CONTENTS
The State & Regions
The Nation
Grant and Competitive Award Opportunities
Upcoming
Meetings, Conferences & Events
Odds & Ends
The State & Regions
Governor Crist Promotes Plans to Rev Up Florida’s Economy ~ Addresses Jacksonville Regional Chamber of Commerce’s
Cornerstone Luncheon. JACKSONVILLE – Governor Charlie
Crist today addressed Jacksonville-area business leaders at
the Jacksonville Regional Chamber of Commerce’s Cornerstone
Luncheon. The Governor provided details about his recommended
economic stimulus package sent last week to Senate President
Ken Pruitt and House Speaker Marco Rubio to address. “While
economic forecasters have predicted an even tighter budget
year than we had expected, we can trim our state budget without
raising taxes,” Governor Crist said. “Equally important,
we can take steps to re-fire our economy, especially in the
building and construction industry – the area most in
need of our support.” Governor Crist’s recommended
economic stimulus package focuses on three important sectors
of Florida’s economy:
- Housing Industry - Governor Crist has asked the Florida
Legislature to appropriate $50 million from trust fund reserves
to the
Florida Housing Finance Corporation to provide assistance
to as many as 3,000 first-time home buyers. Benefits would
include
$10,000 to assist with making down payments and paying closing
costs. The corporation would also offer home financing at
one-quarter point lower than the market rate.
- Building and
Construction Industry - Governor Crist is
encouraging the Legislature to appropriate school construction
funds for
school districts, community colleges and state universities
within the next three to six months. Typically, $315 million
of available bonding capacity would be appropriated after
the next regular legislative session. However, appropriating
these
funds earlier than usual, as well as $168.25 million in the
Public Education Capital Outlay (PECO) trust fund, will stimulate
Florida’s building and construction industry.
- Transportation
Construction Industry - Finally, Governor Crist has directed
the Florida Department of Transportation
to fast-track road construction and port improvement projects.
These projects will infuse $350 million into Florida’s
economy. By expediting the Interstate-95 Express Project,
commuters in Southeast Florida will have the option of traveling
faster
by using the additional toll lanes. Governor Crist also directed
the department to work with the Florida Seaport Transportation
and Economic Development Council to accelerate 10 projects
to improve Florida’s deepwater ports. A study by the
Florida Department of Transportation indicates that every
dollar invested in ports yields $6.90 to the state’s
economy. Governor Crist has further directed the department
to pursue
innovative partnerships and private investments to meet future
transportation needs.
For more information about Governor Crist’s initiatives,
please visit www.flgov.com.
Bronson Announces Availability Of Bioenergy Grants. TALLAHASSEE
-- Florida Agriculture and Consumer Services Commissioner Charles
H. Bronson today announced that applications are available
for Florida's Farm to Fuel Grants Program. The 2007 Florida
Legislature appropriated $25 million for the grants program
to provide matching grants for demonstration and commercial
projects, as well as research and development relating to bio-energy
projects in Florida. Earlier this year, Bronson and the Florida
Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) awarded $15 million
to eight organizations as part of the Renewable Energy Technologies
Grants Program for projects that generate or utilize other
renewable energy resources, including hydrogen, biomass and
solar energy. The Farm to Fuel Grants Program centers on the
production and distribution of renewable energy from Florida-grown
crops, agricultural wastes and residues, and other biomass.
It will award $3 million for research, development and demonstration
projects, and the remaining $22 million for commercial bio-energy
projects. "Florida is poised to become a national leader
in the production of renewable energy," Bronson said. "In
order to do so, however, the state must assist our researchers
and entrepreneurs in moving forward, particularly as it relates
to new, emerging technologies. The Farm to Fuel Grants Program,
in conjunction with DEP's Renewable Energy Technology Grants
Program, will go a long way toward Florida diversifying its
energy portfolio and reducing its dependence on other states
and nations for energy and fuel supply." Applications
for the Farm to Fuel Grants are due by 5 p.m. Friday, October
26, 2007. Projects will be evaluated based on a number of different
criteria, including cost-share percentage, economic development
potential, and the extent to which the project produces bioenergy
from Florida-grown crops or biomass. Eligible applicants include
municipalities and county governments, established for-profit
companies licensed to do business in the state, universities
and colleges in the state, utilities located and operating
within the state, and not-for-profit organizations. For a copy
of the grant guidelines, application and other relevant information,
go to http://www.FloridaFarmToFuel.com.
Florida Will Commemorate Disability Mentoring Day
on Wednesday, October 17, 2007. Statewide activities will coincide with National
DMD events across the country, which are being supported by
the American Association of People with Disabilities. Florida’s
DMD program is organized through a collaborative partnership
of The Able Trust, the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation
and other statewide partners. The statewide planning committee
raises funds for Florida DMD activities and provides support
to local community liaisons that coordinate the matchmaking
experience between mentors and mentees. To learn more about
Florida’s DMD visit: http://www.floridadmd.org/. National
Disability Mentoring Day (NDMD), sponsored by the American
Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD), began in 1999
as part of a White House effort to increase the profile of
National Disability Employment Awareness Month, celebrated
every October. It is a national partnership between the AAPD
and the US Department of Labor Office of Disability Employment
Policy. NDMD was patterned after other school-to-work activities
such as the National Groundhog Job Shadow day, and began with
just three-dozen student participants, mostly in Washington,
DC. In 2000, NDMD began to take root in communities across
the nation. To learn more about NDMD on a national level, visit
http://www.dmd-aapd.org/.
The Nation
McDermott Announces Hearing on Modernizing Unemployment
Insurance to Reduce Barriers for Jobless Workers. Congressman Jim McDermott
(D-WA), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Income Security and
Family Support of the Committee on Ways and Means, today announced
that the Subcommittee will hold a hearing on reducing gaps
and disparities in access to unemployment insurance, especially
for low-wage and part-time workers. The hearing will take place
on Wednesday, September 19, at 1:00 p.m. in room B-318 Rayburn
House Office Building. In view of the limited time available
to hear witnesses, oral testimony at this hearing will be from
invited witnesses only. However, any individual or organization
not scheduled for an oral appearance may submit a written statement
for consideration by the Committee and for inclusion in the
printed record of the hearing. In announcing the hearing, Chairman
McDermott stated, “Too many workers, especially those
in low-wage and part-time employment, are excluded from the
Unemployment Insurance system. Women in particular are hampered
by policies that were crafted five, six and seven decades ago.
We should actively encourage States to make further progress
in covering all unemployed workers who have worked hard and
who have had taxes paid into the system on their behalf.” For
the complete advisory from the Committee on Ways and Means
Subcommittee on Income Security and Family Support,
including instructions on submitting written comment, go to:
http://waysandmeans.house.gov/hearings.asp?formmode=view&id=6444.
GAO Issues Report: Economic Development - Formal Monitoring
Approaches Needed to Help Ensure Compliance with Restrictions
on Funding Employer Relocations. This report (1) identifies
large federal economic development programs that state and
local governments can use as incentives, (2) identifies which
programs contain statutory prohibitions on funding relocations,
and (3) assesses whether federal agencies had established and
implemented procedures to help ensure compliance with prohibitions.
To address these objectives, GAO searched federal databases,
reviewed relevant statutes and regulations, and conducted limited
testing of agency procedures. To view the GAO-07-1005 Report
Highlights go to: http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d071005.pdf.
To view the complete GAO-07-1005 Report go to: http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d071005.pdf.
GAO Report issued: Disabled Veterans' Employment. To better
assist veterans with service-connected disabilities seeking
employment, in 2005, the Departments of Labor (Labor) and Veterans
Affairs (VA) signed an agreement to coordinate employment services
for disabled veterans. Around the same time, VA rolled out
a redesigned employment program for these veterans, known as
the Five-Track program, which also established an employment
coordinator position and job resource labs. To help Congress
understand the status of these initiatives, GAO was asked to
provide information on (1) the progress in implementing the
2005 agreement and challenges to implementation, (2) the status
of implementation of VA’s Five-Track program and challenges
posed by recently returning veterans, and (3) the role of employment
coordinators and job resource labs in serving veterans. To
obtain this information, GAO interviewed Labor and VA officials
and national veterans’ service organizations, and conducted
site visits in five states. To ensure the implementation of
their agreement and the efficient and effective use of resources,
GAO recommends that Labor and VA develop a comprehensive plan
to implement their agreement and undertake additional guidance
and monitoring efforts, and that VA review the role of the
employment coordinator, and assess the use of the job resource
labs. To view the Highlights of the GAO-07-1020 Report go to:
http://www.workforceatm.org/sections/pdf/2007/d071020high.pdf.
To view the complete GAO-07-1020 Report go to: http://www.workforceatm.org/sections/pdf/2007/d071020high.pdf.
NASWA’s Workforce Bulletin
Headlines - September 7, 2007:
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.
September 2007
NOTE: The Workforce Florida Board of Directors September meeting
date and/or time may change. Please check for new information
later this week at: http://www.workforceflorida.com/bcs/0709_calendar.htm.
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
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.
National Kick-off Event & Career Fair for Students
with Disabilities
September 24, 2007
Lake Buena Vista Palace, Orlando
NEW! For more information and to register visit: http://www.floridadmd.org/. 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
The Association for Career and Technical Education
(ACTE) has released a new issue brief on the role of career
and
technical education (CTE) in secondary-postsecondary transition. As states and national organizations are implementing new
initiatives designed to improve the secondary and postsecondary
education outcomes of our nation's youth, numerous reform
strategies that involve a strong focus on CTE have emerged.
To read the report, go to: http://www.acteonline.org/resource_center/upload/Transitions.pdf
From ECS e-Connection 09/12/2007:
- Postsecondary Education and State
Economic Development. State policymakers have taken a renewed
interest
in the
role of postsecondary education in state economic development.
A new ECS StateNote describes three popular policy mechanisms,
highlights noteworthy policies that have been enacted
and looks at a sampling of state policies enacted since
2004.
http://www.ecs.org/00CN3608.
- Access to Online Learning
Tools. Kentucky has been selected to partner with the
Florida Distance Learning Consortium
to create a P-16 statewide repository for online learning
resources, allowing faculty and teachers across the state
to share online teaching and learning tools quickly and
easily.
http://www.ecs.org/00CN3612.
From SOUTHERN COMPASS -- SEPTEMBER 11, 2007:
- Study Finds The Number Of Families
Spending Half Of Income For Housing Doubles. According
to a new study from the
Center for Housing Policy, the number of low-to moderate-income
working family renters paying more than half their income
for housing doubled between 1997 and 2005—increasing
from one million to 2.1 million families. While the number
of homeowners with similar cost burdens also grew significantly,
it did so at a lower rate. View The Housing Landscape
for America’s Working Families, 2007, at http://www.nhc.org/housing/landscape2007,
along with data profiles for 31 metropolitan areas, including
Atlanta, Charlotte, Kansas City, Memphis, Oklahoma City
and St. Louis.
- CEO Interviews Show Concern That Talent
Gap Will Slow Global Growth. The Economist CEO Briefing:
Corporate
Priorities for 2007 and Beyond summarizes interviews
with more than
1,000 multinational CEOs on their current and forthcoming
management priorities. A growing number of CEO’s
have a positive outlook on global business opportunities. “Nine
out of every ten executives polled for this report consider
global business prospects over the next three years to
be either “good” or ‘very good.’” While
many of the executives spoke to an increasing demand in
emerging markets, a significant number CEOs mentioned the “talent
gap,” a shortage of skilled workers in emerging markets,
especially India and China. “One in two respondents
identify a lack of available talent as the primary barrier
to growth. ‘If there’s one limiting factor
to growth, it is people and talent,’ says Tejpreet
Chopra, the president and CEO for GE’s Commercial
Finance business in India. Despite the vast numbers of
graduates entering
the workforce every year in both India and China, a relatively
low proportion of them have the skills required by global
firms.” To view the results the CEO briefing visit: http://graphics.eiu.com/files/ad_pdfs/eiu_CEO_Briefing_2007.pdf
Quote for the Week:
Statement by GOVERNOR
CHARLIE CRIST Regarding Rosh Hashanah:
“
I extend my deepest wishes to Florida's Jewish community
as each person prepares for this most sacred time of year,
the Jewish New Year of 5768. As you reflect on the past year,
it is my wish that next year be even more fulfilling for
you and your family, as well as our state and nation. This
year, these High Holy Days have special meaning for me as
I recall my recent trade mission to Israel in May. Florida's
bond of friendship and partnership with Israel and its strong
cultural and business ties make our state exceptional in
both strength and opportunity. It is my hope and prayer that
this time of thoughtful assessment and examination will lead
our state and nation to bring out the finest within ourselves.
May these coming days help energize the new blessings and
renewal that our state, nation and world require. I wish
a sweet and healthy New Year to all Floridians observing
the High Holy Days, and may you and your loved ones be inscribed
in the Book of Life!”
L’shanah tovah,
Charlie Crist
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