CONTENTS
The State & Regions
The Nation
Grant and Competitive Award Opportunities
Upcoming
Meetings, Conferences & Events
Odds & Ends
The State & Regions
Florida Is the 4th Largest and 2nd Fastest Growing
Cyberstate by Tech Employment. ORLANDO, Fla., April 24 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/
-- AeA, the nation's largest technology trade association
with 2,500 member companies representing all segments of
the high-tech industry, today released its 10th anniversary
Cyberstates report detailing national and state trends in
high-tech employment, wages, and other key economic factors.
The report, Cyberstates 2007: A Complete State-by-State Overview
of the High-Technology Industry, covers all 50 states, the
District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. Florida is the 4th
largest and 2nd fastest growing cyberstate by tech industry
employment. Florida's high-tech industry added a net 10,900
jobs for an industry total of 276,400 tech workers in 2005,
the most current state data available. A number of Florida's
high-tech sectors are showing strong job growth. Tech manufacturing
added 2,100 net jobs in 2005, in large part driven by a 1,500
net job increase in the defense electronics sector. Among
the tech services sectors, engineering services saw the largest
increase (+4,600 jobs), followed by computer systems design
and related services (+2,500
jobs), and Internet services (+1,100 jobs). "Florida's
high-tech industry is riding the crest of a wave," said
Amjad Shamim, CEO of AAJ Technologies and Chair of AeA's
Florida Council. "While other states are only now beginning
to recover from the bursting of the tech bubble in 2001,
we have seen two straight years of some of the fastest growth
in tech industry jobs in the country. While other states
continue to see their tech manufacturing base erode, Florida
added manufacturing jobs. And this growth benefits the entire
state economy. The average tech industry wage in Florida
pays 70 percent more than the average wage of Florida's private
sector." "From our vantage point very few people
realize that Florida is a high-tech state," stated Todd
Rader, CEO of Avancent Consulting and Vice-Chair of AeA's
Florida Council. "In fact, most Floridians would not
see the Sunshine State as a high-tech giant, even though
we are the 4th largest and 2nd fastest growing cyberstate
in absolute number of jobs." Nationally, Cyberstates
2007 shows that the high-tech industry is picking up. High-tech
employment was up by 146,600 out of 5.8 million workers in
2006, the second year in a row that the U.S. tech industry
has added jobs.
What Does High Tech Mean for Florida?
-- 276,400 high-tech workers (4th ranked cyberstate)
-- 10,900 jobs added between 2004 and 2005, ranked 2nd nationwide
-- High-tech firms employed 41 of every 1,000 private sector workers in
2005, ranked 30th nationwide
-- High-tech workers earned an average wage of $61,100 (29th ranked), or
70 percent more than Florida's average private sector wage
-- A high-tech payroll of $16.9 billion in 2005, ranked 6th nationwide
-- 21,000 high-tech establishments in 2005, ranked 3rd nationwide
-- Venture capital investments of $304 million in 2006, ranked 15th
nationwide
-- R&D expenditures of $5.7 billion in 2004, ranked 16th nationwide
Florida's National Industry Sector Rankings:
-- 3rd in telecommunications services employment with 64,800 jobs
-- 3rd in engineering services employment with 54,600 jobs
-- 3rd in Internet services employment with 25,700 jobs
Visit http://www.aeanet.org/cyberstates to purchase and download the report,
or call
408.987.4200. Source: Cyberstates 2007
Florida’s March Unemployment Rate Remains Steady at
3.3 Percent ~ Florida Unemployment Continues Below National
Average. TALLAHASSEE – April 20, 2007. Florida Agency
for Workforce Innovation (AWI) Director Monesia T. Brown
announced Florida’s seasonally adjusted unemployment
rate for March 2007 was 3.3 percent, unchanged since November
of last year. Based on the latest nationwide data, Florida
had the lowest unemployment rate of the ten most populous
states and continued to be below the national average. The
comparable national unemployment rate for March was 4.4 percent.
Florida’s Labor Market at a Glance (Seasonally Adjusted)
•
Florida has recorded 55 consecutive months of job growth.
•
Florida gained 122,600 nonagricultural jobs in March compared
to a year ago.
•
Out of the civilian labor force of 9,194,000, there were
306,000 unemployed Floridians.
•
Florida’s March 2007 unemployment rate of 3.3 percent
was 1.1 percentage points lower than
the national rate of 4.4 percent. Florida’s rate has
been below the national average since mid-
2002.
Access the complete release at: http://www.labormarketinfo.com/library/press/release.pdf.
FEDC Soliciting Nominees For The 2007 Professionals
Of The Year Awards - Applications Are Now Available Online. Award
categories include:
- Eunice Sullivan Economic Development
Professional of the Year
- Toni Jennings Workforce Development
Professional of the Year
Florida’s workforce system, in cooperation with FEDC,
is proud to establish the new Toni Jennings Workforce Development
Professional of the Year Award. This award will be given
in recognition of the achievements of an outstanding workforce
developer within the state of Florida. The honor recognizes
the former Lieutenant Governor’s exceptional leadership
in revamping Florida’s workforce system to respond
to critical workforce needs and advance local, regional and
state economic development. Application forms and a complete
description of all of the awards criteria are available on
the web at: www.fedc.net or at the FEDC office. The 2007
Awards will be presented at the Florida Economic Development
Conference June 24-26, 2007 at the Grand Hyatt Tampa Bay.
From Tampa Bay News Briefs (April 19, 2007/PRNewswire):
- Tampa Bay Communities Named Among Best for Young People.
The Tampa Bay communities of St. Petersburg and Manatee
County were named among the “100 Best Communities
for Young People” by America’s Promise – The
Alliance for Youth. This is the second year in a row
the two communities were selected for the honor. The “100
Best” winners were chosen based on the communities’ efforts
to fulfill five essential promises critical to the well-being
of young people: caring adults who are actively involved
in their lives; safe places in which to learn and grow;
a healthy start toward adulthood; an effective education
that builds marketable skills; and opportunities to help
others. Founded by retired General Colin Powell, America’s
Promise is a broad-based alliance whose members work
together to ensure the well-being of children and youth.
More information
at www.americaspromise.org. (Contact: Nancy Engel, Manatee
County EDC, 941-748-4842 or Dave Goodwin, City of St.
Petersburg, 727-893-7868).
- FHTCC Named Finalist for Economic
Development Leadership Award. The Florida High Tech
Corridor Council (FHTCC) has
been chosen as a finalist for the prestigious CoreNet
Global Economic Development Leadership Award for its unique
approach
to high tech economic development. One of six finalists
in the innovation award category, FHTCC was selected
on the
basis of best practices, leadership and innovation in
economic development. (Contact: Randy Berridge, FHTCC,
407-562-1910,
randy.berridge@floridahightech.com)
WORKFORCE CENTRAL FLORIDA
Awards More Than $27,000 In Employed Worker Training Grants
In March. ORLANDO, FL …WORKFORCE
CENTRAL FLORIDA (WCF) awarded more than $27,000 in Employed
Worker Training (EWT) awards to local employers in March
2007. The employed worker training awards were given to a
total of 14 local businesses and will assist in the payment
for professional training of 120 employees. The businesses
that received awards invested $135,434 in their own resources
towards these trainings. Among those that received awards
include:
- ABC Fine Wine & Spirits ($1,366.50) - to train seven
employees in computer and human resources training
- Cambridge/Arbor
Village ($2,484) - to train 20 employees in certified nursing
and IV certification
- The City of Mascotte ($1,329.50) -
to train nine employees in a variety of training including
aerial operations, construction,
paramedics, etc.
- Dr. Lisa Yurkiewicz ($1,500) - to train
two employees in a patient workshop
- Electronic Fasteners,
Inc. ($5,907.50) - to train 17 employees in ISO 9002 certification
- Gate Precast ($2,750) - to train five employees in overhead
crane and forklift operation
- Regal Marine Industries ($2,687.50)
- to train one employee in MS applications development
- Winter Springs Public Works ($772.50) - to train seven
employees in a variety of water and wastewater trainings
The EWT program is designed to provide financial assistance
to employers that recognize the importance of investing
in their employees. Workforce research shows that employees
value the opportunity to acquire new skills which will
lead
to increased productivity and impact your bottom line.
Benefits of the EWT program include:
- Provides employees with new skills that impact the bottom
line
- Up to fifty percent of the business’ direct
training costs are reimbursed by WORKFORCE CENTRAL FLORIDA
- Businesses have the flexibility to choose its own trainer
and curriculum (or training course)
- WCF will assist companies
in applying for all the training awards which they are
eligible
- Investing in training current employees leads
to improved company efficiency, increased employee retention,
heightened
employee morale and better-trained employees resulting
in an increase in productivity
“
These grants enable local businesses to improve upon their
greatest asset - their employees,” said WCF President & CEO
Gary Earl. “The fact that these companies are also
investing their own resources into employee training indicates
they understand the importance of the continued enhancement
of our workforce.” Businesses interested in learning
more about or applying for an Employed Worker Training
grant can call (407) 531-1222 or visit: http://www.workforcecentralflorida.com/employers/training_grants-employed.asp.
The Nation
Headlines from NASWA/CESER Workforce Bulletin - April 20,
2007:
- JOB CENTRAL NATIONAL LABOR EXCHANGE PARTNERSHIP WITH STATES
GROWS STEADILY
- WAYNE FRANKLIN, FORMER NASWA PRESIDENT, KILLED
IN TRAGIC AUTOMOBILE ACCIDENT
- NFIB SCHOLARSHIP NAMED FOR
PHYLLIS K. KENNEDY (AL)
- ETA ANNOUNCES SGA FOR SERVICES
TO EX-OFFENDERS
- ANNOUNCING THE 2007 UI NATIONAL TAX CONFERENCE
- NASWA 2007
UI TECHNOLOGY CONNECTION CONFERENCE - JUNE 10-13, PORTSMOUTH,
VIRGINIA
- STATE LEADERSHIP FORUM IN LOS ANGELES SUCCESSFUL
- BUSINESS
SERVICES IS THE FOCUS OF THE NEXT NASWA/NEWTON ASSOCIATES
FORUM PLANNED FOR ATLANTA, GEORGIA
Access the complete articles at: http://www.workforceatm.org/sections/members/bulletin/
bulltemp.cfm?results_art_filename=bu042007.htm
Proposal Bans Younger Teens From Some Jobs, Allows
Others (Tampa Bay Business Journal - Kent Hoover Washington Bureau
Chief). The Department of Labor wants to ban 14- and 15-year-olds
from working at poultry plants, riding as passengers on forklifts
or selling door-to-door. Loading or operating balers and compacters
for non-paper products also would be prohibited. The proposed
update to child labor laws also would allow 14- and 15-year-olds
to work in advertising, banking and information technology. "The
proposal contains the most ambitious and far-reaching revisions
to the child labor regulations in the last 30 years," says
Paul DeCamp, administrator of the department's Wage and Hour
Division. "It will safeguard the health and education
of millions of working teens while at the same time allowing
them to enjoy the benefits of a phased introduction to the
workplace."
The public can comment on the proposed changes through June
16 by using the federal government's www.regulations.gov Web
site. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration, meanwhile,
kicked off the second year of its campaign to keep teenagers
safe during summer jobs. The agency is working with construction
industry organizations to promote safe work practices.
For more information, see www.wagehour.dol.gov or www.osha.gov.
Summary of Industry Engagement: ETA Report January
2007 released. The USDOL Employment and Training Administration (ETA) Business
Relations Group http://www.doleta.gov/BRG/ is focused on understanding
business' needs and funding training programs to help meet
those needs. Access the new report “Summary of Industry
Engagement - January 2007” at:
http://www.doleta.gov/business/PDF/ETA%20Status%20Report%20SPIRAL%20FINAL.pdf.
Quarterly Teleconference on Faith-Based and Community Organization
Partnership Opportunities. The VA Center for Faith-Based and
Community Initiatives (CFBCI) hosts a quarterly conference
call. The next call is scheduled to be offered on Wednesday,
May 16, 2007, at 1:00 p.m. ET. This conference call is made
possible through the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Network
Teleconference System (VANTS). The purpose of this call is
to share new and helpful information with our ListServ audience
and provide an avenue for interactive discussion. To Register:
Send via email your name, the name of your organization, business
address and phone number and email address to VAFBCI@va.gov. Grant and Competitive Award Opportunities
and Notices
Featured Opportunity:
(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.
April 26 – 27, 2007
Employ Florida Communication Consortium (EFCC) Meeting
Tallahassee, FL
Contact: Lucia Fishburne lfishburne@workforceflorida.com
May 17, 2007
Workforce Florida Board of Directors Meeting
9:00am - 4:00pm
Embassy Suites – USF/Busch Gardens
Tampa, Florida
Contact: Peggy Dransfield pdransfield@workforceflorida.com
Other Meetings/Conferences/Events:
April 27, 2007
Workforce3 One Webinar: Solicitation for Grant Applications:
Prospective Applicant Conference for Preparing Ex-Offenders
for the Workplace Through Beneficiary-Choice Contracting
10:00am Eastern (9:00am/Central, 8:00am/Mountain, 7:00am/Pacific)
NEW! http://www.workforce3one.org/public/skillbuilding/webinar_info.cfm?id=196
April 30, 2007
Workforce3 One Webinar: Using External Trends to Create a Workforce
Development Strategic Plan
3:00pm Eastern (2:00pm/Central, 1:00pm/Mountain, 12:00am/Pacific)
http://www.workforce3one.org/public/skillbuilding/webinar_info.cfm?id=187.
May 2, 2007
Workforce3 One Webinar: Science, Technology, Engineering and
Math (STEM) and the Workforce Investment System Roundtable:
Connections in Action
2:00pm Eastern (1:00pm/Central, 12:00pm/Mountain, 11:00am/Pacific)
NEW! http://www.workforce3one.org/public/skillbuilding/webinar_info.cfm?id=195
May 3-4, 2007
The 14th Annual National Foster Care Conference "Footsteps
to the Future"
St. Petersburg, Florida
http://www.danielkids.org/sites/web/content.cfm?id=275
May 7, 2007
Economic Development Today: Growing and Keeping Your Region’s
Businesses
3:00pm to 3:30pm EDT
NEW! To register go to: www.regonline.com/Checkin.asp?EventId=130526
Web streaming available – details at: http://narc.org/events/telecasts/upcoming-telecast/webcast-information.html
May 8 – 11, 2007
Florida Association for Community Action’s (FACA) 27th
Annual Training Conference
FACA: Navigating the Network through the Pathways of Excellence
in Community Action
Wyndham Riverwalk Hotel – Jacksonville, FL
For more information go to: www.faca.org.
May 14-15, 2007
Florida Department of Education/Florida Education Foundation’s
National Conference
"
Redesigning Teacher Compensation: A Blueprint for Success"
Orlando World Center Marriott
Access information at: http://www.fldoe.org/k12/nationalconference/.
May 15, 2007
Workforce3 One Webinar: The 50+ Generation: Workers, Volunteers,
Learners
12:00pm Eastern (11:00am/Central, 10:00am/Mountain, 9:00am/Pacific)
NEW! http://www.workforce3one.org/public/skillbuilding/webinar_info.cfm?id=189
May 20-23, 2007
NAWDP Annual Conference: Prospecting for Performance
Sparks, NV
www.nawdp.org
May 21-22, 2007
Rural Economic Development and Tourism Summit
Jackson County Agriculture Center
Marianna, Florida
For more information please contact Susan Estes at 877-467-7352
or susane@opportunityflorida.com
May 29-30, 2007
4th Annual Florida Tech Transfer Conference
The Doral Golf Resort and Spa in Miami, Florida
www.floridaresearch.org/index.php?src=gendocs&link=Tech%20
Transfer_Home&category=TechTransfer
May 30, 31 & June 1, 2007
National Unemployment Insurance Issues Conference
Dallas, Texas
Contact Cheryl Robinson at 202-637-3464 for additional information;
registration and specifics forthcoming.
June 4 - 5th, 2007
2007 Florida Minority Community Economic Development Summit
Sheraton River Walk Hotel, Tampa-Florida
www.fmcrc.org
June 4-7, 2007
2007 National Coalition for Homeless Veterans (HCHV) Annual
Conference
“
Special Challenges of a New Era”
Washington, D.C.
http://www.nchv.org/annualconference.cfm
June 12-15, 2007
Florida Association of Counties 2007 Annual Conference
Renaissance Orlando Resort
http://fl-counties.com/fcf/facconferences/annualconference.shtml.
June 13-15, 2007
2007 Bridges to Employment Conference
Miami, FL
(See article in “Odds and Ends” below) For
more info go to: http://www.proyectovision.net/english/bridges/.
June 23-26, 2007
Florida Economic Development Council (FEDC) Annual Conference
“ Competing in a World of Change”
Grand Hyatt Tampa Bay
Stay tuned! www.fedc.net July 17-19, 2007
Workforce Innovations 2007
“ Beyond Boundaries”
Kansas City (MO)
www.WorkforceInnovations.org
Odds and Ends
From the April 2007 issue of the Upjohn Institute's
newsletter "Employment
Research" Vol. 14, No. 2:
William T. Grant Foundation Announces Release of
Paper on Improving After-School Program Quality. The William T. Grant
Foundation announces the release of a new working paper on
after-school program quality . It was written by Foundation
president Robert C. Granger with Joseph Durlak, Nicole Yohalem,
and Elizabeth Reisner. The paper argues that the primary
issue facing the after-school field is learning how to intervene
effectively to improve programs and provides new information
on the features of effective programs. It also includes discussion
on the implications of this new information for program accountability
and the selection of student outcomes to guide programming.
The paper draws its implications for policy and practice
from two recent reports. One is a new review of evaluation
studies by Joe Durlak and Roger Weissberg showing that after-school
programs can positively affect important school behaviors,
social behaviors, and attitudes and beliefs. The second report,
by Nicole Yohalem and Alicia Wilson-Ahlstrom, describes instruments
that measure the quality of youth program practices. This
second report shows that the after-school field now has several
useful tools to measure program quality and that the instruments
share a focus on staff/youth interactions as a key ingredient.
The Durlak and Weissberg report is available here http://www.casel.org/downloads/ASP-Full.pdf.
The Yohalem and Wilson-Ahlstrom report can be accessed via
the website of the Forum for Youth Investment: http://www.forumfyi.org/Files//Measuring_Youth_Program_Quality.pdf.
Get A NASA Scientist For FREE. The Space Alliance Technology
Outreach Program (SATOP) is a FREE service designed to provide
technical assistance and speed the transfer of space technology
to the private sector. By giving FREE technology assistance
to small businesses, SATOP helps companies solve their technical
challenges. The goal of SATOP is to help small businesses
apply the technical expertise derived from the U.S. space
program. Made up of an alliance of more than 45 space companies,
universities, colleges, and NASA centers (Johnson Space Center
- Texas, Kennedy Space Center - Florida, and White Sands
Test Facility - New Mexico), SATOP finds professionals within
these companies who volunteer their time and expertise in
solving the challenges identified by the inquiring businesses.
Businesses can receive up to 40 hours of FREE technical assistance
through SATOP. Their goal is to provide resolutions in less
than 90 days. SATOP has helped companies with machine design,
process engineering, material selection, and many other technical
issues. Over 3,000 requests have been processed since the
program's inception and more than 2,500 resolutions have
been provided to businesses. For more information, visit
www.spacetechsolutions.com.
From SOUTHERN COMPASS -- APRIL 24, 2007:
- Report Explores How Universities Support Home Ownership
In Their Communities. A new report from the U.S. Department
of Housing and Urban Development explores ways that universities
have helped build homeownership in their communities.
Vehicles for assistance have included research and technical
assistance,
financial literacy and homeownership education, financial
assistance, academic programs and holistic approaches.
Among the universities highlighted are Elizabeth City
State University in Elizabeth City, North Carolina, Johnson
C.
Smith University in Charlotte, North Carolina, LeMoyne-Owen
College in Memphis, Tennessee, Mercer University in Macon,
Georgia and Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Virginia. Download
the report, Building Communities Through Homeownership,
at: http://www.oup.org/files/pubs/ideasthatwork.pdf.
- Report Explores Aligning High School Lessons With Postsecondary
Expectations. “Most high school teachers believe
that meeting their state’s standards prepares students
for college-level work, (but) most postsecondary instructors
disagree,” was just one of the major findings in
a recent ACT publication. The report, Aligning Postsecondary
Expectations and High School Practice: The Gap Defined,
presents
what postsecondary institutions believe is important and
necessary for entering college students to know and what
middle and high school teachers are teaching. The Gap Defined
includes the results from a survey involving more 6,500
middle school, high school, and postsecondary English,
reading,
math, and science teachers. To access the full report visit: http://www.act.org/path/policy/pdf/NCSPolicyBrief.pdf.
New Fact Sheet from ODEP. The Office of Disability Employment
Policy (ODEP), in collaboration with the Center for Faith
Based and Community Initiatives (CFBCI) and the Civil Rights
Center (CRC) of the Department of Labor has developed a new
brochure to help faith-based and community organizations
(FBCOs) better understand the requirements of Section 504
of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. The publication is titled "Demystifying
Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act". Section 504
of the Rehabilitation Act requires recipients of Federal
financial assistance, including FBCOs, to take certain positive
actions to make their facilities and services accessible
and available to persons with disabilities. The fact sheet
can be found at http://www.dol.gov/odep/pubs/fact/faith.htm. Quote for the Week:
“Friendship
makes prosperity more shining and lessens adversity by dividing
and sharing it.”
Cicero (106 BC - 43 BC), On Friendship, 44
B.C
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