates,” said Governor Crist. “With this legislation, the powerless have become the powerful, and the credit goes to the people of Florida for letting their voices be heard.” “This legislation is an important step in the right direction for Florida’s homeowners,” said Lt. Governor Jeff Kottkamp. “Thanks to Governor Crist’s tireless leadership on this issue, property insurance is more affordable for Floridians.” Governor Crist praised House Speaker Marco Rubio and Senate President Ken Pruitt, as well as Senate Minority Leader Steve Geller and House Minority Leader Dan Gelber, for the historic bipartisan partnership that brought about the legislation during a special session of the Legislature. In summary, House Bill 1A provides the following changes to Florida’s insurance law:
Governor Crist Selects Three Leaders To Be Inducted
Into The Florida Women’s Hall Of Fame.
Miami Honored By Moviemaker Magazine (from Miami-Dade's Film and Entertainment News Updates - January 25. 2007). January has been a hot month for indie film in South Florida. MovieMaker Magazine named Miami for the third year in a row to their annual list of the "Top 10 Movie Cities" for 2007. Moviemaker’s article was officially unveiled at the Sundance Film Festival this week, citing Miami for its large moviemaking community and hardworking film office. Miami was ranked #8 on this year's list. To take advantage of the buzz surrounding our “Top 10 Movie City” designation, Miami-Dade County film commissioner Jeff Peel attended the Sundance Festival in Park City Utah, meeting with filmmakers and studio execs to promote even more independent film work coming to Miami. Highlights of the trip included a screening of the Miami made indie “Gringo Wedding” and the annual Variety “Top Ten Directors” reception. Workforce Development Board of the Treasure Coast Announces Annual Treasure Coast Youth Summit. January 12, 2007 – The Workforce Development Board of the Treasure Coast will hold its sixth annual Treasure Coast Youth Summit Saturday, March 10, 2007 at Indian River Community College, Fort Pierce. The summit encourages middle and high school students, ages 14 – 18, to make positive life choices and reach their full potential through informed choices. This year’s theme is The Power in Me – Power-Up Your IPOD* (*Individual Professional Opportunity Development). The Youth Summit is open to youth affiliated with structured programs accompanied by agency chaperones. This year’s agenda includes Dr. Joseph Jennings, founder and President of Second Chances Outreach Inc. Dr. Jennings has served as a “National Youth Advocate” in President George W. Bush’s Advisory Council on the Prevention of AIDS/HIV in America. Raised in the black ghetto of South Bend, Indiana, and taught to live a lifestyle of gang and drug-related violence, he stopped at nothing (he was burned, stabbed and shot thirteen times) in his attempt to attain the material success he thought was the “American Dream”. Now as an International Anti-Drug/Anti-Gang Motivational Speaker, Joseph Jennings travels the world sharing his story and warning young people of the dangers of drug use and gang activity. Participants will have an opportunity to attend two workshops selected from a choice of more than twenty topics about careers and life skills. Attendees will also participate in a career fair with Treasure Coast business representatives who will be available to discuss what skills and education are required to succeed in certain industries. More than 400 youth are expected to participate in this full-day event which is sponsored by the Workforce Development Board’s Youth Council in cooperation with 17 other sponsors and more than 200 volunteers from local youth and community organizations, businesses and educational institutions. Sponsors for the 2007 Youth Summit include: Arbor E & T, Bellsouth Telecommunications, Children’s Services Council of Martin County, Children’s Services Council of St. Lucie County, Fidelity Federal Bank & Trust, HMS Host, Indian River Community College, Iron Workers Union #402, M&M Petroleum, New York Mets, Pepsi-Cola-Riviera Beach, Publix, Southeast Atlantic Beverages, SYSCO Food Service, Tropicana, Uncle Ray’s Potato Chips and Wal-Mart. For more information, visit the web site at: www.tcjobs.org or call (772) 335-3030. The NationU.S. Department of Labor Commits Up to $65 Million for 2nd
Generation of WIRED Activities. The Government Accountability Office (GAO) today released the following letter report: Office of Personnel Management: Key Lessons Learned to Date for Strengthening Capacity to Lead and Implement Human Capital Reforms. GAO-07-90, January 19 http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-07-90. For just the highlights go to: http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d0790high.pdf. Headlines from NASWA’s Workforce Bulletin - January 19, 2007.
Grant and Competitive Award Opportunities and NoticesFor additional information go to, visit the External Grant Opportunities page.Featured Opportunity:(none) State GrantsFlorida Hurricane Relief Fund Announces new Request for Proposal (RFP) Opportunity. The Florida Hurricane Relief Fund is pleased to announce the availability of grant funds to address case management needs for the 2005 hurricane survivors remaining in FEMA temporary housing assisting them into affordable permanent housing. Interested applicants will assist within Hurricane Wilma affected counties. Priority will be given to non-profits who have expertise in case management of disaster victims. The RFP will be posted on the www.FlaHurricaneFund.org on Friday, January 26, 2007. Federal GrantsEarly Reading First Program Course, Curriculum, and Laboratory Improvement Foundation GrantsFresh Ideas: Improving the Health of Immigrant and Refugee Communities Adult/Family Literacy Programs Neighborhood Excellence Initiative Grants Save Our History Grants Scholarships/Awards2007 Awards for Excellence in Workplace Volunteer Programs Frank Kazmierczak Memorial Migrant Scholarship Best Buy Scholarship Program Micro Enterprise Research Program Internships MetLife Foundation Community-Police Partnership Awards Carl Perkins Humanitarian Award 2007 Awards of Excellence for Affordable Housing Built Responsibly 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. January 29-31, 2007
February 21, 2007 February 22, 2007 Other Meetings/Conferences/Events:
January 31, 2007 February 8-9, 2007 Feb. 26-27, 2007 March 5-7, 2007 March 13, 2007 April 2nd-5th, 2007 May 29-30, 2007 May 30, 31 & June 1, 2007 Odds and EndsGreen Card Recruiting (By Fay Hansen from Workforce Recruiting January 25, 2007, Vol 5 No. 2). With recruiters unable to promise permanent-resident status for top foreign-born job candidates, U.S. employers cannot compete in the global talent markets. The most talented employees worldwide are increasingly unwilling to tolerate the long waits and uncertainty entailed in immigrating to the United States. Instead, they are going to Europe, Canada, Australia and other countries where knowledge workers face fewer immigration difficulties. Intel founder Andy Grove was born in Hungary. Yahoo Inc.’s Jerry Yang was born in Taiwan. Google’s Sergey Brin was born in Russia. EBay founder Pierre Omidyar was born in France to Iranian parents. Recruiters looking for the next Andreas Bechtolsheim and Vinod Khosla, the co-founders of Sun Microsystems, might find them in Germany, Bechtolsheim’s home country, or India, where Khosla was born. During the past 15 years, immigrants have launched 25 percent of all venture-backed U.S. public companies and 40 percent of venture-backed public companies in the high-tech sector, according to a study commissioned by the National Venture Capital Association. These immigrant-founded high-tech companies have generated half of the jobs in the sector. Recruiters working to bring in the next generation of immigrant innovators face new obstacles in their attempt to attract both non-immigrant candidates who want to become permanent U.S. residents and immigrants who want to enter the U.S. with green cards in hand. The most talented employees worldwide are increasingly unwilling to tolerate the long waits and uncertainty entailed in immigrating to the United States. Instead, they are going to Europe, Canada, Australia and other countries where knowledge workers face fewer immigration difficulties. A total of 1.1 million people obtained legal permanent-resident status in the U.S. in 2005, including 246,878 workers who achieved permanent status under employment-based preferences. The 2005 number was significantly higher than the 155,330 who achieved permanent status under employment-based preferences in 2004 and almost three times the 81,727 who achieved permanent residence in 2003, but shortages of knowledge workers have increased dramatically in the past year. Of those who received permanent residence, 220,000 achieved it through an adjustment in their immigration status, a much higher proportion than in past years, but a path still filled with uncertainties. Only 26,878 were new arrivals, the lowest number in five years. Although employers have improved their ability to import talent under non-immigrant visas and then convert them to permanent-resident status, the extremely low number of new arrivals who receive permanent status indicates that U.S. recruiters still face a hugely imperfect playing field. Read the complete article at: http://www.workforce.com/section/06/feature/24/64/42/index.html. Lumina, American Council on Education, Ad Council
Launch College Access Campaign. The Lumina Foundation for Education,
the Ad Council, and the American Council on Education have
announced a joint national public service advertising campaign
to encourage low-income and first-generation students to
take the steps needed to attend college. The KnowHow2Go campaign
will combine partnerships with education groups, communities,
and governments to raise awareness among low-income students
about college and what it takes to get there. The multi-media
campaign features television and radio PSAs, outdoor and
print advertising, and an interactive Web site that provides
guidance to students, parents/adults, and organizations.
In addition to the media campaign, KnowHow2Go will utilize
a network of grassroots partners, including mentoring and
youth-serving organizations that will reinforce the campaign
in local communities. Scheduled to run for two years, KnowHow2Go
has two central goals: to raise awareness about the steps
needed to prepare for college, and to motivate students to
reach and succeed in college. Several states have already
joined the effort and plan to localize the campaign in their
regions in February. "This campaign is critical now
because America has slipped in comparison to other countries
in the proportion of young people who are earning college
degrees," said Lumina Foundation president and CEO Martha
D. Lamkin. "Even more important, the attainment gap
between income groups is widening at the same time that low-income
students constitute a growing share of the college-age population.
We must reach out to these low-income students, so they can
earn better opportunities, and so that America will have
the educated population to sustain its economic and social
vitality." To access the complete Lumina Foundation
Press Release 1/17/07 go to: http://www.luminafoundation.org/newsroom/feature/01172007.html. From SOUTHERN COMPASS -- JANUARY 23, 2007:
From January 2007 Rural Entrepreneurship Newsletter: Quote for the Week:“A hundred
times a day I remind myself that my inner and outer life
depends Albert Einstein |
