Workforce Florida Weekly Update 9-05-07

CONTENTS
The State & Regions
The Nation
Grant and Competitive Award Opportunities
Upcoming Meetings, Conferences & Events
Odds & Ends

The State & Regions

Governor Crist Addresses Statewide Dependency Court Summit. ORLANDO – Governor Charlie Crist today addressed attendees of the Department of Children and Families’ Annual Statewide Dependency Court Summit during the opening session of the three-day conference. More than 1,200 individuals from throughout the state’s child welfare system were in attendance, including judges, law enforcement officers, protective investigators, social services professionals, attorneys and volunteers. The goal of the conference is to unite professionals in child welfare in order to reshape and redefine partnerships for children throughout the state. “Children are our highest priority because they have the right to grow up with dignity in a safe environment and to know that someone will always be there for them,” Governor Crist said. “We have an obligation to protect them and to give the thousands of teachers, law enforcement officers, community leaders and volunteers who put Florida’s children first the tools they need to give hope and a solid future to every child in Florida.” During the three-day conference, attendees will develop action plans specific to each region of the state. The Florida Department of Children and Families is divided into five geographic regions and 20 circuits which are aligned with the state’s circuit court system. Individuals within each circuit will establish an action plan to be implemented and evaluated in the next 60 days that will address the unique challenges and obstacles of each individual circuit. Addressing the crowd in a spirit of collaboration, DCF Secretary Bob Butterworth said, “We must put our energy into cooperation, not controversy, competition, or divisiveness. We have nothing to hide, but more importantly, we should hide nothing.” Recently, Governor Crist named 15 statewide leaders to the Children and Youth Cabinet. The cabinet is charged with developing a strategic plan to promote collaboration, creativity, increased efficiency, information sharing, and improved service delivery between and within state agencies and organizations focused on children’s issues. For more information on the Department of Children and Families’ Dependency Summit, visit the Children and Families Web site at www.state.fl.us/cf_web and click on the Dependency Summit icon.

Labor Day Message from Agency for Workforce Innovation Director Brown: “As Floridians enjoy the Labor Day weekend, the Agency for Workforce Innovation honors Florida’s more than 9.2 million labor force participants. Our workforce system is poised to further align Florida's education, training and workforce programs with higher-paying, high-demand jobs that advance careers, build a more skilled workforce and enhance the state's efforts to attract, grow and expand job-creating businesses. Florida’s economy and job market are changing rapidly and in today’s shifting labor market, employers place a premium on training and skills. The need to adapt to new technologies, materials, methods and skills confronts the entire workforce and training system with the challenge of better training and educating Florida’s workers. There is a greater need to link training to the needs of the state and national labor markets as defined by national skill standards and the needs of employers. Despite recent slowdowns in job growth, our workforce system is adapting to new technologies and new skills, while developing increased competitiveness. In fact, the Agency for Workforce Innovation is vigorously working with our business, economic development, education and workforce partners to create programs that workers and students have the educational and occupational skills required to succeed in the workforce. For the full press release visit: http://www.floridajobs.org/publications/news_rel.html.

Fast Facts on Florida’s Job Market (source Agency for Workforce Innovation):

• Florida’s 8,134,700 jobholders make the Florida economy function and deliver the $715.3 billion in goods and services the state produced in 2006.
• Florida’s job growth rate, while slowing, exceeds the national job growth rate; 1.6 percent for the state and 1.4 percent for the nation in July 2007. Florida still generates almost 130,000 new jobs per year.
• Of the ten most populous states, Florida’s unemployment rate was the lowest at 3.9 percent in July 2007. Florida’s job growth was ranked third among the most populous states both in rate of increase and number of new jobs. Only California and Texas are gaining more jobs than Florida.
• Annual average wages in Florida have risen over the last three years from $33,552 in 2003 to $38,498 in 2006. Wages have increased on an average of 4.7 percent over the last three years.
• The 2007 average hourly wage for all occupations is $17.76, up from $17.07 (4.0 %) in 2006.
• All 22 major occupational groups had increases in their 2007 average hourly wage. Wage increases ranged from 2.2 percent (maintenance and repair) to 7.8 percent (agricultural) for these major occupational groups.
• The 2007 overall average hourly wage for occupations requiring postsecondary training below a bachelor’s degree was $20.83, up from $20.08 (3.7 %) in 2006.

DCF Awards 2008 Challenge Grants. TAMPA -- Department of Children and Families Secretary Bob Butterworth Tuesday announced the award of $2.1 million in state Challenge Grants. The grants, awarded annually, will support services to nearly 20,000 homeless in Florida, including families with children, youth aging out of foster care, persons with mental illness, individuals with substance abuse issues, victims of domestic violence, and veterans. "This money will allow local homeless coalitions to provide the prevention and intervention services needed to keep people off the streets, said Secretary Butterworth. And that's especially important when you consider that children account for a significant portion of our homeless population." This years grant recipients will use their award dollars for a variety of services including building transitional and emergency housing to provide homeless families, or families on the verge of becoming homeless, affordable alternatives to todays housing and rental markets. The funding will also provide for emergency housing assistance on the front end, so families in danger of being evicted can remain in their home. Recipients will also use funds to provide food, clothing and transportation to members of the homeless community who lack basic necessities. The Department awarded the grants to 22 agencies serving 42 counties including: Alachua, Bradford, Brevard, Broward, Charlotte, Clay, Collier, Columbia, Duval, Escambia, Flagler, Franklin, Gadsden, Hamilton, Hillsborough, Indian River, Jefferson, Lafayette, Lee, Leon, Levy, Liberty, Madison, Marion, Martin, Miami-Dade, Monroe, Okaloosa, Palm Beach, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, Putnam, St. Johns, St. Lucie, Santa Rosa, Suwannee, Taylor, Volusia, Wakulla, and Walton. The Department awards the grants to agencies that demonstrate their ability to provide quality services in their area with a track record of success in receiving grant money and private cash for services. As of January of this year, census data reports more than 60,000 individuals are homeless in the State of Florida. In recent years, homeless grant dollars awarded through the Departments Office on Homelessness have helped Florida expand homeless services to 62 counties, covering more than 95 percent of the states population. For more information on the Florida Department of Children and Families Office on Homelessness visit: http://www.dcf.state.fl.us/homelessness/.

Greater Orlando Business Leadership Network Announces Kick Off Event. The Greater Orlando Business Leadership Network (BLN) will host its Kick Off Event on Monday, September 24, 2007. Kick Off sponsors include Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida, Walt Disney World and LYNX. The event will be held at the Buena Vista Palace Hotel & Spa, Lake Buena Vista, FL from 7:30-9:30 AM. Governor Charlie Crist has been invited to launch this newest employer resource. It is anticipated that over 500 area business leaders will be in attendance. The mission of the Greater Orlando BLN is to educate and encourage employers to recruit, hire, train and retain employees with disabilities as part of promoting good business practices. If you are an Orlando business leader and would like to attend, please contact Debbie Courtney at debbiec@wilres.com or 850/ 386-2022. The Greater Orlando BLN is one of six BLNs located throughout the state that have received funding from Workforce Florida, Inc. There are currently twelve BLN chapters in Florida. To learn more about Florida BLNs visit: http://www.abletrust.org/fbln/.

Apple’s Steve Wozniak to Present Keynote Address at WorkNet Pinellas “Taking the Next Step” Business & Education Summit. CLEARWATER – Steve Wozniak, co-founder of Apple Computers, Inc., is set to speak with Tampa Bay’s top business and education leaders at the WorkNet Pinellas “Taking the Next Step” Business and Education Summit in September. The mission of the event is to bring the education and business community together in an effort to enhance, develop & promote partnerships between education and business to present a united front for the needs of industry. Governor Charlie Crist is special invited keynote speaker for the event. Attendees will participate in breakout sessions divided by industry sectors where business leaders will have the opportunity to give their input on their current and future workforce needs. An education panel consisting of Dr. Carl Kuttler- St. Petersburg College, Jr. Dr. Clayton Wilcox- Pinellas County Schools, Dr. Karen White- University of South Florida- St. Petersburg, and Dr. Donald Eastman- Eckerd College will also discuss with the group about how the educational system in Pinellas County is addressing the demands of business. The WorkNet Pinellas “Taking the Next Step” Business and Education Summit is scheduled for Thursday, September 27, 2007 from 8:30 am until 4:00 pm at the St. Petersburg College EpiCenter in Clearwater. Details about the event are available by contacting Kristin Dailey at 727-507-4300 x3004. WorkNet Pinellas is the Workforce Investment Board, Region 14, for Pinellas County, Florida. WorkNet Pinellas develops strategies to target the needs of employers then matches them to job seekers across the employment spectrum, from assisting those seeking entry level positions in the workforce to recruiting workers to fill highly skilled management positions. WorkNet Pinellas is a member of the Employ Florida statewide network of workforce services and resources. To locate any of WorkNet’s Pinellas County One Stop Centers visit www.worknetpinellas.org or call (727) 524-4344.

The Nation

$50 Million Workforce Initiative Being Launched by Foundations, Business and U.S. Department of Labor. WASHINGTON, Sept. 4, 2007 - Moving to build a stronger workforce and create new career opportunities for workers, a group of top national foundations, the U.S. Department of Labor and other key supporters will announce the launch of the National Fund for Workforce Solutions, a $50 million 5-year effort to strengthen and expand effective workforce initiatives around the country. The Fund already has $15 million invested by the Annie E. Casey, Ford and Hitachi Foundations and the U.S. Department of Labor. Leaders of the Fund are also recruiting additional commitments from foundations, business and the public sector to reach the $50 million goal. The Fund expects to work with local initiatives to place at least 50,000 people in career-oriented jobs, leverage more than $200 million in local funding and provide services to at least 1,000 employers to help them recruit, train and move employees into family-supporting jobs. The Fund has also made it a goal to expand resources and improve the efficiency of workforce development systems in more than 30 regions across the country. Announcement of the Fund will come during a briefing at the National Press Club soon after Labor Day to highlight the importance of developing a strong American workforce during a time of rapid economic transformation. The Fund seeks to advance two key goals: create new opportunities for lower-wage workers to move into better-paying jobs and careers and meet employers' critical needs for skilled employees. The Fund will support local workforce initiatives through grants, technical assistance, evaluations and other services. Ten Sites will receive funding, including: Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York City, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, San Diego, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C. Access the complete press release at the National Fund for Workforce Solutions website: http://www.nfwsolutions.org/NFWSReleaseAug20.pdf.

DHS ‘No-Match’ Immigration Rule Rankles Employer Groups (by Mark Schoeff Jr., Workforce Week, August 30, 2007). After the recent demise of major immigration reform legislation, the Bush administration will crack down on illegal hiring next month—a move that some employers worry could severely disrupt the labor market. Experts contend that legal workers could get caught in the net of the Department of Homeland Security’s initiative, which will force companies to either resolve within 90 days discrepancies between a worker’s name and Social Security number or fire the employee. Mismatches occur in about 4 percent of the 250 million earnings reports submitted annually to the Social Security Administration. Companies that receive these “no-match letters” currently aren’t compelled to act on those inconsistencies. Employers don’t resist confirming work eligibility, but are concerned about flaws in government databases, according to groups representing them. The HR Initiative for a Legal Workforce says that the Social Security Administration estimates that 17.8 million of its records have “no-match” inconsistencies affecting 13 million Americans. Some of the differences between company and government information are due to clerical errors or changes in marital status. But the 90-day window can close quickly in the bureaucratic resolution process. “It’s going to knock out some people who are not foreign nationals, who are not here on temporary visas,” says Montserrat Miller, a lawyer with Greenberg Traurig in Washington. About 5 percent to 10 percent of the U.S. workforce could be vulnerable, says William Manning, a partner at Jackson Lewis in White Plains, New York. “If the government goes around disenfranchising those people, you could have a recession or depression,” he says. The homeland agency takes a more benign view of the regulation, which will be implemented in this month (September). Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff describes the initiative as a tool to help employers deal with no-match letters. “This regulation lays out a clear path to doing the right thing,” Chertoff said during a press conference. “What the company may not do is ignore the problem.” Other steps the administration is taking to curtail illegal employment include raising civil fines as high as $12,500 per violation and eventually requiring 200,000 federal contractors to use E-Verify, a government electronic verification system formerly called Basic Pilot. One critic, the Society for Human Resource Management, asserts that the system is inefficient and ineffective against identity theft. Homeland Security says it is adding a photo-screening mechanism to the system to help combat stolen identity. Chertoff calls E-Verify “quick and … easy to use” and emphasizes that companies that follow the no-match procedures will avoid trouble. “The person who does their best in good faith has nothing to fear from us,” he says. “We’re going to clamp down on employers who knowingly and willfully violate the law.” Employer advocates, however, say the no-match regulation now effectively makes a company’s failure to act an immigration violation. “They’ve turned the presumption completely around,” Manning says. As it announced punitive immigration measures, the Bush administration also says it will streamline existing temporary worker programs that help industries such as agriculture, landscaping and hospitality. Still, those groups may be hit hard. “You could see doors closing on businesses,” says John Gay, senior vice president for government affairs and public policy at the National Restaurant Association. “We warned against doing this—enforcement without reform.” Read the entire article at: http://www.workforce.com/section/00/article/25/08/95.html.

America’s Workforce: Healthy, Competitive And Growing - U.S. Labor Department releases report on state of U.S. workforce – Labor Day 2007. WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor today released America’s Dynamic Workforce 2007, a new report highlighting major trends in the American labor market and the importance of education and skills training to maintaining the competitiveness of America’s workforce. "America's workforce is the envy of the world! Despite some recent market uncertainties, the fundamentals of the American economy are strong, unemployment is near record lows, overall compensation continues to increase, and more than 8.3 million new jobs have been created since August 2003,” said U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao. “What our country does face is a ‘skills gap.’ In a worldwide economy, the competitive strength of America's workforce lies in its productivity, innovation, creativity and knowledge base. The majority of new jobs created over the next decade will require more skills, higher education and pay above average wages, so it is important to ensure that workers are able to get the education and training they need to access these growing opportunities.” Here are some of the current trends that illustrate the state of the economy and importance of education and job training:
Highlights of America's Workforce: Labor Day 2007

• In the first half of 2007, the national unemployment rate ranged between 4.4 percent and 4.6 percent. That is a full point lower than the average 5.7 percent unemployment rate of the 1990s.
• As of June 2007, more than 8.3 million net new jobs had been created in the United States since August 2003.
• Job growth in 2006 alone netted 2.3 million new jobs.
• By June 2007, total jobs reached an all-time high of 138.0 million – nearly 5.5 million more jobs than the pre-recession high of February 2001.
• Through June 2007, the United States experienced 46 consecutive months of job growth.
• Unfilled job openings have increased by one million since 2003 and averaged 4.2 million vacancies at the end of May 2007.
• Between 2001 and 2006, non-farm labor productivity increased 15.3 percent and real compensation per hour increased 7.2 percent.
• Between 2001 and 2006, much employment growth was in industries with above average hourly earnings. Employment in professional and business services, construction and financial activities (all paying above average) increased 2.5 million.
• Between 2001 and 2006, employment in jobs associated with bachelor’s degree or higher educational attainment increased 18.8 percent – faster than any other category.
• In 2006, employer-paid benefits such as health insurance, paid leave, retirement savings, life insurance, workers’ compensation insurance, Social Security contributions and unemployment insurance amounted to 30 percent of average total compensation.
• The United States leads the world in manufacturing, accounting for 21 percent of worldwide manufacturing value-added, followed by Japan (13 percent), China (12 percent) and Germany (eight percent).
• With gross domestic product per hour worked at $48.30 in 2005, American workers are among the most productive in the world.
• Between 1970 and 2006, the proportion of persons age 25 to 64 with a bachelor’s degree or higher more than doubled.
  Many of these figures were compiled from the newly released “America’s Dynamic Workforce 2007,” which is available online at http://www.dol.gov/asp/media/reports/workforce2007/.

GAO Report: Federal Disability Programs "Poorly Positioned" to Help People Go to Work. A recent report by the watchdog US Government Accountability Office (GAO) stated "…social and legal changes have promoted the goal of greater inclusion of persons with disabilities in the mainstream of society, including adults at work. For example, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) supports the full participation of persons with disabilities in society and fosters the expectation that persons with disabilities can work and have the right to work… However, GAO’s reviews of the largest federal disability programs indicate that such programs have not evolved in line with these larger societal changes and, therefore, are poorly positioned to provide meaningful and timely support for persons with disabilities." The report further cites the looming crises in the slowdown in the nation's labor force and the low rate of return of return to work for individuals with disabilities receiving cash and medical benefits. http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d07934sp.pdf.

Grant and Competitive Award Opportunities and Notices

For current information, visit the External Grant Opportunities page.

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.

Workforce Florida’s Regional Forums
For details and updates on these forums visit:
http://www.workforceflorida.com/news/forums.htm

September 10th
9:00 - 12:00 Noon
Tallahassee, FL 32301
NOTE: The location for the Tallahassee forum has changed to:
TCC Capitol Center
300 W Pensacola Street
Tallahassee, FL 32301

September 11th
1:00 - 4:00 pm CST
Destin, FL 32550

September 12th
1:30 – 4:30 pm
Sarasota, FL 34234

September 19th
Workforce Florida Board of Directors Executive Committee Teleconference
Tallahassee, FL
9:00am - 10:00am
Contact: Peggy Dransfield pdransfield@workforceflorida.com

Other Meetings/Conferences/Events:

September 17, 2007
Workforce3 One Webinar: Integrating Registered Apprenticeship into the Workforce Investment System
Time: 2:00pm Eastern (1:00pm/Central, 12:00pm/Mountain, 11:00am/Pacific) - 90 minutes
NEW! Register at: http://www.workforce3one.org/public/webinars/details.cfm?id=227

September 18-21, 2007
NASWA Annual Conference - Hills to Shore and So Much More!
Hartford, Connecticut
www.naswa.org/hartford2007/home.cfm.

September 24-26, 2007
The U.S. Chamber’s Institute for a Competitive Workforce’s (ICW) Education and Workforce Summit
Washington, DC
http://www.uschamber.com/icw/strategies/icwsummit.htm.

October 25 - 26, 2007
Common Vision: Housing Solutions for All - The Florida Coalition for the Homeless and the Florida Supportive Housing Coalition Joint Annual Conference
(Optional pre-conference Wednesday, October 24)
St. Petersburg, Florida
http://www.flshc.net/events.htm

May 18-20, 2008
FEDC/WFI/FWDA Workforce Summit
SAVE THE DATE!
(Location TBD)
More information will be posted to www.fedc.net in the near future…

Odds and Ends

Alliance Online News: Ending Homelessness Among Veterans. The Alliance Online Newsletter provides weekly updates on news relevant to ending homelessness, including national policy achievements; Alliance events and publications; and information on recent research, successful programs, and national media coverage of the issue. This week the newsletter provides information and links to articles related to homelessness among veterans. Access this issue at:
http://www.endhomelessness.org/content/article/detail/1764.

Jumpstarting Innovation: Using Disruption to Your Advantage. Fostering innovation in a mature company can often seem like a swim upstream—the needs of the existing business often overwhelm attempts to create something new. Harvard Business School professor Lynda M. Applegate shows how one of the forces that threaten established companies can also be a source of salvation: disruptive change. Plus: Innovation worksheets. http://hbswk.hbs.edu/item/5636.html.

U.S. Dept. of Agriculture Economic Research Service (ERS) releases State Fact Sheets. The ERS State Fact Sheets contain frequently requested data for each state and for the total United States. These include current data on population, per-capita income, earnings per job, poverty rates, employment, unemployment, farm and farm-related jobs, farm characteristics, farm financial characteristics, top agricultural commodities, top export commodities, and the top counties in agricultural sales.
See http://wwwers.usda.gov/StateFacts/.

The Employment and Training Administration redesigns the Workforce3 One Webspace. Thanks to an improved and intuitive interface that allows registrants immediate access to a variety of content, navigating the Workforce3 One homepage has never been easier. Simply log in using your existing registered e-mail address and password, and explore each section to learn more about exciting trends and innovations in today's workforce. Visit www.workforce3one.org.

Quote for the Week:

“Labor is prior to, and independent of, capital. Capital is only the fruit of labor,
and could never have existed if labor had not first existed.
Labor is the superior of capital, and deserves much the higher consideration.”

Abraham Lincoln’s Message to Congress, Dec. 3, 1861

An equal opportunity employer/program. Auxiliary aids and services are available upon request to individuals with disabilities. All voice telephone numbers on this web site may be reached by persons using TTY/TDD equipment via the Florida Relay Service at 711.