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Workforce Florida Weekly Update 3-21-07 |
CONTENTS The State & RegionsSpringtime in Tallahassee: There’s more than the buzz
of the bees in the air – session is in! Interested
in tracking legislation this year? Go to the web for the
latest information on bill action, committee meeting schedules,
Florida Statutes, and more. Search engines allow searches
by keyword bill number, statute citation, etc. How does an
idea become a law? Either house may originate any type of
legislation, however the processes differ slightly between
houses. A legislator sponsors a bill, which is referred to
one or more committees related to the bill's subject. The
committee studies the bill and decides if it should be amended,
pass, or fail. If passed, the bill moves to other committees
of reference or to the full house. The full house then votes
on the bill. If it passes in one house, it is sent to the
other house for review. A bill goes through the same process
in the second house as it did in the first. A bill can go
back and forth between houses until a consensus is reached.
Of course, the measure could fail at any point in the process.
For more information and to track workforce related bills
such as SB 0870 and other bills of interest here are some
handy links: Employ Florida Banner Centers Update. Plans are under way
for news conferences to formally launch the five newest Employ
Florida Banner Centers. The Centers are a $6.2 million Workforce
Florida strategic initiative focused on developing the state’s
workforce in several key Florida industries. They are charged
with cultivating partnerships among regional and statewide
workforce, education, economic development and industry leaders
to expand entry-level and advanced worker training in high-growth
sectors including aviation and aerospace, biotechnology,
construction, energy, financial services, homeland security
and defense, logistics and distribution, and manufacturing. Suncoast’s CEO program receives support from Sun Trust Bank. The Suncoast Workforce Board has announced that the Community Entrepreneur Opportunity (CEO) program recently received financial support from Sun Trust Bank for a 12-week business-training series designed for entrepreneurs. Individuals who reside in Manatee and Sarasota counties and who are interested in starting or improving a small business may be eligible. The CEO program is a unique opportunity for entrepreneurs to obtain important knowledge and valuable skills that can help ensure their business success. Karen Magee, President of Karen Magee and Associates, Inc. and training consultant for the CEO program provides the core instruction that includes business basics, industry analysis, marketing, operations and financials. Since the program’s inception in 2005, thirty-eight students have successfully graduated. Most recently, fourteen new students committed to start classes on March 15th. Thanks to continued support and sponsorships by local businesses, the training is offered at “no cost” to the attendees. For more information about the Suncoast Workforce Board and its programs go to: www.swdb.org. Suncoast’s 5th Annual CTC Fundraiser. Suncoast’s annual FUNdraiser for Construction Technology Careers (CTC) is just around the corner on Thursday evening, April 12. CTC is an award winning best practice model construction preapprenticeship for high school youth in its fifth year. It is a partnership between the Suncoast Workforce Board, the Manatee and Sarasota County School Districts, and the construction industry. There are currently 107 youth in the program which is building the future skilled workforce for our region. 25% of CTC’s annual budget is generated from its spring FUNdraiser. This year CTC is raffling off a brand new Mustang GT and tickets are just $100 each. To learn more call Kristey Richardson at 361-6090 x 113. For more information about the Suncoast Workforce Board and its programs go to: www.swdb.org. Job Fair in St. Petersburg. WorkNet Pinellas will be sponsoring a job fair on Thursday, March 22, 2007 from 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM at their 49th Street Career Center, located at 4140 49th Street North in St. Petersburg. Various major companies will be in attendance representing multiple industries including FedEx Express, Washington Mutual and Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority. For a complete list of employers or to pre-register for the event, please visit www.worknetpinellas.org. The NationU.S. Department of Labor Launches Alliance Initiative to Advance Employment of People With Disabilities Through Voluntary Partnerships. WASHINGTON, March 16 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) has launched the Alliance Initiative to advance the employment of people with disabilities. The Alliance Initiative is open to businesses, trade and professional associations, labor unions, educational institutions, government agencies at all levels and others. "Alliances promote the national dialogue on the recruitment, hiring, advancement and retention of workers with disabilities," said W. Roy Grizzard Jr., assistant secretary of labor for ODEP. "The Alliance Initiative will enable organizations committed to improving disability workplace practices to work with the Labor Department in developing model policies, programs and strategies." The Alliance Initiative will open new channels for training, education and outreach. The collaboration of ODEP and Alliance partners will help our nation achieve a workplace that is fully inclusive of people with disabilities. ODEP's first Alliance Initiative partner is the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), the world's largest association devoted to human resource management. SHRM currently has more than 550 affiliated chapters and members in more than 100 countries. More information is available at: http://www.dol.gov/odep/alliances/index.htm. Interested organizations are encouraged to contact ODEP's Alliance manager at ODEPAlliance@dol.gov. Bush Retraining Plan Leaves Displaced Workers on Their Own (Workforce Week: March 18 - 24, 2007 Vol. 8 Issue 12 by Mark Schoeff Jr.). When it comes to worker training programs, the Bush administration takes with one hand and gives with another, creating a duality that draws both criticism and praise. Policy aside, the key challenge for government is to convince corporate America that federal initiatives can be viable sources of talent. In his fiscal year 2008 budget, President Bush seeks to cut job training programs by about $1 billion. He is proposing vouchers, or “career advancement accounts,” for displaced workers that would give them $3,000 annually for two years to spend on education and training. The goal is to provide more flexibility and choice for more people than is currently allowed in the federal training structure, according to the administration. “In the past, we’ve had duplicative systems that have arisen over time,” Labor Secretary Elaine Chao said at a press briefing in February. “I’m challenging the system to do better because people who are out of work are depending on us.” The career accounts—as well as the Labor Department budget—would have to be approved by Congress. House hearings on the legislation that encompasses training programs, the Workforce Investment Act, may take place in late March or April. The Senate approved workforce legislation last year, but the full Congress has not passed a bill that formally reauthorizes the 1998 law. For the past three years, Congress has appropriated money to programs established under the original legislation. While Congress dallies, the administration approach to workforce training is taking fire. The Bush policy is misguided because it would cut funds and require individuals to find their own way through the training maze, according to Tom Kochan, co-director of the Institute for Work and Employment Research at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. A better idea, he says, is to link funding to industries and institutions that can leverage private-sector investment and give workers general skills that enable them to plug into existing job demand. “These people have to be embedded in networks,” Kochan says. “We’re not investing [enough] and we’re not spending our money wisely on everything we know [that] works in employment and training programs.” Like many other experts and practitioners, however, Kochan endorses the Workforce Innovation in Regional Economic Development Initiative, known by the acronym WIRED. The program is a major Labor Department effort to foster regional economic development by bringing together local government, business and academia to train workers for emerging industries. During the past year, WIRED has invested $260 million in 26 regions throughout the country. Kochan advocates linking funding for community colleges and universities to their willingness to work with businesses and government. “That is the kind of networks we need,” Kochan says. “We should be doing this in all our localities.” For the complete article go to: http://www.workforce.com/section/00/article/24/79/89.html. Grant and Competitive Award Opportunities and NoticesFor additional information go to, visit the External Grant Opportunities page.Featured Opportunity:(none) State Grants(none) Federal Grants(none) Foundation Grants(none) Scholarships/Awards(none) Upcoming Meetings, Conferences and
Events
Workforce Florida Board and Related Meetings Schedule:For up-to-date WFI board meeting info please check the calendar at the WFI website. March 21, 2007 April 26 – 27, 2007 May 17, 2007 Other Meetings/Conferences/Events:
March 29, 2007 April 2nd-5th, 2007 April 2 - 6, 2007 April 24, 2007 May 14-15, 2007 May 21-22, 2007 May 29-30, 2007 May 30, 31 & June 1, 2007 June 4-7, 2007 June 23-26, 2007 July 17-19, 2007 Odds and EndsDo you H-1B? (By David Carson March 19, 2007 07:56 PM) The H-1B cap opens in less than two weeks and the limited number of visas available is expected to be used up quickly. H-1B visas are temporary work visas available to professionals seeking to work for U.S. employers. They are highly desirable to both employers and employees because of their relative flexibility compared with other U.S. visa options. Read this respected blogger’s three critical questions that help determine eligibility for an H-1B visa. http://www.africanpath.com/p_blogEntry.cfm?blogEntryID=516. EPI’s Datazone Offers Handy Tools for State and Regional
Data. The Basic Family Budget Calculator, located at http://www.epi.org/content.cfm/datazone_dzlocal,
generates an itemized budget for over 400 metropolitan areas
by various family types. (Revised data posted September 2005.)
The Unemployment Insurance (UI) Calculator, located at http://www.epi.org/content.cfm/datazone_uicalc_index,
estimates the weekly benefit allowance an unemployed worker
receives in every state, provides the state's overall national
rank, and compares it to the most and least generous states. From Southern Compass -- March 20, 2007:
Quote for the Week:“If we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant: if we did not sometimes taste of adversity, prosperity would not be so welcome.” Anne Bradstreet (1612 - 1672) |
