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Workforce Florida Weekly Update 6-13-07 |
CONTENTS The State & RegionsFlorida reBuilds campaign wins local marketing awards for Moore Consulting Group. The Florida reBuilds outreach campaign recently snagged three 2007 Florida Public Relations Association (FPRA) Capital Chapter Image Awards for the Moore Consulting Group, AWI’s contracted marketing firm for Florida reBuilds outreach and awareness. The Image Awards recognize the highest levels of professional excellence and have become the reference standard for outstanding public relations production, execution, and results. Moore received an Award of Distinction in the Printed Tools of Public relations category for the four-color Florida reBuilds brochure, a Judges Award for the same brochure, and an Image Award for the Florida reBuilds marketing campaign in the Public Relations Programs category. The FPRA also sponsors a corresponding state-level competition for the Golden Image Awards, recognizing statewide excellence in public relations. The firm has entered Florida reBuilds and other Employ Florida related public relations initiatives for state Image Awards which will be announced at the Golden Image Awards Ceremony at the FPRA Annual Conference in early August. Moore Consulting Group, recently recognized as one of the “top 100 PR firms in the US” by O’Dwyer’s magazine, a highly regarded industry publication, is under contract with Workforce Florida Inc. for the ongoing Employ Florida Marketplace outreach and awareness campaign. Governor Crist Signs First Responders Workers’ Compensation Bill ~ SB 746 provides workers compensation protection to Florida’s first responders. PALM BEACH GARDENS – Governor Charlie Crist praised the Florida Professional Firefighters at the 63rd Annual Conference in Palm Beach Gardens. He also signed legislation sponsored by Senator J.D. Alexander (R–Lake Wales) and Representative Sandra “Sandy” Adams (R–Orlando) that provides workers’ compensation benefits for Florida’s first responders. Representative Adams joined the Governor for the bill signing. “These brave men and woman protect their fellow Floridians and put their lives on the line day in and day out. They are public servants of the highest caliber,” said Governor Crist. “Through this legislation, we have the opportunity to express in a tangible and meaningful way just how much we appreciate their service and sacrifice.” Senate Bill 746 helps first responders, such as law enforcement officers, firefighters, emergency medical technicians and paramedics – including volunteer first responders – gain eligibility for workers’ compensation benefits. The legislation minimizes the requirements for benefits related to occupational diseases, increases benefits for responders who sustain a mental or nervous injury and extends payment of total disability benefits to certain retirees. “First responders make our lives safer and more secure. We have a responsibility as citizens – and a duty as public servants – to provide these critical benefits to those injured in the line of duty,” said Governor Crist. “I am grateful to the Florida Legislature for making it easier and more likely that they will receive this important compensation.” www.myflorida.com. Florida one of 10 states to receive NGA Center Grant award to Support Early Childhood Development Summit. WASHINGTON—To help states develop policies that address the needs of at risk infants, toddlers and preschoolers, the NGA Center for Best Practices (NGA Center) announced 10 states will receive $10,000 grants to support Governors' Summits on Early Childhood: Alaska, Connecticut, Florida, Kansas, Maine, Michigan, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah and Virginia. The first years of life are a critical time for developing the foundational skills and competencies that children need for success in school. Children who enter kindergarten without these characteristics start – and stay – behind their fellow classmates who possess these traits. Early intervention and support can help close this gap before it starts to widen. Research shows that high quality care and early learning experiences coupled with stable, nurturing parental relationships are directly linked to children's success in school and in life. The NGA Early Childhood Summit grants are intended to help governors build support for a state early childhood policy agenda that incorporates the core principles, policy framework and recommendations of the NGA Task Force on School Readiness. The selected states demonstrated strong gubernatorial commitment and set clear goals, objectives and measures for converting new energy into concrete action following the summits and will receive technical assistance from the NGA Center and partner organizations of the Birth to Five Policy Alliance. These groups will work with each state to meet the intended summit goals, which include: Developing consensus on specific policy recommendations for governors early childhood agenda; Cultivating leadership among business, philanthropy and community stakeholders; Building partnerships with the private sector; and, strengthening capacity for decision-making and service delivery at the local level. All states were invited to apply for the grants, with the exception of states that received an Early Childhood Grant in 2006. The grants are made possible through the generous support of the Buffett Early Childhood Fund and an anonymous foundation. “Children who enter kindergarten without the opportunity to develop critical skills in early childhood are at a great disadvantage,” said Governor Charlie Crist. “It is important that we continue to enhance and coordinate all of our services so that we provide each of Florida’s youngest citizens with the resources they need to be prepared for kindergarten and future success.” The Governor’s Early Learning Summit, to be held early next year, will increase awareness and involvement of community leaders in Florida’s early learning initiatives and provide a forum to discuss the care and early education of children from birth to age five in Florida. Florida is home to nearly one million children under the age of five and of these children; approximately 600,000 attend some type of early learning program. The Agency for Workforce Innovation’s Office of Early Learning is responsible for implementation of the state’s child resource and referral, school readiness and Voluntary Prekindergarten (VPK) programs. Florida’s unified approach to early childhood education is positioning the state to be a national leader. In fact, in its second year, Florida’s VPK program is the second-largest state-funded prekindergarten program in the nation. To learn more about governors' efforts to prepare children for school, visit: www.nga.org/center/earlychild. To learn more about Florida’s early learning initiatives, visit: http://www.floridajobs.org/earlylearning/index.html. Energy and Agriculture Depts. Provide $8.3 Million in Funding for Biofuels Research – University of Florida project awarded $750,000. WASHINGTON, June 7, 2007 -- Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns and U.S. Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman announced that the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Energy have jointly selected 11 projects for awards totaling $8.3 million for biobased fuels research that will accelerate the development of alternative fuel resources. "To help meet President Bush's goal to reduce gasoline consumption by 20 percent in ten years, research and alternative fuel production needs to expand beyond corn ethanol," Johanns said. "These grants diversify the portfolio of research by looking into new ways to develop cordgrass, rice and switchgrass in renewable energy sources." "These research projects build upon DOE's strategic investments in genomics and biotechnology and strengthen our commitment to developing a robust bioenergy future vital to America's energy and economic security," Bodman said. These awards continue a commitment begun in 2006 to conduct fundamental research in biomass genomics that will provide the scientific foundation to facilitate and accelerate the use of woody plant tissue for bioenergy and biofuels. The awards will be made through the Office of Biological and Environmental Research (OBER) in DOE's Office of Science (SC), and USDA's Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension Service (CSREES) National Research Initiative (NRI). In this second year of the program, new research projects on cordgrass, rice, switchgrass, sorghum, poplar, and perennial grasses join the portfolio of research on poplar, alfalfa, sorghum, and wheat. Starting in 2007, DOE will provide $5.5 million in funding for seven projects, while USDA will award more than $1.5 million to fund three projects; one project will receive $1.3 million in joint funding from both agencies. Initial funding will support research projects for up to three years. University of Florida was awarded $750,000 for "Development of Brown Midrib Sweet Sorghum as a Dual-Source Feedstock for Ethanol Production" This project seeks to maximize the amount of fermentable sugar in the whole sorghum plant, by identification and isolation of the genes that control the high stalk juice sugar trait and a decreased stalk lignin trait, with an eventual aim to combine both traits in a single germplasm. Information on all of the individual research projects and the joint program is available at: http://genomicsgtl.energy.gov/research/DOEUSDA/index.shtml. $5-million, but few takers - A safety net for Florida
guardsmen, reservists has helped just 140 families since
2005 (By William
R. Levesque, Published June 7, 2007 - St. Petersburg Times).
It was a common sentiment in 2005 that many families of deployed
Florida National Guard troops and reservists needed financial
help for their mortgages, car repairs and groceries. So state
lawmakers responded, creating a $5-million fund to help those
in need. The cash handed out to date: just $478,000. The Florida
Family Readiness Program, a much-touted financial safety net
for the state's citizen soldiers, is a puzzling underachiever,
one of those rare legislative creations that is awash in cash
because so few people are tapping into it. The state boasts
on a Web site that the program has been "significantly
effective." But in nearly two years, just 178 families
have asked the state for help, and 38 of those, or about 21
percent, have been rejected because they didn't meet eligibility
requirements, according to state figures. Lawmakers were so
sure a need existed when they created the assistance fund that
they doubled the $2.5-million allocation sought by military
leaders. Today, nobody can say exactly why $5-million was selected
or how many people were projected to apply. A 2005 legislative
analysis before the program's creation noted that the Guard
received 250 requests a month for financial assistance from
its troops. One of the fund's creators remains puzzled. "I
think Florida can do better than that," said Joe Negron,
a former state representative from Stuart who helped draft
the proposal. "A half million spent? That's disappointing
because I know the need is much greater. These families deserve
that money." Getting the word out - State and Guard officials
remain confident that the word is out: The money is available
for people in financial stress when a family bread winner is
deployed and not at home working. Currently about 1,000 Florida
Guard troops are deployed. Numbers on reservists are unavailable. "We're
doing everything we can other than knocking on every soldier's
door" to tell them about it, said Col. Sterling Heymen,
who oversees the Florida Guard's participation in the program. "You
can only do so much." Heymen said some people may simply
be too proud to ask for charity. "The bottom line here
is you can't twist somebody's arm behind their back and tell
them to ask for money," he said. He noted that the Guard
would work harder to educate its troops about the financial
assistance. "We're definitely stepping up efforts," Heymen
said. Glenn Sutphin, legislative director for the Florida Department
of Military Affairs, said the low outlay may be a positive
sign that the military is already taking good care of its people. $50,000 in Scholarships Awarded to Orlando Area Students. WORKFORCE CENTRAL FLORIDA today awarded 10 local High School
graduates each a $5,000 college scholarship at the WCF Board
meeting, which was open to the public. The scholarship winners
were chosen based on both their academic accomplishments and
financial need. The ten winners have aspirations of studying
business, medicine, nursing, architecture, and psychology.
The students will receive the scholarships to attend a public
educational institution of their choice in Florida. “I’ve
always wanted to become a pediatrician since I was little…I
want to save lives, I was a premature baby and I know doctors,
nurses and pediatricians saved my life.” states Ariel
Harris, one of the scholarship winners. Ariel, the first in
her family to graduate high school is a graduate of Jones High
School and will be studying medicine at the University of Florida.
Since 2002, and including these ten scholarships, WCF will
have awarded 54 scholarships to local students totaling $255,000.
WORKFORCE CENTRAL FLORIDA UNIVERSITY is a new program of WORKFORCE
CENTRAL FLORIDA (WCF). WCF is the region’s workforce
expert, helping over 4,700 employers connect with more than
38,000 job seekers. WCF offers innovative solutions to assist
Central Florida businesses succeed in today’s highly
competitive workforce, while providing the tools job seekers
need to find or advance in their current career. For more information,
visit WCF online at www.WorkforceCentralFlorida.com.
Tampa Bay WorkForce Alliance works with businesses and candidates to leverage their training, retraining and competitive opportunities in the workforce. With nearly 100,000 job candidates annually accessing its four career centers, TBWA is the single largest source of job candidates in the region. Businesses annually access TBWA's wide range of services that include employee recruiting; training; targeted career fairs and hiring events; workshops and business seminars; and retention support strategies. Tampa Bay WorkForce Alliance is a member of the Employ Florida statewide network of workforce services and resources. The NationSBA Announces New Patriot Express Loan Initiative - Program Focuses on Military Community Including Veterans, Service-disabled, Active-duty in transition, Reserve and Guard, Spouses and Related Groups. WASHINGTON, D.C. – The SBA announced the new Patriot Express Pilot Loan as the latest extension to the financial, procurement, and technical assistance programs the agency provides to the military community. Patriot Express is a streamlined loan product based on SBA’s highly successful SBA Express Program, but with enhanced guarantee and interest rate characteristics. Patriot Express is available to military community members including veterans, service-disabled veterans, active-duty service members participating in the military’s Transition Assistance Program, Reservists and National Guard members, current spouses of any of the above, and the widowed spouse of a service member or veteran who died during service, or of a service-connected disability. The new Patriot Express Loan is offered by SBA’s network of participating lenders nationwide and features SBA’s fastest turnaround time for loan approvals. Loans are available up to $500,000 and qualify for SBA’s maximum guaranty of up to 85 percent for loans of $150,000 or less and up to 75 percent for loans over $150,000 up to $500,000. For loans above $350,000, lenders are required to take all available collateral. The Patriot Express Loan can be used for most business purposes, including start-up, expansion, equipment purchases, working capital, inventory or business-occupied real-estate purchases. Patriot Express Loans feature SBA’s lowest interest rates for business loans, generally 2.25 percent to 4.75 percent over prime depending upon the size and maturity of the loan. Local SBA district offices will have a listing of Patriot Express lenders in their areas. Details on the initiative can be found at www.sba.gov/patriotexpress. Recently, the SBA has expanded its face to the military community through an expansion of its Veterans Affairs Office, increased local outreach and goaling in its district offices and participation in Department of Labor job seminars. SBA provides programs and services for veterans and members of the military community wanting to establish or expand small businesses. SBA has veterans’ business development officers in district offices in every state and territory able to provide military community members full access to the SBA’s range of programs and services. There are also five Veterans Business Outreach Centers located in: Albany, N.Y; Pittsburgh, PA; Lynn Haven, Fla.; Edinburg, Texas; and Sacramento, Calif. In addition to district offices, SBA’s resource partners SCORE, Counselors to America’s Small Business; Small Business Development Centers; and Women’s Business Centers provide local and online assistance with: writing a business plan, financing options to start or grow your business, managing the business, expanding the business and selling goods and services to the government. For those who are already small business owners and who expect call-up, the SBA and its resource partners have expertise to assist with preparing their businesses before deployment, managing their businesses, selling goods and services to the government, obtaining other SBA financing and financial assistance, and obtaining loans for economic injury – Military Reserve Economic Injury Disaster Loans (MREIDL) – Loans of up to $1.5 million are available for small businesses sustaining economic injury because an owner or essential employee has been called to active duty as a military reservist. “More than 14 percent of businesses in America are owned by veterans, and SBA is proud that we guarantee more than $1 billion annually in loans for veteran-owned businesses,” Administrator Preston said. “Veteran-owned businesses make significant contributions to the economy and because of the unique technical and leadership skills they acquire through military service, they can become successful entrepreneurs. As we celebrate Flag Day we remember our military community and their patriotism on behalf of our grateful nation.” The SBA and its Office of Veterans Business Development (OVBD) provides comprehensive assistance, outreach and support to veterans. Each year the SBA assists more than 100,000 veterans, service-disabled veterans and Reserve Component members. A Web-based press kit on the Patriot Express Initiative can be found at: http://www.sba.gov/patriotexpress/SBA_PATRIOT_PRESS_KIT.html. U.S. Department of Labor Job Corps Announces Formation of New Advisory Committee – Includes Florida Appointee. WASHINGTON U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao and Job Corps National Director Dr. Esther Johnson announced the appointment of 16 individuals to the new Advisory Committee on Job Corps. The appointees come from employers, private and public contractors, the military, educators, trainers and various other communities that play important roles in advising the Job Corps on its future. Edythe M. Abdullah of Jacksonville, Florida has been appointed. The committee is being established to advance Job Corps' new vision for student achievement aimed at 21st century high-growth employment. The committee will evaluate Job Corps' program characteristics, including its purpose, goals, effectiveness, and performance measures in order to address the critical issues facing the provision of job training and education to the youth. The committee will make recommendations to the secretary and Job Corps national director by April 30, 2008. The Job Corps is the nation's largest and oldest federally-funded job training and education program for "at promise" youth ages 16 through 24. It has 122 centers nationwide. http://www.workforceatm.org/articles/printer_friendly.cfm?results_art_filename=jobcorps07.htm. The Government Accountability Office (GAO) today released
the following testimony: Employment Verification: Challenges
Exist in Implementing a Mandatory Electronic Verification System. For the complete document, GAO-07-924T, June 7, go to: http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-07-924T. NASWA Workforce Bulletin – June 8, 2007 Headlines:
Grant and Competitive Award Opportunities and NoticesFor current information, visit the External Grant Opportunities page.Featured Opportunity:NEW! ‘Business Employment Solutions and Training for
2007-08’ - BEST III’. WFI has funded twenty BEST
projects over the last two program years. Regions are therefore
familiar with the basic intent of this approach – a
multi-faceted, cross council approach to develop and implement
regional projects that serve youth and first-time job entrants,
persons transitioning from public assistance to meaningful
employment and the working poor, and employed workers needing
skills upgrade training to allow their employers to retain
or expand their businesses. NOTE: Although this is the third
iteration of BEST, some changes have been made due to the
new policy council structure of WFI and lessons learned from
previous BEST projects. Only regional workforce boards (RWBs)
may apply for these grants. Due date: July 18, 2007; 5:00
PM, Eastern. For the full grant solicitation go to: ‘Replication of the CHOICE Career Institute’.
The purpose of this Grant Solicitation is to seek applications
from regional workforce boards for projects that replicate
the Community High Okaloosa Academies for Career Education
(CHOICE) developed and implemented by the Okaloosa County
School District in school year 2003-04. This is Phase III
of CHOICE replication which was started under a similar grant
solicitation issued in November 2004. The principle tenets
of CHOICE are now embodied in the 2007 Florida Career and
Professional Education Act, as it was passed as Senate Bill
1232, which provides a statewide planning partnership between
business and education communities to expand and retain high-value
industry and sustain a vibrant state economy. These funds
are to help school districts implement the requirements established
in the new law. Please refer to SB 1232 for entire content
of the Florida Career and Professional Education Act. Only
regional workforce boards (RWBs) may apply for these grants.
This initiative, however, is intended to be a local, collaborative
effort between the regional workforce board and the following
mandatory partners: 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. June 14, 2007 June 20, 2007 Other Meetings/Conferences/Events:
June 4 - 5th, 2007 June 4-7, 2007 June 12-15, 2007 Thursday, June 14 June 13-15, 2007 June 14, 2007 June 23-26, 2007 July 17-19, 2007 Odds and EndsNew NCES report: Public Elementary and Secondary School Student Enrollment, High School Completions, and Staff from the Common Core of Data: School Year 2005-06. This short descriptive report summarizes the numbers of students enrolled in public elementary/secondary education by grade; the number of diplomas and other completion credentials awarded for the 2004-05 school year; the averaged freshman graduation rate (AFGR) for the 2004-05 school year; pupil/teacher ratios; and the number of teaching, administrative, and support staff employed in public education. The information is presented by state and for the United States as a whole. The data were reported to the Common Core of Data by state education agencies from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and several other jurisdictions. To download, view and print the publication as a PDF file, please visit: http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2007352. Mapping the Growth of Older America (by William H. Frey, Visiting Fellow, Metropolitan Policy Program). Aging baby boomers constitute this decade's fastest growing age group, expanding nearly 50 percent in size from 2000 to 2010. This group-more highly educated, with more professional women, and more diverse than its predecessors-will add new stresses to suburban and Sun Belt locations where they are predominantly "retiring in place" with demands for health, transportation, and other services. Access the article: http://www3.brookings.edu/views/articles/200705frey.pdf. "Circle of Champions: Innovators in Employing All Americans". The Office of Disability Employment Policy has issued a new "Circle of Champions" brochure, which includes examples of effective disability employment practices among companies that have been recipients of the Secretary of Labor's New Freedom Initiative Award. The brochure can be found at: http://www.dol.gov/odep/newfreedom/coc2007/brochure.htm America's Career Resource Network. America's Career Resource Network (ACRN) consists of state and federal organizations that provide information, resources and training on career and education exploration.. ACRN is focused on helping students and adults make the best possible decisions about education, training and career development. ACRN helps learners identify their skills and interests, and plan an education and training pathway that makes the most of their natural abilities and leads directly to fulfilling work. The ACRN Web site serves as an online hub for career development professionals, parents, and students who want information on how career development encourages and enhances solid academic achievement. The network's national activities are funded by a grant from the U.S. Department of Education. For more information go to http://www.acrnetwork.org/. Quote for the Week:“Speech is
conveniently located midway between thought and action, John Andrew Holmes, Author |
